First Chapters Early Literacy Project

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Executive Summary

First Chapters Early Literacy Project is a nonprofit in Montana that puts books into the hands of young children and shows their families how to read together. We give free books to children from birth to age five through pediatric clinics, libraries and child care centers, mail books to families who live far from town and host family reading nights where parents and children read, sing and play together. Volunteer readers visit child care centers each week.

Children who hear stories and see books at home arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. But many families have few or no children's books at home. Books can be expensive, libraries can be far away and busy parents may not know how much a few minutes a day can matter. We want every young child to have books of their own and a grown-up who enjoys them.

With this grant we will give about 8,000 books to about 1,000 children in Year 1, or about eight books for each child over the year, at about $4.75 each. We will hold 20 family reading nights in three towns and have volunteer readers visit six child care centers. We do not test children, and we do not promise any particular reading result. Reading together is good for children and for families.

Our Year 1 budget is about $193,500, growing to about $248,000 by Year 5. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 3 paid staff in Year 1 and 4 by Year 2, supported by volunteers.

We are asking the Big Sky Children's Foundation for $74,000 for our Program Director and for books for young children. Libraries, clinics, schools, book drives and donors also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Hannah Lindgren, the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

First Chapters Early Literacy Project is a small, independent nonprofit in Montana, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve families with children from birth to age five in a large, rural area with long distances between towns.

Our mission. To make sure every young child has books at home and a loving adult to share them.

What we believe. Reading together is a joy and one of the best gifts a family can give a child. Parents are a child's first teacher, and we respect every family, language and home. Books should be good, new when we can and reflect the children who read them. We give books freely, with no forms about income and no judgment.

What we offer:
- Free books. Each child receives books to keep, chosen for age, handed out at clinics, libraries and child care centers or mailed to the home.
- Family reading nights. Evenings with a story, a simple meal, songs and a new book for each child, held in libraries and community halls.
- Reading coaches and volunteer readers. Volunteers visit child care centers each week to read aloud and help children choose books.
- Parent tips. Simple one-page guides, in English and Spanish, with ideas for reading, talking and singing with a baby or toddler.

Who we serve. Children from birth to age five and their families, with a focus on families with limited income, families far from a library and families who speak languages other than English.

What we do not do. We do not test or grade children, provide childcare, promise a reading result, require proof of income or share family information.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Director manages partners, book orders and events. A Family Literacy Coordinator joins in Year 2, and a part-time book room coordinator runs the book room and volunteers.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from four clinics, two libraries and six child care centers, a book room donated by a church, quotes from a children's book distributor, a list of about 40 volunteer readers and a volunteer background check policy under review by an attorney. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Reading with a young child builds vocabulary, attention and a love of books. But many families, especially those with limited income, have few or no books at home. A single picture book can cost as much as a meal, and a library card does not help if the nearest library is an hour away or the family has no car.

Parents may not know how much even a few minutes of reading and talking each day matters, or may feel unsure about their own reading skills. In some families, English is not the first language, and books in the home language are hard to find.

Child care centers want to read to children but may have few books, and rural libraries have small budgets and limited hours.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are buying books at good prices, getting them to families across long distances, keeping a steady supply of age-appropriate and varied books and helping parents feel confident, not judged.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Early reading at home is widely seen as helpful to young children, and we will use the most recent local numbers on young children, library access and family income in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many families will take part, so our plan uses a first-year goal and will report what really happens.

Products & Services

First Chapters Early Literacy Project will put books into children's hands and show families that reading together is simple and fun.

How it works, step by step:
1. Partners. We sign agreements with pediatric clinics, libraries and child care centers that agree to give out books and tell families about reading nights.
2. Buy and collect books. We buy books in bulk from a children's book distributor and collect new and gently used books at book drives, checking every book for condition and age fit.
3. Sort and store. Volunteers sort books by age and language, store them in the book room and prepare packs.
4. Give books. Partner staff hand each child a book at a visit, a reading night or a story time. Families who live far away can sign up to receive books by mail.
5. Reading nights. Families come to a library or hall for a story, songs, a simple meal and a new book. Volunteers show how to read with a baby and a toddler.
6. Volunteer readers. Trained volunteers visit child care centers each week, read aloud and leave books behind.
7. Parent tips. We give a one-page guide with ideas for reading, talking and singing, in English and Spanish.
8. Learn. We ask families and partners what is working, and change the books and events accordingly.

