SafeCoach Youth Coaching Institute

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Executive Summary

SafeCoach Youth Coaching Institute is a nonprofit in Nevada that makes sure every adult who coaches a child has the training to keep that child safe. We run a practical, affordable certification for volunteer and part-time coaches in recreation leagues, schools, churches and clubs. In about eight hours of blended learning, coaches practice what to do in the moments that matter: recognizing a possible concussion, responding to heat illness, using an AED, protecting children from abuse, handling a player who is struggling and coaching in a way that keeps young people in sports. Every coach also receives a background check, a first aid and CPR card and a pocket guide. Certification lasts two years, then coaches renew.

Most youth coaches are volunteers. They are parents, teachers, neighbors and former players who give their evenings to children, and most were handed a whistle and a clipboard with no training at all. Many leagues have no written emergency plan, no AED and no background check policy, and many coaches do not know what to do if a child collapses, is hit in the head or tells them something troubling. Each year, large numbers of children are injured in organized sports, and research suggests that a share of those injuries, and of the serious emergencies, can be prevented or made less harmful when adults are trained and prepared. Families also deserve to know that the adult alone with their child at practice has been screened and trained.

With this grant we will certify about 1,500 coaches in Year 1, working through about 120 leagues and schools. Two Regional Trainers will run about 90 in-person sessions at league sites, evenings and weekends, in English and Spanish. A League Safety Specialist will help each partner league write an emergency action plan, check its equipment and AED, adopt a background check policy and track coach certification. Experienced coaches will serve as paid Coach Mentors. Certification is free to coaches. We do not guarantee that certification prevents injuries or abuse; it is one important layer of protection among others.

Our Year 1 budget is about $442,500, growing to about $689,500 by Year 5, as we certify about 3,800 coaches a year. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 6 paid staff in Year 1 and 9 by Year 5. League, school and municipal contracts, and support from insurers, health systems and sponsors, grow from about 19% of our income in Year 1 to about 43% in Year 5, so grants fall from about 81% to about 57%.

We are asking the Silver State Youth Sports Safety Foundation for $85,000 for one Regional Trainer, first aid, CPR and AED course fees, background checks, Coach Mentor stipends and League Safety Audits with emergency plan kits. Leagues, insurers, other grants and donors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Rafael Ortiz, the Executive Director, a paramedic and a youth soccer coach for 15 years. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

SafeCoach Youth Coaching Institute is a nonprofit organization in Nevada. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity (or a program of one, through a fiscal sponsor), governed by a volunteer board of directors. We will provide our IRS determination letter, board list and most recent financial statements with this proposal.

Our mission. To protect young athletes by making sure every youth coach is trained, screened and prepared.

What we believe. Children's safety is the first job of every coach, before winning and before fun. Volunteer coaches want to do right and should be given the tools, not blame. Training must be practical, short enough for busy people, free to the coach and focused on what to do. Safety is a system: trained coaches, written emergency plans, working equipment, screening and a culture where anyone can speak up. Coaches who understand how young people develop keep more children in sports and make them better teammates.

How we started. The Institute began when a paramedic who coached youth soccer was called to a field where a 12-year-old had collapsed during practice. The coaches did not know where the nearest AED was, and the child was lucky to survive. He organized a free evening class on first aid and emergency plans for coaches in his league, and 60 coaches came. Over two years, 480 coaches from 21 leagues took the class, and league presidents asked for the same training for their coaches. The county's parks department and a children's hospital asked whether we could offer it to every league. This proposal asks for support to build a staffed institute with a standard certification.

