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Executive Summary
Full Life Community Supports is a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities in our county and the nearby towns live independently and take part fully in their communities. We provide community-based direct support, help finding work and volunteering, and support for families, working with each person to build the life they choose.
People with disabilities want what everyone wants: a home, friends, meaningful work and a say in their own lives. But many face a shortage of support, long waiting lists and services that are designed around systems instead of people. Our program is built around each person's own goals, and around direct support professionals who help people do the things they want to do.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 35 people over the year. Our Year 1 budget is about $161,000, growing to about $313,000 by Year 5 as we grow from two direct support professionals to six. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Brightpath Foundation for $60,000, as part of the $145,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $16,000 in Year 1 comes from program fees and donations, which we plan to grow to about $50,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for direct support staff, program costs like activities and adaptive equipment, and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many people we serve, how many reach goals they chose, how many take part in work, volunteering or community activities, and how many say they have more choice and control in their lives. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Full Life Community Supports is a nonprofit organization in Arkansas. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To support people with disabilities to live, work and belong in the communities of their choice.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2022 when a group of parents started a weekly community outing program. Since then we have supported about 35 people, with 15 volunteers helping each month.
What we do:
- Work with each person to build a plan around their own goals, strengths and choices (often called person-centered planning).
- Provide direct support to help people with daily activities, skills, community outings and independent living.
- Help people find and keep work, volunteer positions and activities they enjoy.
- Connect people and families to benefits, health care, housing and other services.
- Support families and caregivers with information and respite where we can.
Where we work. In people's homes and in the community, with a small office and activity room at a community center, weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Our partners. Our county's developmental disabilities office, an independent living center, two schools that refer graduates, and an employer who hires our participants.
Our approach. People with disabilities are the experts on their own lives. We support people's choices and build their independence, and we use the language each person prefers.
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 people with disabilities in our county and the nearby towns and their families struggle to find support. Waiting lists for services can be years long, a shortage of trained direct support workers limits what is available, and many people are left isolated at home. Families, who often step in, are stretched thin.
Facts about our community. According to our state agency, many people in our region are waiting for services.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Waiting lists. Many people wait years for state or Medicaid-funded services.
2. Staffing. Low pay and high turnover make it hard to find and keep good direct support workers.
3. Community. Many people spend most of their time at home or in segregated settings, with few chances to make friends or work.
4. Work. People with disabilities are far less likely to be employed than others, even when they want to work.
5. Families. Caregivers get little rest and little information about what help exists.
What we have seen ourselves. Several families have told us their adult child has been home with no activities since graduating from high school.
Who we serve first. People with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities, and their families, in young adults who have recently left school, and adults living with aging parents.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. A plan the person owns. We start by asking what the person wants. The plan sets goals for home, work, learning, friends and health, and we review it regularly.
2. Direct support. Trained direct support professionals help with skills, community activities, transportation and independent living, in the way each person chooses.
3. Work and community. We help people explore jobs, volunteering and classes, and work with employers who are ready to hire.
4. Adaptive tools and activities. About $14,000 in Year 1 pays for adaptive equipment, activities, transportation and training.
5. Support for families. We connect families to information, benefits and respite, and keep them informed with permission.
How we will measure results. We count people served, goals set and reached, and community activities, work and volunteer hours. Twice a year we ask each person (in the way that works best for them) and their family whether they have more choice and are happy with the support. Our goals for Year 1: support 35 people; help each person set and work on at least two goals; help 10 people start a job or volunteer role; and have 85% of people and families say they have more choice in their lives.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve people with disabilities in our county and the nearby towns, especially young adults who have recently left school, and adults living with aging parents.
How we know people need this. We supported 20 people last year with only volunteers, and have a waiting list of 15 people.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 35 people over the year. The number of people on waiting lists for state services and the number of adults with disabilities in our county are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from two direct support professionals to six, we expect to serve more people each year.
How people reach us. School transition coordinators, vocational rehabilitation, the county disabilities office, an independent living center and other families.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- The state agency for developmental disabilities and Medicaid waiver programs fund many services, but often have long waiting lists. We help people navigate these systems and offer help in the meantime.
- State vocational rehabilitation offices help people prepare for and find work. We partner with them. We are an approved provider with our state vocational rehabilitation office.
- Large provider agencies serve many people. We offer smaller, more personal, person-centered support.
- Advocacy groups, including local chapters of national organizations, offer information and support to families. We work with them.
