Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.
Executive Summary
Connect Our Community is a nonprofit that helps people in the west side of our city and the nearby county get online and use technology with confidence. We provide refurbished computers, basic computer classes and help getting low-cost internet, so every household can use the internet for school, work, health care and staying in touch.
Today, almost everything depends on the internet: applying for a job, seeing a doctor, doing homework, paying a bill. People without a computer, a connection or the skills to use them fall further behind every year. Many do not have a device at home, cannot afford internet service, or never learned how to use a computer safely. Our program closes all three gaps: devices, connection and skills.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 250 households with devices and 150 people in classes. Our Year 1 budget is about $119,000, growing to about $241,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one digital literacy instructor to four. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Meridian Community Fund for $40,000, as part of the $103,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $16,000 in Year 1 comes from corporate technology partnerships and donations, which we plan to grow to about $54,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for digital literacy instructors, refurbished devices and connections, and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many devices we give out, how many people complete our classes, how many get connected to affordable internet, and how many say they are more able to use technology for school, work and daily life. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Connect Our Community is a nonprofit organization in Montana. A 501(c)(3) public charity.
Our mission. To make sure every household can get online and use technology with confidence.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2021 when a retired IT worker and a librarian started fixing donated laptops for families in a church basement. Since then we have given out about 300 computers and taught about 150 people, with 15 volunteers helping each month.
What we do:
- Collect, clean and refurbish donated computers and give them to households that need them.
- Teach digital skills classes, from the basics of using a computer to email, safe online habits, video calls and job applications.
- Help households find and sign up for low-cost internet programs, and lend hotspots where we can.
- Offer one-on-one help at drop-in hours, in plain language.
- Teach older adults and others to stay safe online and avoid scams.
Where we work. A church fellowship hall, Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Our partners. The public library, two schools that give us used computers, a local company that donates laptops and a church that donates space.
Our approach. People learn technology best by using it for something they care about, like a job application, a video call with a grandchild or homework. We start with the person's goals and avoid jargon.
How we are run. A volunteer Board of Directors (a small group of community members who oversee the organization) meets regularly, approves the budget, reviews the finances and oversees the Executive Director.
Problem & Opportunity
Why this program is needed.
Many households in the west side of our city and the nearby county do not have a working computer or reliable internet. Some rely on a phone with limited data to do homework or apply for jobs. Many adults and older people have never been taught how to use a computer. Libraries and public Wi-Fi help, but they are not always open or close by.
Facts about our community. According to the American Community Survey, many households in our county have no home internet, which shuts them out of school, jobs and services.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Devices. Many households have no computer, or one that no longer works.
2. Connection. Home internet costs more than many families can afford.
3. Skills. Many people have never been taught how to use a computer or evaluate what they find online.
4. Support. When something goes wrong, families have no one to call.
5. Safety. People who are new to the internet are targets for scams.
What we have seen ourselves. Several students told us they did their homework on a phone, and many older adults said they were afraid to use a computer because they might break it.
Who we serve first. Households with limited income, older adults, students without a computer at home and job seekers, in students without a computer at home, older adults and job seekers in the west and south neighborhoods.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Refurbished computers. We collect donated computers, erase all data securely, repair and update them, and give them to households. About $14,000 in Year 1 pays for parts, data wiping, cleaning, shipping and hotspots.
2. Digital skills classes. Short classes teach how to use a computer, email, search safely, make video calls, fill out online forms and use online health and school tools.
3. Connection help. We help households find and sign up for low-cost internet programs, which change from time to time, and lend hotspots for those who need them.
4. Drop-in help. Regular hours where anyone can bring a question and get a friendly answer.
5. Online safety. We teach how to spot scams and protect personal information.
How we will measure results. We record devices given, classes completed and households connected. We ask participants at the start and end how confident they feel using technology and what they can do now that they could not before. Our goals for Year 1: give out 250 refurbished computers; teach 150 people; help 100 households get connected to affordable internet; and have 80% say they feel more confident using technology.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve people in the west side of our city and the nearby county, especially students without a computer at home, older adults and job seekers in the west and south neighborhoods.
How we know people need this. We gave out 120 computers last year and have a waiting list of 90 households.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 250 households with devices and 150 people in classes. The share of households without a computer or home internet, and the number of students without a device at home, are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one digital literacy instructor to four, we expect to reach more households each year.
How people reach us. Schools, the library, a workforce center, local churches and housing complexes.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- Public libraries offer computers, classes and Wi-Fi. We partner with them and extend help to people they do not reach. The library gives us space for classes and sends people to us.
- Schools lend devices to students. We help families keep a computer once students leave and help adults too.
- Internet providers offer low-cost plans. We help families understand and sign up for them.
- Large technology refurbishers provide devices. We focus on local people and personal support.
- Workforce programs teach job skills. We help people build the digital skills they need.
What makes us different: free computers, patient classes with a personal helper and follow-up after we give out a device
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from schools, libraries, churches, housing complexes, health clinics and workforce centers.
- Flyers and sign-up tables at community events and apartment buildings.
- Word of mouth from households we have helped.