What we offer:
- The Core Certification. About eight hours: about three hours online at the coach's own pace, and about five hours in person, covering child safety and abuse prevention, concussion and head injury recognition and response, heat illness and hydration, sudden cardiac arrest with CPR and AED, first aid for common sports injuries, emergency action plans, positive coaching and age-appropriate development, mental health awareness and how to respond when a child is struggling, inclusion of girls and children with disabilities, safe transportation and the basics of a coach's legal duty of care. The Core Certification includes a first aid, CPR and AED card from a nationally recognized course.
- Background checks. A background check and a review of the national sex offender registry for every certified coach, with a clear process for leagues.
- The Coach Safety Registry. A confidential, secure list of certified coaches and expiration dates that leagues can check before the season. We share only whether a coach is certified, not private details.
- League Safety Audits. A League Safety Specialist helps each league write and practice an emergency action plan, locate and check AEDs and first aid kits, adopt policies on background checks, two adults at practice, communication and reporting, and run an emergency drill.
- Coach Mentors. Experienced, certified coaches paid a small stipend who visit new coaches, answer questions and model good coaching.
- Renewal and updates. A shorter refresher every two years and updates when guidance changes.
- Special modules. Short add-ons for coaches of tackle football, baseball and softball, swimming, gymnastics and cheer, and for coaches who transport players.

What we do not do. We do not charge coaches for certification. We do not promise that certification will prevent any injury or incident. We do not replace a league's own legal and insurance advice. We do not run teams or leagues. We do not give medical, legal or insurance advice beyond education, and we refer to professionals. We do not share a coach's private information beyond whether they are certified.

How we are run. A seven-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. The board includes a pediatric emergency physician, an athletic trainer, a league president, an attorney who advises on youth protection, a school athletic director, a parent and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director manages the organization and partnerships, the Training Director leads the curriculum, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. Thirty-one leagues and schools have signed letters agreeing to require or encourage certification, a children's hospital and a sports insurance broker have offered to review the curriculum and support the program, and the county parks department has invited us to certify its coaches. We have a letter of intent for a small office and equipment storage space. Before we begin, an attorney will review our curriculum, the Coach Safety Registry privacy policy, the background check vendor agreement and our partner agreements.

Problem & Opportunity

Why this program is needed.

Millions of children play organized youth sports, and most are coached by volunteers. Research from national organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from children's hospitals has found that sports injuries are a leading cause of emergency room visits among young people, that concussions in youth sports are common and often go unreported, that heat illness and sudden cardiac arrest, though rare, are often fatal when responders are not prepared and that quick use of CPR and an AED can save lives. At the same time, cases of abuse in youth sports show why screening and training of adults are essential. Before we submit, we will add the latest figures.

The gaps we see:
1. Untrained coaches. Most volunteer coaches have never been trained in first aid, concussion, heat illness or emergency response, and many are unaware of their duty of care.
2. No emergency plans. Many leagues have no written emergency action plan, and coaches do not know who calls 911, where the AED is or how to direct an ambulance to the field.
3. Missing AEDs and kits. Many fields have no AED, or the AED is locked in a building, has a dead battery or is unknown to the coaches.
4. Concussion misses. Coaches and parents may not recognize symptoms, and young players often hide them. Returning too soon can be dangerous.
5. Heat risk. Practices in hot weather without water, shade, rest breaks and awareness of heat illness can lead to emergencies.
6. Child protection gaps. Many leagues do not require background checks or have policies such as two adults at every practice, which are basic protections.
7. Mental health and burnout. Coaches often do not know how to respond when a young player seems anxious, upset or is hiding something, or how to avoid putting too much pressure on children.
8. Cost and time. Certification courses can cost money and take long hours. Volunteer coaches work full-time jobs and many leagues have no budget.
9. Inconsistent standards. Each league has its own rules, and a coach who moves from one league to another may be trained in one and not the other.
10. Unequal access. Leagues in low-income neighborhoods and rural areas have the least funding and the least access to training, though their players are often the most at risk.

What the evidence says. Training adults in first aid, CPR and AED use, in recognizing concussion and in child protection is widely recommended by pediatric and sports medicine groups, and states have passed laws on youth concussion and, in some cases, on coach training and background checks. Research on whether training reduces injuries and incidents is limited and varies by program, so we will measure our own results, including coach knowledge and league practices, and report them honestly.

How we know people want this. In our pilot, 480 coaches from 21 leagues took the class. League presidents asked for more, and after the course, 90% of coaches said they felt more confident to respond to an emergency. Thirty-one leagues and schools have signed on for the program.