Why this approach is strong. Families already visit clinics, libraries and child care centers, so we meet them there. A book of their own and a friendly invitation make reading part of home life.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: children from birth to age five and their families, in a large rural area, with a focus on families with limited income and those far from a library.

Our primary group is families with few books at home who visit clinics, libraries and child care centers. Our secondary group is families who prefer a book by mail and child care providers who want books and volunteer readers. We will use the most recent local numbers on young children, library access and family income in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to give about 8,000 books to about 1,000 children in Year 1, with 20 family reading nights and volunteer readers at six child care centers. We grow to about 1,300 children in Year 2 with a Family Literacy Coordinator, 1,600 in Year 3, 1,900 in Year 4 and about 2,200 children in Year 5. Our Year 1 budget is about $193,500 and our Year 5 budget is about $248,000.

Demand data. Letters of support from four clinics, two libraries and six child care centers, and a list of about 40 volunteer readers, show a clear need. We do not count on any single partner.

We do not serve everyone. We refer families who need other kinds of help, such as food or housing, to the right agency, and we refer parents who want help with their own reading to adult literacy classes.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for families, and what makes us different.

- Public libraries. They offer books and story times. Many are far away or open few hours. We bring books to clinics and homes and work with libraries, not against them.
- Large national book programs for young children. They may reach some families in our area. We coordinate with them and serve those they do not reach.
- Child care centers and preschools. They read to children, but often have few books. We bring books and volunteers.
- Stores and online sellers. They sell books to families who can afford them. We give books to families who cannot.
- Handing down books. Many families share. We add new books and a reason to read.

What makes us different.
- Books go home with every child, to keep.
- Books by mail for families who live far away.
- Family reading nights with a meal and songs.
- Respect for every family and language, with no income forms.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger programs have more books and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one family at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Clinics and libraries. We will meet clinic staff and librarians, explain how book giving works and bring starter supplies. Staff hand out books at visits and story times.

Child care centers. We will meet center directors, offer a book pack and weekly readers and invite them to our family nights.

Families by mail. Families who live far from town can sign up on a card at a clinic or online to receive a book each month for a year. We never ask about income.

Churches and civic clubs. We will ask churches, clubs and schools to hold book drives, host a reading night or sponsor a month of mailed books.

Online. A simple website and social media tell our story, share parent tips and make it easy to donate or volunteer.

Teachers, nurses and librarians. We will give clinic nurses, child care teachers and librarians a short guide on how to hand a book to a parent and invite them to a reading night, with a few friendly sentences they can use, so that the invitation feels natural and warm every time.

Cost to the family. Free. No family is asked for income or other information beyond a mailing address for mailed books.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (summer): Sign partner agreements, set up the book room, buy equipment and the first order of books, recruit and train volunteers and choose reading night dates.
- Month 3 (late summer): Begin giving books at clinics and libraries and start the first volunteer reader visits.
- Months 4 to 9: Hold family reading nights twice a month, start the mailing program and run a fall and spring book drive.
- Months 10 to 12: Collect feedback, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. A book room of about 600 square feet donated by a church. Our small office is shared space in the same building.

Equipment. We buy about $7,500 of equipment once at the start: a mobile book cart and display shelving ($2,800), a laptop, tablet and label printer ($1,900), a portable sound system and reading rugs ($1,400) and book storage shelving ($1,400). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Director, paid $44,000 a year, manages partners, orders and events. A part-time book room coordinator, paid $22,000 a year, runs the book room and volunteers. A Family Literacy Coordinator, paid $38,000 a year, joins in Year 2.

Volunteers. We recruit about 40 volunteers who pass a background check, complete a short training on reading aloud and child safety and sign a volunteer agreement. Volunteers are never alone with a child at a center.

Books. We choose books that are age-appropriate, in good condition and diverse, in English and Spanish and other languages that families request. We do not give out recalled products.

Costs. Books purchased for children are about $38,000 in Year 1, family reading night supplies and snacks about $6,000, mileage and mailing about $6,000, outreach and evaluation about $5,000 and administration and insurance about $10,000.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Hannah Lindgren, Executive Director. Twelve years of nonprofit work, including seven years in a library system. She oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Director (from Year 1). Manages partners, book orders, events and volunteers.

Family Literacy Coordinator (from Year 2). Leads family reading nights and parent tips as the program grows.

Book room coordinator (part-time, from Year 1). Sorts, stores and ships books.

