Ready Together Community Disaster Preparedness Program

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Executive Summary

Ready Together Community Disaster Preparedness Program is a nonprofit in Louisiana that trains residents of flood-prone, low-income neighborhoods in hurricane preparedness, evacuation planning, first aid, emergency communication and neighbor-to-neighbor support. We meet people in their own neighborhoods, in churches, schools and community centers, and give each household a plan and a kit.

Low-income residents are more likely to be hurt in a disaster because they may lack a car to evacuate, information to prepare or a network to turn to. Each storm season, the same neighborhoods flood, and the same families wonder who will check on them.

With this grant we will train about 500 residents in Year 1 in three neighborhoods. We do not promise that a household will be safe in every emergency, and we always tell residents to follow the instructions of emergency officials. We promise clear, practical training, honest information and a neighbor network.

Our Year 1 budget is about $183,500, growing to about $221,000 by Year 5 as we add neighborhoods, trainers and residents. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 5 staff in Year 1 (an Executive Director, a Program Coordinator and Community Trainer, and two part-time trainers) and 7 by Year 5.

We are asking the Gulf Coast Resilience Foundation for $60,000 for the Program Coordinator and Community Trainer, preparedness kits and certification and evaluation. Our other income and startup support cover the rest. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this proposal, and we do not promise any result beyond what we describe.

Company Description

Ready Together Community Disaster Preparedness Program is a nonprofit organization in Louisiana. We are a registered charity with a volunteer board of directors, a written conflict-of-interest policy and a yearly budget the board reviews.

Our mission. Every household should be able to prepare for a storm or a flood, whatever its income, and every neighborhood should know how to look after its own.

What we do.
- Teach hurricane preparedness, evacuation planning and flood safety in short sessions held in neighborhoods.
- Teach first aid and CPR with certification for residents who want it.
- Help each household write a simple plan with an evacuation route, a meeting place and important contacts.
- Give each household a preparedness kit with water storage, a flashlight, a radio and first aid supplies.
- Map each block so neighbors know who may need a ride or a check-in.
- Share official alerts and instructions in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

What we do not do. We are not an emergency agency, and we do not give orders. We always tell residents to follow the instructions of emergency officials, including evacuation orders. We do not provide medical care or disaster relief, and we do not promise safety in any emergency.

How we got here. A group of neighbors, nurses and church leaders began holding preparedness nights after a storm left their block without help for days. Attendance grew, and many asked for kits and help with plans. We kept simple records of who came and what they said.

Problem & Opportunity

Disasters hit everyone, and they do not hurt everyone equally.

Lack of a way out. Many low-income households do not have a car or money for a hotel and cannot leave when an evacuation is ordered.

Lack of information. Warnings come through websites and phone alerts that some residents do not receive or cannot read. Instructions may not be in their language.

Lack of supplies. A kit with water, food, medicines and a radio costs money that a household may not have.

Lack of a network. Older residents and people with disabilities often live alone. When power fails and phones die, no one knows to check on them.

What we hear.
- A grandmother says she stayed in her house last time because she could not drive and did not want to leave her pets.
- A nurse says she sees people arrive after storms with problems that could have been avoided.
- A pastor says his congregation looks out for each other and has no plan.
- A school principal says families are afraid every time a storm forms in the Gulf.

We do not claim that training can solve every challenge. We believe that a plan, a kit and a neighbor who knows your name can save lives.

Products & Services

Ready Together brings preparedness to the neighborhoods that need it most.

How the program works.
1. Neighborhoods. We work in three flood-prone neighborhoods, in partnership with churches, schools and community centers.
2. Trainings. Short sessions, held in the evening or on weekends, cover storm preparedness, evacuation planning, flood safety and emergency communication.
3. Household plans. Each household writes a one-page plan with routes, contacts and a meeting place, with help from a trainer.
4. Kits. Each household receives a preparedness kit and learns how to store water and food and protect important papers.
5. First aid and CPR. Residents who want certification attend a class with a certified instructor.
6. Neighbor networks. Participants join a block map and agree to check on neighbors before and after a storm.
7. Follow-up. We call each household in the spring to update the plan and kit.

Trainers. Our trainers are certified, pass a background check, complete our training and are paid for their time.

Access and fairness. Training is free. Sessions are in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, with childcare and food when we can.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Residents of three flood-prone, low-income neighborhoods in New Orleans, including older adults, people with disabilities, families with children and households without a car. Eligibility is based on where a person lives and income guidelines our board sets.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every household at risk, so we plan from what we can see. In our preparedness nights, rooms were full and we kept a waiting list. City emergency staff and churches told us that far more residents want training than we can serve. For Year 1 we plan to train about 500 residents in 3 neighborhoods. By Year 5, with more trainers and neighborhoods, we plan to train about 900.

Where participants come from.
- Churches, schools and community centers.
- Emergency management and health department staff.
- Senior centers and housing offices.
- Neighbors who tell a neighbor.