How we will show the need. Before we submit this proposal, we will add the number of youth sports participants and leagues in our area, the share of leagues that have an emergency action plan, an AED and a background check policy (from our pilot league surveys), the rates of youth sports injuries and emergency visits from the state health department and the children's hospital, and Nevada's laws on youth concussion, background checks and coach training. We will check each law with an attorney.

Who benefits first. Volunteer and part-time coaches of children and teens in recreation leagues, schools, churches and clubs in our service area, especially in leagues in lower-income neighborhoods and rural areas, and the young athletes and families they serve.

Products & Services

What the grant will pay for and what we will do.

1. Partner with leagues, schools and parks. We sign an agreement with each partner, covering how coaches register, how we share certification status, training schedules, safety audits and communication. Each partner names a liaison. About 120 leagues and schools take part in Year 1.

2. Certify coaches. The Core Certification has two parts. In the online part, about three hours, coaches complete short modules on a phone or computer at their own pace. In the in-person part, about five hours, a Regional Trainer leads hands-on practice at the league site: how to do CPR and use an AED on a manikin, how to respond to a suspected concussion with a checklist, how to respond to heat illness, how to stop bleeding and care for common sports injuries, how to run an emergency drill and how to speak with a child who is upset or has disclosed something troubling. We teach coaches that their role is to recognize, respond and refer, not to diagnose. Coaches who complete both parts and pass a short knowledge check earn certification. About 1,500 coaches are certified in Year 1, at about 90 in-person sessions across the region.

3. Screen coaches. Every certified coach consents to a background check, including the national sex offender registry, run through an approved vendor. A league decides how to respond to the results under its own policy and the law, and we provide a model policy. Background check fees are about $9 per coach.

4. Provide first aid, CPR and AED cards. Each coach earns a card from a nationally recognized course as part of the in-person session, at about $16 per coach.

5. Keep a confidential registry. The Coach Safety Registry lets a league confirm that a coach is certified and when the certification expires. It stores only name, league, certification date and expiration date, and it is protected as described in our privacy policy. Families can ask the league whether their child's coach is certified.

6. Audit league safety. A League Safety Specialist visits each partner league, reviews or helps write an emergency action plan with the address and directions for ambulances, the location of AEDs and first aid kits and roles for coaches. The specialist checks that AEDs have working batteries and pads, supplies emergency plan kits and runs a short drill with coaches. About 120 leagues complete an audit in Year 1.

7. Support coaches with mentors. Experienced coaches, paid a stipend of about $200 a season, visit new coaches, answer questions and model positive coaching. About 40 Coach Mentors take part in Year 1.

8. Offer special modules. Short add-ons for tackle football, baseball and softball, swimming, gymnastics and cheer, and for coaches who transport players, taught with sport-specific experts.

9. Renew and update. Certification lasts two years. A shorter refresher covers new guidance and a review of the emergency plan. We notify coaches and leagues before certification expires.

10. Teach positive coaching and mental health basics. The curriculum includes age-appropriate development, building belonging, avoiding body talk, avoiding early specialization pressure, recognizing signs of stress or burnout, and when and how to involve a parent or a counselor. We follow safe messaging guidelines whenever the topic of suicide or self-harm comes up and teach coaches to call 911 or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline when a young person may be in danger.

How we will measure results. We track coaches certified, sessions, leagues with an audit, leagues with an emergency action plan, working AEDs found and fixed, coach knowledge on short tests before and after, coach confidence, renewal rates and satisfaction. With leagues' permission, we track the number of reported injuries, concussions and emergency calls and how they were handled. We break results out by league size, neighborhood and sport so that we can find and fix gaps.

Our Year 1 goals:
- About 1,500 coaches certified through about 90 in-person sessions, in about 120 leagues and schools.
- At least 85% of coaches pass the knowledge check, and at least 90% say they feel more confident responding to an emergency.
- 100% of certified coaches have a background check and a first aid, CPR and AED card.
- About 120 leagues complete a safety audit, and at least 90% of them have a written emergency action plan and know where their AED is by the end.
- At least 95% of AEDs found at partner sites are working, or are repaired or replaced.
- At least 40 leagues require certification for all coaches by the end of the year.
- About 40 Coach Mentors are active.
- At least 90% of coaches and leagues say they would recommend the program.
These are goals, and we will report our real results to the Foundation, including where we fall short. We do not promise that certification will prevent any injury or incident.

