Clear Path Community Recycling and Waste Reduction Initiative

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Executive Summary

Clear Path Community Recycling and Waste Reduction Initiative is a nonprofit in Michigan that makes recycling easy in neighborhoods the city's curbside program does not reach well. We run a network of neighborhood drop-off stations at churches, schools and community centers, collect electronics and help residents safely dispose of household hazardous waste through licensed partners, give small businesses free waste audits and employ residents in a paid Waste Reduction Educator apprenticeship. Everything we offer to residents and small businesses is free.

In six low-income neighborhoods, many households lack curbside recycling, because buildings did not subscribe or landlords did not sign up. Electronics and hazardous household waste are hard to get rid of: collection events are few, far away and during work hours, so materials end up in alleys and landfills. Illegal dumping follows and costs the city millions to clean up. Small businesses have no one to help them cut waste, and residents have few entry-level jobs in the growing environmental field.

With this grant we will operate 28 drop-off stations (6 new in Year 1), divert about 360,000 pounds of material from landfill, complete 40 small business waste audits and employ 18 apprentices. Our goals are that at least 65% of apprentices who finish are working in an environmental or related job or in further training within 12 months, that every pound we report is backed by a hauler or processor record and that our stations stay clean and open on schedule. We do not promise specific diversion levels, because participation and commodity markets change.

Our Year 1 budget: about $676,000, growing to about $868,000 by Year 5. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus. We have 8 paid staff in Year 1 and 10 by Year 5. City waste diversion contracts, recycled material sales and small business fees add support, so grants fall from about 81% of our income in Year 1 to about 64% in Year 5.

We are asking the Great Lakes Environmental Stewardship Fund for $100,000 for one Community Recycling Coordinator, equipment for six new stations purchased from vendors and part of the apprentice wage budget. City contracts, other grants and sales cover the rest.

I am Renata Molina, the Executive Director, a lifelong resident of the neighborhoods we serve and a former city solid waste supervisor with 13 years of experience. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Clear Path Community Recycling and Waste Reduction Initiative is a nonprofit organization in Michigan. 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 reduce the waste our neighborhoods send to landfill, create environmental jobs for the people who live here and give residents and small businesses the tools to waste less.

What we believe. Recycling access should not depend on which neighborhood you live in. A drop-off station that is clean, close and open when people need it works. Residents know their blocks best, so we hire from them. We follow the rules for every material we handle and use only licensed partners for hazardous items.

How we started. Clear Path began when a retired sanitation worker, a faith leader and a community college instructor ran a one-day electronics collection in a church lot. More than 400 households came, and 28,000 pounds of electronics were collected. The city's sustainability office asked whether the group could do more, and the first drop-off stations followed. We now operate 22 stations.

What we offer:
- Neighborhood drop-off stations. Bins for paper, cardboard, metals, glass, plastics and textiles at hosting sites under written agreements, with a coordinator on site twice a week at staffed stations and weekly or biweekly hauler service.
- Electronics collection. Monthly collection of computers, televisions and batteries from residents who schedule a pickup, delivered to licensed electronics recyclers.
- Household hazardous waste help. We do not transport hazardous waste ourselves. We help residents schedule a drop-off with the county's household hazardous waste program or a licensed contractor and hold collection days with a licensed processor on site.
- Small business waste audits. A free on-site audit and a written plan for businesses with fewer than 25 employees, with a follow-up visit.
- Waste Reduction Educator apprenticeship. A 12-week paid program in which apprentices are our employees, working about 16 hours a week at stations and events while learning materials identification, outreach and safety.
- Education. Monthly workshops and printed guides in English, Spanish and Arabic.

Who we serve. Residents of six southeast Michigan neighborhoods and small businesses in our service area. There is no charge to residents or small businesses.

What we do not do. We do not run a processing facility. We do not store hazardous waste. We do not charge residents. We do not give legal or environmental compliance advice.

How we are run. A ten-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. The board includes two residents, an environmental engineer, a public health faculty member, a representative of the city sustainability office as a non-voting advisor, a community college workforce dean, a small business owner, an attorney, a recycling industry professional and a certified public accountant. An outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. We operate 22 stations with signed host agreements and licensed hauler and processor contracts, and we have letters of support from the city sustainability office, two processors and several community groups. Before we expand, our attorney will review the new host agreements and the apprentice employment forms.