Who else benefits. Families gain a plan and peace of mind. Hospitals gain fewer avoidable emergencies. The city gains a network of prepared neighbors that eases the work of first responders.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a person who knows what to do when a storm comes. We keep our early counts modest and honest so we can do the work well.

Competitive Landscape

What residents can find today, and how we are different.

1. Government emergency management. It issues alerts and runs large campaigns. Its materials are often not tailored to low-income neighborhoods or to residents' languages. We work with it and share its information.

2. Disaster relief organizations. They provide help after a disaster. Few offer practical preparation before one. We prepare residents so they need less help later.

3. Neighborhood associations. Some hold annual events. Many lack trainers and supplies. We provide them.

4. Online guides. Helpful and not a replacement for a person who knows your block.

5. Faith communities. They care for their members and often lack training and a plan. We help them build both.

What makes us different.
- Free to every resident.
- Trainings held in the neighborhood, in several languages.
- A household plan and a preparedness kit for every participant.
- Block maps and neighbor check-in networks.
- First aid and CPR certification.

We have spoken with emergency management staff, relief groups and faith leaders to make sure we are filling a gap and not duplicating services. Their letters of support are in the attachments.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How residents and partners will find us.

Reaching residents.
- Churches, schools and community centers. We will hold sessions where people already gather and share a one-page flyer in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
- Senior centers and housing offices. We will leave information and give short talks.
- Neighbors. We will ask participants to bring a neighbor to a session.
- Social media and local radio. We will share short, clear messages before storm season.
- A simple website and a phone line with a text option.

Reaching trainers and partners.
- Invite nurses, first responders, teachers and community leaders to train as trainers.
- Offer a training course, a background check and a short guide to teaching adults.
- Give partners a short report each quarter with counts of residents trained and what they said.

How we decide who joins. We use a simple sign-up and welcome every resident of the neighborhoods we serve, with priority for older adults, people with disabilities and households without a car. We keep a waiting list when sessions fill.

What we watch. Sign-ups, attendance, household plans completed and how many residents tell us they feel more prepared.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (July and August): Hire the Program Coordinator and trainers, buy equipment, finalize the consent form and privacy policy with our attorney, review all materials with emergency management staff and sign neighborhood agreements.
- Month 3 (September): Begin trainings in the first neighborhood.
- Months 4 to 10: Train in all three neighborhoods, certify residents in first aid and CPR and build block maps.
- Months 11 and 12: Run follow-up calls before storm season, survey participants and partners, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Trainings are held in churches, schools and community centers, provided at no or low cost. We store kits and supplies in a donated room.

Safety and privacy.
- Every trainer and volunteer passes a background check and completes training.
- All materials are reviewed with emergency management staff, and we always tell residents to follow official instructions.
- Residents' addresses and health information are kept private, shared only with permission and handled under a written policy.
- We keep an emergency plan and a first aid kit at every session.

Equipment. We buy about $10,000 of equipment once at the start: first aid manikins and an AED trainer ($3,500), kit assembly supplies and storage ($2,500), laptops and a projector ($2,000) and hand-crank radios and power banks for demonstrations ($2,000). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. The Program Coordinator and Community Trainer, paid $44,000 a year, leads trainings and manages kits and partners. Two part-time trainers, each paid $12,000 a year, teach sessions in the evening and on weekends. We add trainers as we add neighborhoods.

Management & Organization

Angela Thibodeaux, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting. I came to this work as an emergency room nurse who saw how many storm injuries could have been avoided. I will complete the training we require of our trainers so I understand the program from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Coordinator and Community Trainer. This position leads trainings, manages kits and block maps and works with partners. We will hire someone with experience in emergency preparedness, public health or community organizing. This position is part of our grant request.

Community Trainers. Part-time trainers who teach sessions. Each is certified, passes a background check and completes our training.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes an emergency room nurse, a pastor, a retired firefighter, a banker who serves as treasurer, an attorney, a school principal and a resident of one of our neighborhoods. The board meets every other month, approves our budget and reviews our safety plan. No board member is paid, and members with a conflict of interest step out of related decisions.

Advisory partners. A city emergency management staff member, a hospital community health director and a Red Cross-trained volunteer give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $50,000 a year; program Coordinator and Community Trainer, paid $44,000 a year; community Trainer (part-time), paid $12,000 a year.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals, how we will measure them and when we plan to reach them.

Year 1 outcomes (July 2027 through June 2028):
- Train about 500 residents in three flood-prone neighborhoods.
- Help at least 250 households complete a written household plan and receive a preparedness kit.
- Certify at least 100 residents in first aid and CPR.
- Have at least 80 percent of participants name a neighbor they will check on in an emergency.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 90 percent of participants who answer our short survey.