Market Analysis

Who we serve and how many.

The coaches. Adults 18 and older who coach children and teens in recreation leagues, schools, churches, clubs and community programs in our service area, whether they volunteer or receive a small stipend. We reach out especially to coaches in leagues in lower-income neighborhoods, rural areas and tribal communities, and to women who coach, since women are underrepresented among youth coaches. Certification is free to coaches.

Where we work. Trainings are held at league sites, parks, schools and community centers around the region, in the evenings and on weekends, with online modules available at any time and a small number of trainings in Spanish.

How many we will reach:
- Year 1: about 1,500 coaches certified in about 120 leagues and schools, with about 40 Coach Mentors.
- Year 2: about 1,900 coaches in about 150 leagues and schools.
- Year 3: about 2,400 coaches in about 185 leagues and schools, with a third Regional Trainer.
- Year 4: about 3,000 coaches in about 220 leagues and schools, with a second League Safety Specialist.
- Year 5: about 3,800 coaches in about 260 leagues and schools, with a fourth Regional Trainer.
Over five years we expect to certify about 12,600 coaches, who in turn coach many tens of thousands of children. Some coaches renew after two years and are counted again.

Who else benefits:
- Young athletes and families. Children are coached by adults who are trained and screened, and families know who to ask.
- Leagues and schools. They gain a standard, affordable certification, emergency plans, audited equipment and a lower risk of serious incidents.
- Coaches. Volunteers gain skills and confidence, and many say they would not have known what to do before.
- Insurers and health systems. They gain a way to reduce injuries and claims and to support community health.
- The community. Safer sports keep more children active and parents more willing to let them play.

How we will size the need before we submit. We will add the number of leagues, schools and coaches in our region, the share of leagues with an emergency plan and an AED, local injury and emergency visit data and state laws on coach training and background checks. These come from the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, the state health department, the children's hospital, league surveys from our pilot and our own records.

Competitive Landscape

Other options coaches and leagues have, and how we fit.

- National coaching organizations and certifications. Several national organizations offer coaching education and licensing, some of them excellent. Many charge a fee per coach, are general rather than local and do not include an AED and emergency plan audit for the league. We align our content with national guidance and add local, hands-on practice and league support, and we refer coaches to national programs for advanced learning.
- Online-only courses. Free or low-cost courses on concussion and abuse prevention exist and are useful. Coaches rarely practice CPR, an AED or an emergency drill online, and leagues cannot easily track who completed what. We combine online learning with hands-on training and a registry.
- Red Cross and American Heart Association first aid and CPR classes. Excellent, standard courses, taught widely. They are not designed for sports coaches and do not cover concussion, heat illness, child protection or emergency planning for a field. We include a first aid, CPR and AED card from a recognized course as one part of ours.
- League-run training. Some leagues run their own trainings, with varied quality and coverage. We offer a standard that a league can adopt, and we help leagues train their trainers.
- School athletic department training. Schools often train their paid coaches and not the volunteers who coach youth teams. We offer schools a way to include volunteers.
- Insurance company materials. Some insurers provide guides and videos. We work with insurers to support the program, and we do not replace advice from a league's insurer.
- Doing nothing. The most common situation. Many leagues cannot afford anything.

The gap we fill. In our region, no organization offers a free, practical, standard certification that combines hands-on first aid, concussion, heat, child protection and emergency training, a background check and a first aid, CPR and AED card, backed by a confidential registry, league safety audits and coach mentors.

Our partners:
- Thirty-one leagues and schools, which require or encourage certification, host trainings and refer coaches.
- The county parks department, which hosts trainings and may require certification for its own programs.
- A children's hospital, which reviews the concussion and heat illness content and provides physician advisors.
- An athletic trainers' association, which provides sport-specific experts.
- A sports insurance broker, which supports the program and shares information with leagues.
- A fire department and ambulance service, which provide EMS instructors and help with emergency plans.
- A national first aid and CPR training organization, which provides course materials and instructors.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How coaches, leagues and supporters will find us and how we keep them engaged.