Volunteers. About 40 trained readers and helpers.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including a librarian, a pediatric nurse and a preschool teacher, who meet every quarter. An attorney reviews our volunteer and privacy policies.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $54,000, Program Director $44,000, Family Literacy Coordinator $38,000 and part-time book room coordinator $22,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

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

- Year 1: Give about 8,000 books to about 1,000 children, hold 20 family reading nights and place volunteer readers at six child care centers. A balanced budget of about $193,500, with a small surplus of about $7,000. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add a Family Literacy Coordinator, a mailing program for far-away families and about 1,300 children. A balanced budget of about $236,000, with a small surplus of about $7,800. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 3: Reach about 1,600 children and add reading nights in two more towns. A balanced budget of about $240,000, with a small surplus of about $7,900. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 4: Reach about 1,900 children and add books in more languages. A balanced budget of about $244,000, with a small surplus of about $7,800. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 5: Reach about 2,200 children a year and share our book-giving system with other rural areas. A balanced budget of about $248,000, with a small surplus of about $7,500. About 4 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Books given and children who received books.
- Family reading nights held and families who attended.
- Volunteer reader visits and child care centers served.
- Parents who say they read with their child more often.
- Cost per book.
- Partner feedback.

How we review results. The Program Director reviews numbers every month. Twice a year, staff and the board review all results and share them with funders and partners. If a partner is not giving out books or events are not well attended, we meet with the partner and change the plan. 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: $74,000 from the Big Sky Children's Foundation for a Program Director and books for young children, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Director salary, $44,000.
- Supplies: Books for children from birth to age five, $30,000 (other funds add $8,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 51% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $193,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $7,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $145,500 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), library, clinic and school partner support $22,000, book drives and individual donations $26,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $54,000; program director $44,000; book room coordinator $22,000; books purchased for children about $38,000; family reading night supplies and snacks about $6,000; mileage and mailing about $6,000; outreach and evaluation about $5,000; administration and insurance about $10,000; about $2,400 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $15,900 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $2,800 for mobile book cart and display shelving; $1,900 for laptop, tablet and label printer; $1,400 for portable sound system and reading rugs for family nights; $1,400 for book storage shelving; $4,200 for opening stock of books; $1,800 for attorney review of partner agreements and a privacy policy; $1,400 for banners, flyers in two languages and a simple website; $1,000 for background checks and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($15,900), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $46,300, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $46,300. In all, that comes to $62,500. We start with $10,000 of our own savings and $55,000 in startup support from a local family foundation and our board, $65,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $193,500 in Year 1 to about $248,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $145,500, $178,000, $172,000, $166,000 and $160,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: library, clinic and school partner support from $22,000 to $46,000 and book drives and individual donations from $26,000 to $42,000. We add a Family Literacy Coordinator in Year 2 and reading nights in more towns as the program grows. Grants fall from about 75% of our income in Year 1 to about 65% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $60,200, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $5,805 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Libraries, clinics, schools, book drives, civic clubs and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Families and partners share their stories, and sponsors can adopt a clinic or a month of mailed books by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Books cost more. We buy from more than one supplier and collect donated books.
- Volunteers drop out. We recruit steadily and train a few backups.
- Mail is slow or lost. We track mailings and replace lost books.
- A partner leaves. We keep a list of other clinics and libraries that have asked to join.
- 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: two clinics, one library and a volunteer team, with books given at visits and one reading night a month, 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 each clinic, library and child care center.
- Your partner agreement.
- Your volunteer agreement and background check policy.
- Your book selection guidelines.
- Your parent tip sheet in English and Spanish.
- Quotes from the book distributor.
- 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: $145,500 in Year 1, then $178,000, $172,000, $166,000 and $160,000.
- Library, Clinic and School Partner Support: $22,000 in Year 1, growing to $46,000.
- Book Drives and Individual Donations: $26,000 in Year 1, growing to $42,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $54,000, program director $44,000, family literacy coordinator $38,000 (from Year 2), book room coordinator (part-time) $22,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: books purchased for children $38,000, family reading night supplies and snacks $6,000, mileage and mailing $6,000, outreach and evaluation $5,000, administration and insurance $10,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year.
- Equipment: $7,500 at the start, then $1,000 to $1,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $15,900, paid once from $65,000 in startup money.
- About 8,000 books in Year 1 at about $4.75 each. Children reached: about 1,000 in Year 1, growing to about 2,200 in Year 5.
- About 3% 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