Problem & Opportunity

Curbside recycling does not reach every household equally. In our six neighborhoods, many buildings are multi-family rentals whose owners never signed up for service, and many households have no way to carry recyclables to a distant drop-off site. City collection events happen a few times a year, which is not often enough.

Electronics and household hazardous waste are a larger gap. Televisions, computers, batteries, paint and cleaning products need special handling, and the options for disposing of them safely are few and far apart. When residents have no good option, these items end up in dumpsters, alleys and vacant lots, where they cause fires, contaminate soil and water and add to illegal dumping.

Illegal dumping is concentrated in the same neighborhoods, and the city spends millions each year to clean it up. Dump sites depress property values and signal neglect.

Small businesses, such as restaurants, barbershops, laundromats and repair shops, often pay too much for waste and do not know which city recycling rules apply to them. Commercial waste consultants serve larger clients.

Environmental jobs, including recycling operations, materials handling and sustainability programs, are growing, but entry-level workers in our neighborhoods have few ways in.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Recycling markets are volatile, and prices for some materials fall sharply. We will use the most recent numbers from the city, the state environmental agency and the county in our final application and will not overstate them. We do not know exactly how much material a new station will collect, and we plan conservatively. Our 22 stations served about 2,800 households last year.

Products & Services

Clear Path will operate neighborhood drop-off stations, collect electronics, connect residents to safe hazardous waste disposal, audit small businesses for free and employ residents as apprentices.

How it works, step by step:
1. Stations. We sign a host agreement with a church, school or community center, install bins and signs and contract a licensed hauler for regular service. A coordinator is on site twice a week at staffed stations. Volunteer stewards watch unstaffed stations.
2. Electronics. Residents call or text to schedule a pickup, or bring items to a station day. Trained staff collect computers, televisions and batteries in a program vehicle and deliver them within a day to a licensed electronics recycler.
3. Hazardous waste. We do not carry or store it. We help residents book a drop-off with the county program or a licensed contractor, and we hold collection days with a licensed processor on site.
4. Small business audits. The Small Business Waste Advisor visits, reviews waste and current contracts, writes a short plan with savings and rules to follow and checks back in 30 days.
5. Apprenticeship. Each 12-week cohort of 9 apprentices are our employees, working about 16 hours a week at stations, collection days and workshops under supervision, paid hourly through payroll. They learn to identify materials, handle items safely, talk with residents and prepare for jobs. A job coach helps them apply for jobs and training, and we check in at 6 and 12 months.
6. Education. Monthly workshops and printed guides in English, Spanish and Arabic.
7. Records. Every pound is recorded from hauler and processor weights and receipts, by material and by station.
8. Quality. We track station cleanliness, missed pickups, complaints and contamination, and fix problems quickly.

What this grant will pay for. One Community Recycling Coordinator, equipment for six new stations and part of the apprentice wage budget. The rest of the budget comes from city waste diversion contracts, recycled material sales, small business fees, other grants and gifts.

Market Analysis

Who benefits: households in six neighborhoods with limited recycling access, small businesses, residents seeking environmental jobs and the city, which reduces illegal dumping and landfill costs.

Our primary group is the households in our service area. We will use the most recent numbers from the census and the city for households, curbside participation and dump complaints in our final application. Our second group is small businesses with fewer than 25 employees. Our third group is adults seeking environmental work.

How we sized our plan. We plan for 28 stations in Year 1 (22 existing and 6 new at about $2,400 each), diverting about 360,000 pounds, then 400,000, 450,000, 500,000, 550,000 pounds in Years 2 to 5. We plan 40 business audits in Year 1 and 18 apprentices a year, growing to 24 in Year 3 and about 27 by Year 5.

Demand data. Our 22 stations received material from more than 2,800 households last year, and our last apprentice cycle had 54 applicants for 18 places. We estimate we meet less than 40% of the demand in our service area.

We do not take every request. We do not accept materials we cannot recycle responsibly or hazardous items at stations, and we tell residents where else to go.

Competitive Landscape

Other options, and how we relate to them.

- The city's curbside recycling. It serves households that subscribe, which is a minority in our neighborhoods. We urge everyone to subscribe where it is offered and serve those who cannot.
- City collection events. Large events a few times a year. We hold smaller, more frequent collections near people's homes and coordinate dates.
- Private haulers and processors. We contract with them and do not compete. They collect what we gather and weigh and pay for it.
- County household hazardous waste programs. They are the right place for hazardous items. We make it easy to use them.
- State and federal environmental programs. They provide guidance and sometimes funds. We use their materials and apply for their grants.
- Commercial waste consultants. They serve larger clients. We serve small businesses at no charge.