Reaching leagues and schools:
- League presidents and athletic directors. We present at preseason meetings and invite leagues to adopt the certification as a requirement for all coaches.
- Parks departments and school districts. We work with them to include certification in their own coaching requirements and in the permits for field use.
- Insurers. Brokers tell their clients about the program.
- Word of mouth. Leagues that have adopted the certification tell neighboring leagues.

Reaching coaches:
- Through the league. Most coaches sign up through their league, which sends them a link and a schedule.
- Flyers, text messages and a simple website in English and Spanish, with session dates and a one-minute sign-up.
- Social media and local news, featuring coaches who responded to an emergency.
- Coach Mentors. Experienced coaches tell new coaches about the program.

Making it easy to take part:
- Free to coaches, and a meal or snack at in-person sessions.
- Online learning on a phone, at any time, and in-person sessions in the evening and on weekends at the league's own field.
- A two-year certification, so coaches do not need to repeat every year.
- Interpretation and Spanish-language materials for coaches who need them.
- A clear, one-page checklist of what the league and each coach need to do.

Keeping coaches engaged:
- A practical session with hands-on practice, not a lecture.
- A pocket guide and a certificate, a sticker for the coach's clipboard and a certified coach badge for the league website.
- Follow-up from a Coach Mentor and a reminder before certification expires.
- Recognition of coaches who go above and beyond.

Reaching supporters. Insurers, health systems, businesses and individuals are invited to sponsor trainings for a league, a region or a coach mentor. We share results twice a year with funders and partners as totals.

Outreach budget. Coach recruitment and outreach are about $8,000 a year in Year 1, growing about 8% a year. Branding, a coach certificate design and a simple website are paid for once from startup money ($4,500).

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 3: Attorney review of the curriculum, registry privacy policy, background check vendor agreement and partner agreements, sign the lease, hire the Training Director, two Regional Trainers and the League Safety Specialist, finalize the curriculum with the physician and athletic trainer advisors, set up the online course platform and the Coach Safety Registry.
- Month 4: Train-the-trainer sessions and pilot sessions with three leagues. Recruit Coach Mentors and sign partner agreements.
- Months 5 to 9: Preseason and season trainings at league sites. League safety audits begin. The first coaches are certified.
- Months 10 to 12: Trainings for the next season. Mentor visits and follow-up surveys. Review of results, a year-end report to funders and partners and planning for Year 2.

Space. A small leased office and storage space for equipment, near a bus line. Office and training storage space is about $18,000 a year in Year 1. Paint, shelving and storage improvements are a one-time cost of $3,000, with a deposit and first month of rent of $3,500. Trainings are held at partner sites at no cost.

Equipment. We buy about $29,000 of equipment once at the start: twelve tablets with a charging cart ($9,000), twenty CPR manikins, six AED trainers and first aid training supplies ($12,000), two portable projectors, screens and sound systems ($4,000) and folding tables, chairs and a mobile training kit ($4,000). After Year 1, we set aside about $3,000 to $6,000 a year to replace and add equipment. The online course platform setup and curriculum review by a pediatrician, an athletic trainer and an attorney is a one-time cost of $8,000, and training materials, the online platform and certificates are about $20,000 a year.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director, a Training Director who is a certified instructor, two Regional Trainers, a League Safety Specialist and a part-time Program Coordinator and Data Specialist. A third Regional Trainer joins in Year 3, a second League Safety Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth Regional Trainer in Year 5. Regional Trainers are certified instructors in first aid, CPR and AED, with experience in youth sports, EMS, athletic training or education.

Curriculum quality. The curriculum is reviewed every year by a pediatrician, an athletic trainer, an attorney and an expert in child protection, and updated when national guidance changes. Hands-on skills are taught by certified instructors using current course standards. We do not teach coaches to diagnose or treat, and we do not teach any technique that requires medical licensure. Training venues and travel are about $14,000 a year in Year 1.