- Independent living centers, run by and for people with disabilities, are important partners and a good source of advice.
What makes us different: plans led by the person, steady staff, and activities in the community instead of in a program building
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from schools, vocational rehabilitation, health providers, independent living centers and other agencies.
- Information at disability fairs, family support groups, libraries and community events, in plain language and accessible formats.
- Word of mouth from families and the people we support.
- A website and printed materials that meet accessibility standards.
Funding rules. Many services for people with disabilities are paid through Medicaid and state programs, which require approval as a provider, background checks, specific staff training and sometimes a license. We learn these rules early and do not promise services we are not yet approved to provide.
Volunteers. College students, faith communities, service clubs and retired professionals.
Raising money beyond grants. Program fees and donations are planned at about $16,000 in Year 1, growing to about $50,000 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 person moves through the program:
1. An inquiry from the person, family or a referral partner, and a first meeting.
2. A person-centered plan with goals and the supports the person wants.
3. Direct support matched to the person, with a schedule that works.
4. Regular reviews of the plan, with the person leading.
5. Adjusting supports as the person's goals change.
A first meeting. We meet where the person is comfortable, ask what they want, listen to the family if the person wishes, and agree on one thing to try in the first month.
Rights and safety. We follow written policies on rights, abuse prevention and reporting, medication rules and emergency procedures, and all staff pass background checks and complete required training. We follow the Americans with Disabilities Act in everything we do.
Privacy. Personal and health information is kept private and locked. We share it only with signed permission or when the law requires it, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $5,000 in equipment (laptops, a printer, adaptive technology and office furniture), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. Two direct support professionals in Year 1, then three in Year 2, four in Year 3, five in Year 4 and six in Year 5. Direct support professionals receive training, supervision and fair pay, because stable staff mean better support.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $13,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Monique Reyes, 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: $58,000 a year.
Direct support professionals. Work with each person to carry out their plan, provide support in the community and at home, and keep records. Two positions in Year 1, growing to six by Year 5, at a planned salary of $36,000 each. Qualifications we look for: experience supporting people with disabilities, a respectful and patient manner, and a willingness to follow the person's lead.
Volunteers. Volunteers can be friends and activity partners, help at events and offer rides. They are screened and trained before working with the people we support.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Anthony Howard, 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:
- Complete provider approvals and staff training needed for the services we offer.
- Build referral partnerships with schools, vocational rehabilitation and families.
- Serve about 35 people over the year.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for personal goals reached and community participation.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $161,000.
Year 2: three direct support professionals; budget of about $199,000.
Year 3: four direct support professionals; budget of about $237,000.
Year 4: five direct support professionals; budget of about $275,000.
Year 5: six direct support professionals; budget of about $313,000.
Over the five years: grow to six direct support professionals, expand supported employment and community activities, and add respite for families. Program costs grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. For each person we record the goals they set, progress and community participation. Twice a year the person and family tell us how we are doing, in the way that works best for them. Staff and the Board, which includes people with disabilities, review the results and share them with funders.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $60,000 from the Brightpath Foundation for our first two direct support professionals, adaptive equipment and the costs of staff training, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $161,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $145,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Program fees and donations: $16,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $58,000. - Direct support professionals: $72,000. - Program costs (activities, adaptive equipment, transportation, training): $14,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $13,000. - That is about $157,000 in costs. The remaining $4,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $5,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $161,000 in Year 1 to about $313,000 in Year 5 as we grow to six direct support professionals. Grants and contracts are planned at $145,000 in Year 1, $176,000 in Year 2, $206,000 in Year 3, $235,000 in Year 4 and $263,000 in Year 5. Program fees and donations grow from $16,000 to $50,000, 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 Medicaid and state funds. Payment is often made after services are provided, and sometimes weeks later. Becoming an approved provider can take months. We plan for the wait and keep good records, and we do not count on this money until we are approved. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer hours, donated equipment and community partners who offer activities are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free space at a community center (about $6,000 a year in rent value), about 1,500 volunteer hours a year, and donated activity passes 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 an existing provider or an independent living center, start with a small group of people and a few staff, and track your 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 families, schools, vocational rehabilitation or other providers.
- Your rights, abuse-prevention and emergency policies, staff training plan and background check procedures.
- Your numbers from the past year, if you have them (people supported, goals reached).
- Your provider approvals or the steps you are taking toward 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 $58,000; each direct support professional $36,000, growing from 2 to 6.
- Program costs about $14,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $13,000 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.