What makes us different.
- Stations near people's homes, open year-round.
- Electronics pickup that removes the transport barrier.
- Free small business audits with a follow-up visit.
- Paid apprentices who are our employees and come from the neighborhoods we serve.
- Reports backed by hauler and processor records.

What we do not claim. We are a small organization. Larger systems have more reach, and commodity markets can change our income. We plan to earn trust one station at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach residents, businesses and partners.

Residents. The stations are our best advertising. We will also work through churches, schools, neighborhood associations, community centers and social media in English, Spanish and Arabic, and print a quarterly service guide. Volunteer stewards and graduates of the apprenticeship tell their neighbors.

Small businesses. We will visit commercial corridors, work with the small business center and chambers and ask each audited business to introduce others.

Apprentices. We will recruit through the workforce board, community colleges, faith communities and the city's reentry office, and attend job fairs.

City partners. We will meet the sustainability office and public works each quarter, share our weights and apply for contracts. Contract payments are tied to documented tons.

Funders. We will report results as totals twice a year and in an annual report and invite funders to station openings and apprenticeship graduations. We will not use photographs or stories of residents or apprentices without clear, written permission.

Material buyers. We keep contracts with at least two licensed buyers for each material, plan conservatively and do not rely on peak prices.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 2: Attorney review of six new host agreements and the apprentice employment forms, buy station equipment from vendors, hire the second Community Recycling Coordinator and recruit the first apprentice cohort.
- Month 3: Install six new stations, start the first apprentice cohort of 9, begin small business audits.
- Months 4 to 8: Full network operations, monthly electronics collections, second cohort of 9, audit target of 40 businesses.
- Months 9 to 12: Graduations, 6-month follow-up with the first cohort, year-end tonnage records, report to funders and planning for Year 2.

Stations. Each station requires a signed host agreement of at least two years, with 60 days notice if the host needs the space back. Equipment for a new station costs about $2,400: four to six bins, a weatherproof sign and post, a containment tray and installation. Equipment is bought from vendors, and no cash goes to hosts.

Electronics and hazardous waste. Electronics go to licensed recyclers. We do not collect or store hazardous waste. Staff who handle electronics and batteries complete hazardous materials awareness training. All transfers are documented, and we keep records of every shipment for at least three years.

Apprentice wages and controls. Apprentices are employees. Each works about 16 hours a week for 12 weeks at $15.00 an hour, about $2,880 in wages plus about 12% for payroll taxes and workers' compensation, or about $3,200. Two cohorts of 9 in Year 1 cost about $57,600. Hours are recorded and approved by the Apprenticeship Coordinator each week and reviewed by the Executive Director. Apprentices work under supervision and do not handle hazardous materials.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director, a Waste Programs Director, two Community Recycling Coordinators, an Electronics Collection Specialist, a Small Business Waste Advisor, an Apprenticeship Coordinator and a part-time Program Coordinator. We add a third coordinator in Year 2 and a second Electronics Collection Specialist in Year 4.

Records and privacy. Station visits are counted as headcounts, not names. Business audit reports are confidential. Apprentice records are kept securely, and we report results to funders only as totals.

Insurance. We carry general liability, commercial auto, cargo, professional liability, workers' compensation and, for electronics handling, pollution liability as the contracts require. Insurance is about $18,000 a year in Year 1.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the program.

Renata Molina, Executive Director. A lifelong resident of the neighborhoods we serve with 13 years in the city solid waste department, including as a district supervisor. She leads fundraising, partnerships, compliance and hiring, reports to the board and is the main contact for funders and the city. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Waste Programs Director. Oversees stations, collection and the small business program and manages hauler and processor contracts.

Community Recycling Coordinators. Manage eight to ten stations each, schedule volunteers and collect participation data.

Electronics Collection Specialist. Plans collections, manages pickups and ensures records and compliance.

Small Business Waste Advisor. Audits businesses, writes plans and follows up.

Apprenticeship Coordinator. Recruits and supervises apprentices, approves hours and tracks outcomes for 12 months.

Program Coordinator (part-time). Keeps records, manages data and prepares reports.

Board of directors. Ten volunteers who meet quarterly. The board approves the budget and policies and does not receive pay.