Background checks. We use an approved vendor that complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Coaches give written consent, and results go only to the league's designated person under its policy. A coach who is not cleared may have a chance to correct inaccurate information, as the law requires. We do not make hiring decisions for leagues. We provide a model policy, and an attorney reviews it. Background checks are about $14,000 a year in Year 1.

Coach Safety Registry and privacy. The registry holds a coach's name, league, certification dates and whether a background check was completed, and nothing about the results. It is kept in a secure, password-protected system with access limited to staff and designated league contacts. We never sell or share coach information, and we report results to funders only as totals. Families may ask a league whether a coach is certified.

League safety audits. Each audit includes a written emergency action plan with the field address and directions for ambulances, the AED and first aid kit locations, named roles for coaches, a drill and a checklist for lightning and heat. We provide an emergency plan kit with a poster, first aid supplies and a cardiac emergency card. We follow state and national guidance, which we confirm each year. League safety audits and emergency plan kits are about $12,000 a year in Year 1.

Safety at trainings. Training is practical but safe: CPR and AED practice is on manikins and trainer devices, and instructors do not require physical contact. In an emergency at any training, staff call 911. Instructors are trained in first aid and CPR.

Fair practice and conflicts of interest. We do not accept payment from any vendor for recommending its products. We encourage leagues to buy AEDs and equipment from any approved supplier. We accept support from insurers and sponsors with no say over the curriculum.

Insurance and records. We carry general liability, professional liability, cyber liability and abuse and molestation liability insurance, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $8,000 a year in Year 1. Grant money is tracked separately so we can show each funder how their money was spent, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Management & Organization

Who leads the organization.

Rafael Ortiz, Executive Director. Rafael leads the organization, raises money, manages grants and league and county partnerships, supervises staff and reports to the board. He is a paramedic with 18 years in emergency medical services, has coached youth soccer for 15 years and started our pilot training. Planned salary: $60,000 a year.

Training Director (certified instructor). Leads the curriculum, trains and supervises Regional Trainers, ensures the quality of hands-on training and works with the physician and athletic trainer advisors. Must be a certified instructor in first aid, CPR and AED with experience in youth sports or EMS education. Planned salary: $56,000 a year.

Regional Trainer. Teaches in-person certification sessions at league sites, supports coaches and leagues, and helps with emergency drills. Must be a certified instructor with experience in youth sports, EMS, athletic training or teaching. Two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4 and four in Year 5, at a planned salary of $48,000 each. The Silver State Youth Sports Safety Foundation grant would support the first Regional Trainer.

League Safety Specialist. Conducts league safety audits, writes emergency plans with leagues, checks AEDs and equipment and tracks certification. Must have experience in safety, emergency management or youth sports administration. One in Years 1 to 3 and two from Year 4, at a planned salary of $46,000 each.

Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time). Handles scheduling, registration, the registry, data and reports, about 25 hours a week. Planned pay: $26,000 a year.

Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance.

Staff in each year: 6 paid staff in Years 1 and 2 (five full-time and one part-time), 7 in Year 3, 8 in Year 4 and 9 in Year 5.

Coach Mentors and guest instructors. About 40 certified coaches, paid a stipend of about $200 a season, and about 15 guest instructors, such as paramedics, athletic trainers and child protection experts. All pass a background check.

The board. A seven-member volunteer board approves the budget, reviews results twice a year and helps raise money. Board members serve three-year terms. The board's certified public accountant chairs the finance committee. The board's pediatric emergency physician, athletic trainer and attorney help keep the curriculum accurate and the policies sound.

People who help us. An outside accountant who reviews our books every year, an attorney who reviews our curriculum, registry policy and agreements, an insurance agent who understands youth sports and professional liability, a child protection expert, and a Coach Advisory Council that meets each season.

Training. All staff and instructors complete training in the curriculum, instructor certification, child protection, privacy and cultural humility before starting, and again each year.