What we count and how.
- Residents trained and sessions held, from our sign-in sheets.
- Household plans completed and kits given out, from our records.
- Residents certified in first aid and CPR, from certification records.
- Participant feedback and follow-up after six months, from a short, confidential form.
We report what we find, including what did not work, and use it to improve.

Growth over five years.
- Year 2: About 600 residents in 3 neighborhoods and a neighbor check-in network.
- Year 3: About 700 residents in 4 neighborhoods and a language access program.
- Year 4: About 800 residents and a yearly full-scale preparedness day.
- Year 5: About 900 residents in 5 neighborhoods and a partnership with schools.

Learning along the way. At the end of each quarter, the director and the board review the numbers and decide whether we are on track. If we are behind, we will adjust our outreach, our sites or our schedule before asking for more money.

After the grant. By Year 5, grants make up about 44 percent of our budget, down from about 67 percent in Year 1, as partners and donors give more. We will keep building those relationships every year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $60,000 from the Gulf Coast Resilience Foundation for the Program Coordinator and Community Trainer, preparedness kits and certification and evaluation, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Coordinator and Community Trainer, $36,000.
- Supplies: Preparedness kits and training materials for 250 households, $14,000 (other funds add $8,000).
- Other: First aid and CPR certification for participants, and evaluation, $10,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 49% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $183,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $9,500 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $123,500; parish and City Emergency Management Partnership $30,000; hospital and Health System Partners $20,000; individual and Business Donations $10,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $50,000; program Coordinator and Community Trainer $44,000; community Trainer (part-time) $12,000; preparedness Kits and Training Materials about $22,000; first Aid and CPR Certification about $8,000; neighbor Network Mapping and Evaluation about $6,000; community Events and Outreach about $6,000; language Access and Translation about $3,000; administration and Insurance about $9,000; about $4,000 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $18,500 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $3,500 for first aid manikins and an AED trainer for demonstrations; $2,500 for kit assembly supplies and storage shelving; $2,000 for laptops and a projector for training sessions; $2,000 for hand-crank radios and power banks for demonstrations; $2,500 for attorney review of the consent form, waiver and privacy policy; $1,800 for banners, multilingual flyers and a simple website; $1,700 for background checks and trainer certification for the first team; $2,500 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($18,500), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $43,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $61,500. We start with $8,000 from our founding board and $56,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a hospital partner, $64,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $183,500 in Year 1 to about $221,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $123,500, $110,500, $110,000, $97,000 and $97,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: parish and City Emergency Management Partnership from $30,000 to $54,000; hospital and Health System Partners from $20,000 to $44,000; individual and Business Donations from $10,000 to $26,000. Our surplus is planned at about $9,500 in Year 1, about $9,700 in Year 2, about $10,200 in Year 3, about $10,100 in Year 4 and about $10,800 in Year 5. We grow from 3 neighborhoods to 5 by Year 5, adding a part-time trainer for each new area.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $58,200, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $7,340 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per resident. In Year 1, our total costs are about $352 per resident served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more resident served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $234 per resident.

After the grant. Emergency management partnerships, hospital partners and individual and business donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Residents who completed the training share their stories, and businesses can sponsor a neighborhood or a kit by name. We will look for partnerships with the city, the parish and utilities that want more prepared households.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A storm or emergency during a training week. We keep a flexible schedule and a plan for virtual or rescheduled sessions.
- A trainer leaves. We keep a list of certified backup trainers and share lesson plans.
- Low attendance. We offer food, childcare and a ride when we can, and we hold sessions at trusted places.
- Out-of-date information. We review all materials with emergency management staff every year.
- A privacy problem. A written policy, secure systems and training for every staff member and volunteer.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow partner and donor support 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 neighborhood, a handful of residents and a small team, 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.
- Signed letters of support from partner schools, agencies and sites.
- Your site agreements and your insurance certificate.
- Your consent, waiver and privacy policy.
- Your safety plan and background check policy.
- Your program outline and schedule.
- Quotes for equipment and materials.
- 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):
- Grant Revenue: $123,500 in Year 1, growing to $97,000 in Year 5.
- Parish and City Emergency Management Partnership: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $54,000 in Year 5.
- Hospital and Health System Partners: $20,000 in Year 1, growing to $44,000 in Year 5.
- Individual and Business Donations: $10,000 in Year 1, growing to $26,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive Director $50,000; program Coordinator and Community Trainer $44,000; community Trainer (part-time) $12,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: preparedness Kits and Training Materials $22,000; first Aid and CPR Certification $8,000; neighbor Network Mapping and Evaluation $6,000; community Events and Outreach $6,000; language Access and Translation $3,000; administration and Insurance $9,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $10,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $18,500, paid once from $64,000 in startup money.
- Residents trained: about 500 in Year 1, growing to about 900 in Year 5. Neighborhoods: 3 in Year 1, growing to 5 by Year 5. Each training is a short series of evening or weekend sessions.
- About 4% 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