Staff pay in this plan includes payroll taxes and workers' compensation. Salaries are Executive Director $66,000, Waste Programs Director $60,000, Community Recycling Coordinator $48,000 each, Electronics Collection Specialist $54,000, Small Business Waste Advisor $52,000, Apprenticeship Coordinator $50,000 and part-time Program Coordinator $26,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

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

- Before expanding: sign host agreements for six new sites, confirm hauler and processor capacity, get insurance quotes, recruit the first apprentice cohort and complete the attorney review. Do not open a station without a signed host agreement and service contract.
- Year 1: Operate 28 stations, divert about 360,000 pounds, complete 40 business audits and employ 18 apprentices. A balanced budget of about $676,000, with a small surplus of about $17,140. 8 paid staff.
- Year 2: Divert about 400,000 pounds, add a third coordinator and employ 18 apprentices. A balanced budget of about $743,000, with a small surplus of about $17,956. 9 paid staff.
- Year 3: Divert about 450,000 pounds and employ 24 apprentices. A balanced budget of about $763,000, with a small surplus of about $17,061. 9 paid staff.
- Year 4: Divert about 500,000 pounds and add a second Electronics Collection Specialist. A balanced budget of about $842,000, with a small surplus of about $18,324. 10 paid staff.
- Year 5: Divert about 550,000 pounds, with material sales covering about 8% of the budget. A balanced budget of about $868,000, with a small surplus of about $17,559. 10 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Pounds diverted by material and station, from hauler and processor records.
- Unique households served at stations and collection events, by neighborhood.
- Business audits completed and waste changes reported at 60 days.
- Apprentice enrollment, completion and employment or training at 6 and 12 months.
- Station cleanliness and missed pickups.
- Cost per pound diverted and cost per apprentice placed.

How we review results. The Waste Programs Director reviews station data and hauler records every week, and the full team reviews outcomes monthly. Twice a year the board reviews results and we share them with the city and funders as totals. We publish our annual diversion data and apprentice outcomes, whether they meet our goals or not. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens, including when we fall short.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $100,000 from the Great Lakes Environmental Stewardship Fund for one Community Recycling Coordinator, equipment for six new stations and part of the apprentice wage budget, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Community Recycling Coordinator salary (one of two coordinators), $48,000 (other funds add $48,000).
- Equipment: Equipment for six new drop-off stations: bins, weatherproof signs, secondary containment and installation, purchased from vendors, $14,400 (other funds add $0).
- Other: Apprentice wages for two cohorts of 9, paid through payroll to apprentices as employees (part of the apprentice wage budget), $37,600 (other funds add $20,000).

Other money in the program. Other grants, contracts, earned income and gifts pay the other $562,060 of Year 1 costs, including the matching amounts above. All Year 1 costs are listed below.

Year 1 budget: about $676,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $17,140 after spreading startup and equipment costs over five years). Year 1 money coming in: grants $546,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), municipal Waste Diversion Contracts $82,000, recycled Material Sales $28,000, small Business Program Fees and Donations $20,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $66,000; waste Programs Director $60,000; community Recycling Coordinator (2 positions) $96,000; electronics Collection Specialist $54,000; small Business Waste Advisor $52,000; apprenticeship Coordinator $50,000; program Coordinator (part-time) $26,000; drop-off Station Equipment (Purchased from Vendors) $14,400; station Hauler Contracts (Paid to Licensed Haulers) $36,000; electronics Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste Processing (Paid to Licensed Processors) $28,000; apprentice Wages and Payroll Costs (Paid Through Payroll) $57,600; multilingual Education Materials and Workshops $10,000; vehicle Operations and Maintenance $14,000; office and Storage Rent and Utilities $20,000; technology and Data System $8,000; insurance $18,000; staff Training and Hazardous Waste Awareness Certification $8,000; evaluation and Reporting $6,000; administration and Accounting $14,000; and about $24,060 a year for spreading startup and equipment costs over five years. These add up to $662,060.

How we planned stations and wages. Each new station costs about $2,400 in equipment, or $14,400 for six. Apprentice wages are about $3,200 each including payroll costs, or $57,600 for 18. Hauler contracts are $36,000 and processing fees $28,000 in Year 1. We budget material sales conservatively, below recent average prices.