Money management. Grant money is tracked separately for each funder. The Executive Director and a board member must both approve any payment over $2,500.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Open the institute, certify about 1,500 coaches in about 120 leagues and schools, complete about 120 league safety audits, recruit about 40 Coach Mentors and launch the Coach Safety Registry. A balanced budget of about $442,500, with a small surplus of about $12,700. 6 paid staff.
- Year 2: Certify about 1,900 coaches in about 150 leagues and schools. Begin the first renewals and a study of league practices after the audit. A balanced budget of about $462,000, with a small surplus of about $12,700. 6 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a third Regional Trainer, certify about 2,400 coaches in about 185 leagues and schools and add rural and tribal community sessions. A balanced budget of about $533,500, with a small surplus of about $12,500. 7 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a second League Safety Specialist, certify about 3,000 coaches in about 220 leagues and schools. Work with the county and school districts to build certification into field use permits. A balanced budget of about $608,000, with a small surplus of about $13,500. 8 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a fourth Regional Trainer, certify about 3,800 coaches in about 260 leagues and schools, with contracts and sponsors covering about 43% of our budget. Report five years of results and share our curriculum with other states. A balanced budget of about $689,500, with a small surplus of about $13,700. 9 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Coaches certified, sessions held, leagues and schools served and Coach Mentors active.
- Knowledge on short tests before and after, and coach confidence to respond.
- Leagues with a written emergency action plan, a working AED and a background check policy, before and after an audit.
- Working AEDs found, repaired or replaced.
- With league permission, injuries, concussions and emergency calls and how they were handled.
- Renewal rates and coach and league satisfaction.
- Contracts and sponsorships received and the cost per coach certified.
- Results by league size, neighborhood and sport so that we can find and fix gaps.

How we review results. The Training Director reviews session feedback and test results every month. After each season, staff, trainers, mentors and our Coach Advisory Council review results and change what is not working, and the physician and athletic trainer advisors review the curriculum. Twice a year, the board reviews results and we share them with funders and partners as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $85,000 from the Silver State Youth Sports Safety Foundation for one Regional Trainer, first aid, CPR and AED course fees, background checks, Coach Mentor stipends and League Safety Audits with emergency plan kits, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Regional Trainer salary, $48,000.
- Other: First aid, CPR and AED course fees (coach cards), $15,000 (other funds add $9,000).
- Other: Background checks for coaches, $8,000 (other funds add $6,000).
- Other: Coach Mentor stipends, $6,000 (other funds add $2,000).
- Other: League Safety Audits and emergency plan kits, $8,000 (other funds add $4,000).

Other money in the program. League, school and municipal certification contracts, insurer, health system and sponsor support, other grants and donors pay the other $21,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director's salary ($60,000), the Training Director ($56,000), the second Regional Trainer ($48,000), the League Safety Specialist ($46,000), the part-time Program Coordinator and Data Specialist ($26,000), training materials, online course platform and certificates ($20,000), training venues and travel ($14,000), coach recruitment and outreach ($8,000), insurance ($8,000), office and training storage space ($18,000) and evaluation, data and administration ($14,000).

Year 1 budget: about $442,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $12,700 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $357,500 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), league, school and municipal certification contracts $40,000 and insurer, health system and sponsor support and donations $45,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $60,000; Training Director $56,000; two Regional Trainers $96,000; League Safety Specialist $46,000; Program Coordinator and Data Specialist $26,000; first aid, CPR and AED course fees about $24,000 (about $16 for each of 1,500 coaches); background checks about $14,000 (about $9 each); training materials, online course platform and certificates about $20,000; training venues and travel about $14,000; Coach Mentor stipends about $8,000; league safety audits and emergency plan kits about $12,000; coach recruitment and outreach about $8,000; insurance about $8,000; office and training storage space about $18,000; evaluation, data and administration about $14,000; and about $9,600 a year for the wear on equipment.