- Partnerships with employers and tech companies that donate devices.
Donations of devices. Businesses, schools and individuals donate used computers. We have a simple pick-up and drop-off process, a written agreement and a certificate for donors who need one.
Volunteers. IT workers, retired technicians, high school and college students and church groups
Raising money beyond grants. Corporate technology partnerships and donations are planned at about $16,000 in Year 1, growing to about $54,000 by Year 5, through a yearly giving campaign, business and community partners, a community event and online giving. Raising more of our own money means we depend less on any one grant or contract.
Operations Plan
How the program runs.
How a household moves through the program:
1. A sign-up and a short conversation about needs and goals.
2. A refurbished computer, and a hotspot or help with internet if needed.
3. A starter class to set up and use the device.
4. Follow-up classes and drop-in help.
5. A check-in after 3 and 6 months.
A first class. Each person gets a computer, a helper sits beside them, and they learn to turn it on, connect to the internet and send a first email.
Data safety and e-waste. We securely erase every device before it is given out, using trusted data wiping tools and keeping a record of each wipe. We recycle parts we cannot reuse through approved electronics recyclers, so nothing ends up in the trash.
Privacy. Participant information is kept private. We share it only with permission or when the law requires it, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $6,000 in equipment (a workbench, tools, testing equipment, a data wiping station, storage shelves and a laptop), then about $2,000 to $2,500 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One digital literacy instructor in Year 1, then two in Year 2, two in Year 3, three in Year 4 and four in Year 5. Instructors are patient teachers who also oversee device refurbishment and volunteers.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $10,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Eric Nguyen, Executive Director.
The Executive Director leads the organization, raises money and manages grants and contracts, builds partnerships, oversees the finances and reports to the Board. Planned salary: $54,000 a year.
Digital literacy instructors. Teach classes, run drop-in hours, oversee refurbishment and keep records. One position in Year 1, growing to four by Year 5, at a planned salary of $38,000 each. Qualifications we look for: experience in IT support or teaching computer skills, a patient manner and the ability to explain things in plain language.
Volunteers. Volunteers refurbish devices, help in classes and answer questions at drop-in hours. They are trained and screened before they work with participants.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Angela Brooks, who brings nonprofit finance experience.
Money management. Grant and contract money is tracked separately so we can show each funder exactly how their money was spent. An outside accountant reviews our books every year.
Milestones Narrative
Our goals and how we will measure them.
Year 1:
- Set up our refurbishment workspace and data wiping process.
- Hire our first digital literacy instructor and recruit volunteers.
- Serve about 250 households with devices and 150 people in classes.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for devices given, classes completed and households connected.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $119,000.
Year 2: two digital literacy instructors; budget of about $159,000.
Year 3: two digital literacy instructors; budget of about $160,000.
Year 4: three digital literacy instructors; budget of about $200,000.
Year 5: four digital literacy instructors; budget of about $241,000.
Over the five years: grow to four digital literacy instructors, add classes in more locations and languages, and build a device donation program with local employers. Device refurbishment and distribution costs grow about 6% a year.
How we will check our results. We record devices given, classes completed and households connected. We ask participants how confident they feel at the start and end. Staff and the Board review results and share them with funders.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $40,000 from the Meridian Community Fund for our first digital literacy instructor's salary, parts and hotspots for 200 devices and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $119,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $103,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Corporate technology partnerships and donations: $16,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $54,000. - Digital literacy instructors: $38,000. - Device refurbishment and distribution (parts, data wiping, cleaning, shipping, hotspots): $14,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $10,000. - That is about $116,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $6,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $119,000 in Year 1 to about $241,000 in Year 5 as we grow to four digital literacy instructors. Grants and contracts are planned at $103,000 in Year 1, $135,000 in Year 2, $127,000 in Year 3, $157,000 in Year 4 and $187,000 in Year 5. Corporate technology partnerships and donations grow from $16,000 to $54,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $16,000 of our own plus $55,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for grants and public funds. Many technology grants are paid in installments or after a report, and programs for internet affordability change over time. We plan for that, keep careful records and do not rely on one program. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated computers, space, volunteer hours and technical help are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free workshop space at a church (about $4,800 a year in rent value), about 1,800 volunteer hours a year and donated computers If we are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status. One way is a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that agrees to receive grants for you and pass them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Many funders accept this. Another way is to start smaller: partner with a library or church, start with a monthly class and a small supply of donated computers, and track results carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants and contracts easier to win.
Appendix Notes
Documents to attach with this proposal:
- Your IRS 501(c)(3) letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current budget.
- A list of your Board members and what they do.
- Letters of support from libraries, schools, companies or other partners.
- Your data wiping and e-waste procedures.
- Your class outline and sample materials.
- Your device and participation numbers from the past year, if you have them.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff. 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):
- Staff pay: Executive Director $54,000; each digital literacy instructor $38,000, growing from 1 to 4.
- Device refurbishment and distribution about $14,000 in Year 1, rising about 6% a year
- Office costs about $10,000 in Year 1, rising about 4% a year.
- Grants and contracts set so each year's budget balances with a small amount saved.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your organization's real budget.