About city and state funding. Cities and counties contract with nonprofits for waste diversion, and state environmental agencies and federal programs fund recycling and waste reduction. These funds are competitive, awarded for set periods and subject to budgets, and city contracts are tied to documented tons. The amounts in this plan are our planning estimates, not promises, and agencies can change their budgets, rules and awards.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $104,300 are paid once from startup money and are listed item by item in the Startup Costs section.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($104,300), the cash the budget uses before it levels out (about $9,320) and a cash cushion of about $159,500, which is three months of Year 1 operating costs. That comes to about $273,120, rounded up to the nearest $500: $273,500. We start with $20,000 of our own savings and $255,000 in startup support from a community foundation, a city sustainability fund and our board, $275,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $676,000 in Year 1 to about $868,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $546,000, $565,000, $535,000, $571,000, $558,000 in Years 1 to 5, and municipal Waste Diversion Contracts grow from $82,000 to $188,000; recycled Material Sales grow from $28,000 to $72,000; small Business Program Fees and Donations grow from $20,000 to $50,000. Grants fall from about 81% of our income in Year 1 to about 64% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $161,400, at the end of Year 1. City and grant payments often arrive after we bill or after we submit documents. We plan for about $47,320 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is to grow city contracts as our tonnage records accumulate, to expand small business audits and fees and to invite businesses and individuals to sponsor a station. Documented diversion at a lower cost than cleanup strengthens our case for public funding.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Recycling commodity prices fall. We budget material sales conservatively, keep two buyers for each material and can reduce unstaffed hours before cutting stations.
- A host site ends its agreement. Every agreement requires 60 days notice, and we keep a waiting list of sites.
- A processor raises fees or loses a license. We keep two licensed processors for electronics and can switch with 30 days notice.
- An apprentice is injured. Apprentices work under supervision, receive safety training and do not handle hazardous materials, and we carry workers' compensation.
- City contracts are delayed. We keep a cash cushion, stage hiring so costs follow funding and apply to other funders.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow business fees and city contracts and keep our cost per pound low.

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: two or three stations at friendly host sites, measured with hauler receipts, and one electronics collection day. Documented pounds and household counts are the best evidence you can bring to your first grant application.

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 for your Executive Director and Waste Programs Director, and job descriptions for coordinators and the Apprenticeship Coordinator.
- Host agreements for current stations and letters of intent for new sites.
- Hauler and processor contracts and any registrations your state requires.
- Diversion data for the last full year, by material and station, with hauler and processor records.
- Letters of support from the city sustainability office, a processor and community groups.
- Your apprenticeship curriculum, wage policy and outcome data, shown as totals.
- Proof of general liability, commercial auto, cargo, pollution (if required) and workers' compensation insurance.
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):
- Income: Grant Revenue: $546,000 in Year 1, growing to $558,000 by Year 5; Municipal Waste Diversion Contracts: $82,000 in Year 1, growing to $188,000 by Year 5; Recycled Material Sales: $28,000 in Year 1, growing to $72,000 by Year 5; Small Business Program Fees and Donations: $20,000 in Year 1, growing to $50,000 by Year 5.
- Diversion: about 360,000 pounds in Year 1, then 400,000, 450,000, 500,000, 550,000.
- Stations: 28 in Year 1; new station equipment $2,400 each. Apprentices: 18 a year in Years 1 and 2, 24 in Year 3 and about 27 by Year 5, at about $3,200 each (12 weeks at 16 hours a week at $15.00, plus about 12% for payroll costs).
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $66,000; waste programs director $60,000; community recycling coordinator $48,000; electronics collection specialist $54,000; small business waste advisor $52,000; apprenticeship coordinator $50,000; program coordinator (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: drop-off Station Equipment (Purchased from Vendors) $14,400, station Hauler Contracts (Paid to Licensed Haulers) $36,000, electronics Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste Processing (Paid to Licensed Processors) $28,000, apprentice Wages and Payroll Costs (Paid Through Payroll) $57,600, multilingual Education Materials and Workshops $10,000, vehicle Operations and Maintenance $14,000, office and Storage Rent and Utilities $20,000, technology and Data System $8,000, insurance $18,000, staff Training and Hazardous Waste Awareness Certification $8,000, evaluation and Reporting $6,000, administration and Accounting $14,000. These grow between -20% and 14% a year, and negative growth means a cost that is highest in Year 1.
- Startup costs ($104,300) and later equipment are spread evenly over five years in the plan's books, about $24,060 a year.
- 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