About contracts and sponsors. Leagues, schools and parks departments may pay about $30 to $40 per coach for the certification, as a fee that they pass on or absorb, or as a flat contract. They pay only for the training, and coaches never pay. Insurers and health systems may support the program as part of their safety and community health goals. These amounts are planning estimates, not promises. Payments often arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $30,975 owed to us at the end of Year 1. We plan for grants and donors to cover the gap if payers are delayed or reduce support.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $62,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $29,000 of equipment (tablets, CPR manikins and AED trainers, projectors and training kits), $3,000 for paint, shelving and storage improvements, $3,500 for the lease deposit and first month of rent, $6,000 for the opening supply of coach guides, emergency plan templates, CPR consumables and certificate stock, $1,500 for the business license and registration, $6,500 for an attorney's review of the curriculum, registry privacy policy, background check vendor and partner agreements and for accounting setup, $4,500 for branding, a certificate design and the website, and $8,000 for the online course platform setup and curriculum review by a pediatrician, an athletic trainer and an attorney.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($62,000), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $12,500) and a cash cushion of about $106,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $180,500. We start with $20,000 of our own savings and $170,000 in startup support from a children's hospital, a sports insurance broker and our board, $190,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $442,500 in Year 1 to about $689,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $357,500, $342,000, $366,500, $383,000 and $394,500 in Years 1 to 5. League, school and municipal contracts grow from $40,000 to $175,000, and insurer, health system and sponsor support and donations grow from $45,000 to $120,000. We add a third Regional Trainer in Year 3, a second League Safety Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth Regional Trainer in Year 5. Grants fall from about 81% of our income in Year 1 to about 57% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $148,500, at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is for leagues, schools, parks departments, insurers and sponsors to carry a growing share of the cost, since certification lowers risk and gives leagues a standard they can show to families. We will also seek recognition of the certification by state and local agencies, and apply to state and federal injury prevention and child safety funds.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A coach misuses certification or a serious incident occurs with a certified coach. Certification is not a guarantee, so we teach it as one layer of protection, expect leagues to follow their own policies and maintain a reporting process.
- Leagues do not require certification. We offer free or low-cost training, work with parks departments and insurers to encourage adoption and track which leagues do.
- Content becomes out of date. Advisors review the curriculum every year and we update when national guidance changes.
- Coaches drop out because of time. We offer online learning and evening sessions at their own field and a two-year certification.
- Privacy breach of the registry. We store little information, use secure systems, limit access and carry cyber insurance.
- Contracts and sponsor support fall. We plan with a cash cushion, stage hiring so costs follow funding and apply to other funders.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow contract and sponsor income and diversify donors each year.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: one three-hour evening class for the coaches of one league, taught by a volunteer paramedic and a volunteer athletic trainer using a national first aid course, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Resumes and instructor certifications for your Executive Director, Training Director and Regional Trainers.
- Your curriculum outline, with the names and credentials of the physician, athletic trainer, attorney and child protection reviewers.
- Letters from leagues, schools and the parks department agreeing to require or encourage certification.
- Your model emergency action plan, league safety audit checklist and model background check policy.
- Your Coach Safety Registry privacy policy and background check vendor agreement.
- Results from your pilot sessions, shown as totals.
- Letters of support from the children's hospital, an insurer or broker and an EMS agency.
- Proof of general liability, professional liability and abuse liability insurance, or quotes.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $357,500 in Year 1, then $342,000, $366,500, $383,000 and $394,500.
- League, School and Municipal Certification Contracts: $40,000 in Year 1, then $62,000, $92,000, $130,000 and $175,000.
- Insurer, Health System and Sponsor Support and Donations: $45,000 in Year 1, growing to $120,000.
- Coaches certified: about 1,500 in Year 1, then 1,900, 2,400, 3,000 and 3,800. Leagues and schools: about 120 in Year 1, growing to about 260.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $60,000, Training Director $56,000, Regional Trainer $48,000 (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4, four in Year 5), League Safety Specialist $46,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: First Aid, CPR and AED Course Fees $24,000 and Background Checks $14,000 (both growing about 26% a year with the number of coaches), Training Materials, Online Course Platform and Certificates $20,000, Training Venues and Travel $14,000, Coach Mentor Stipends $8,000, League Safety Audits and Emergency Plan Kits $12,000, Coach Recruitment and Outreach $8,000, Insurance $8,000, Office and Training Storage Space $18,000, Evaluation, Data and Administration $14,000. The other costs grow between 4% and 15% a year.
- Equipment: $29,000 at the start, then $3,000 to $6,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $62,000, paid once from $190,000 in startup money.
- About 7% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs