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Executive Summary
Page by Page Reading Project is a nonprofit that helps children in the east side of our city learn to read and succeed in school. We provide twice-weekly tutoring in reading, books to keep and family reading nights, with caring tutors who build each child's skills and confidence.
Reading is the key to everything else in school. A child who is not reading well by the end of third grade is far more likely to struggle later on. Many children fall behind because they do not have enough help at home or at school, and the gap tends to grow. Our program gives children extra time with a trusted tutor, books to take home and a reason to love reading.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 100 children over the year. Our Year 1 budget is about $144,000, growing to about $279,000 by Year 5 as we grow from two tutors and program staff to six. 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 $126,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $18,000 in Year 1 comes from donations, which we plan to grow to about $58,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for tutors and program staff, books and learning materials, and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many children we serve, how often they attend, how their reading skills change on simple assessments, and what parents and teachers tell us. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Page by Page Reading Project is a nonprofit organization in Idaho. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To help every child learn to read and love learning.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2022 when a group of retired teachers started tutoring second graders at one elementary school. Since then we have helped about 70 children, with 20 volunteer tutors helping each week.
What we do:
- Give children one-on-one or small group tutoring in reading and language, in school or after school.
- Give each child books to keep, and run read-aloud and family events.
- Train and support volunteer tutors, and pair each child with a steady tutor.
- Work with teachers so our lessons support what children are learning in class.
- Help families with simple ways to read and talk with their children at home.
Where we work. At our partner elementary school, Monday to Thursday 3 to 5 p.m.
Our partners. Our local elementary school (space and referrals), the public library, a church that donates books and a college that sends student volunteers.
Our approach. We make learning warm and fun. Children come to feel that reading is something they can do, not something they are bad at.
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 children in the east side of our city start school behind, and many stay behind. Without help, the gap widens, and children lose confidence. Teachers do their best but cannot give each child enough one-on-one time, and many families cannot afford private tutoring.
Facts about our community. According to our state report card, many third graders at our partner school do not read at grade level.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Time. Classrooms are large and teachers have little time for individual help.
2. Cost. Private tutoring is out of reach for many families.
3. Books. Many children have few or no books at home.
4. Consistency. Children need regular practice with the same caring adult.
5. Family support. Many parents want to help but are not sure how.
What we have seen ourselves. Teachers told us they have 25 children in a class and cannot give a struggling reader more than a few minutes a week.
Who we serve first. Children in kindergarten through grade 5 who are behind in reading, especially those from families with limited income, in children in grades K to 3 at our partner school who are behind in reading.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Regular tutoring. Each child meets with a trained tutor at least twice a week for 30 to 45 minutes, in small groups or one-on-one.
2. A simple, research-based approach. Tutors use proven reading activities (sounds, words, reading aloud and talking about stories) matched to each child's level.
3. Books to keep. Each child chooses and keeps books, and families receive tips for reading together. About $9,000 in Year 1 pays for books, materials and assessments.
4. Working with the school. With parent permission, tutors share what they are working on with the child's teacher.
5. Family events. We host reading nights and give parents simple ideas for reading at home, in the languages families speak.
How we will measure results. We check each child's reading level at the start, middle and end of the year with a simple assessment. We track attendance and ask teachers and parents what they notice. We report progress honestly and do not promise that every child will reach grade level. Our goals for Year 1: serve 100 children; have 80% attend at least 30 sessions; have 70% improve their reading level by the end of the year; and have 85% of parents say their child likes reading more.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve children in the east side of our city, especially children in grades K to 3 at our partner school who are behind in reading.
How we know people need this. Our partner school has a list of 60 children who are behind in reading and we only had room for 20.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 100 children over the year. The share of children not reading at grade level and the share of students from low-income families are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from two tutors and program staff to six, we expect to serve more children each year.
How families reach us. Teachers, the school counselor, the library and a local pediatric clinic.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- School reading programs and tutoring help many children. We partner with the school, and fill gaps. We have a written agreement with our partner school for space and referrals.
- Libraries offer books and story times. We partner with them and add tutoring.
- After school programs offer homework help. We partner with them, and offer more focused reading help.
- Private tutoring centers cost money. We offer free help.
- Other literacy nonprofits serve different groups. We share referrals and ideas.
What makes us different: a steady tutor for each child, books to keep and lessons matched to what the child's teacher is teaching
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from teachers, school counselors, librarians, pediatricians and churches.
- Information at school events, libraries and apartment complexes, in the languages families speak.
- Word of mouth from parents and children.
- Simple sign-up forms, by paper or phone.
Schools. We work with school leaders to be a trusted partner, offering to meet their goals and respecting their rules about who can come into the building.
Volunteers. Retired teachers, church groups, college education students and local employers.
Raising money beyond grants. Donations are planned at about $18,000 in Year 1, growing to about $58,000 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 child moves through the program:
1. A referral from a teacher or parent, and a short meeting with the parent.
2. A simple reading check to find the child's starting point.
3. Regular tutoring with a steady tutor.
4. Progress checks in the middle and end of the year, shared with parents and teachers.
5. Books to keep and family events through the year.
A first session. The tutor and child get to know each other, read a short book together and do a simple reading check, with lots of encouragement.
Safety. All tutors pass background checks and training before they work with children, and tutoring takes place in open spaces where other adults can see. We follow our school partner's rules, and we report suspected child abuse as the law requires.
Privacy. Information about children and families is kept private. We share it only with parent permission or when the law requires it, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $3,000 in equipment (laptops, a printer, shelving for books and a set of learning supplies), then about $1,000 to $1,500 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. Two tutors and program staff in Year 1, then three in Year 2, four in Year 3, five in Year 4 and six in Year 5. Staff supervise tutors, keep records and communicate with schools and families.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $12,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Michael Torres, 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: $56,000 a year.
Tutors and program staff. Tutor children, train and support volunteer tutors, keep records and communicate with teachers and families. Two positions in Year 1, growing to six by Year 5, at a planned salary of $32,000 each. Qualifications we look for: experience as a teacher, tutor or aide, a warm and patient way with children and strong organizational skills.
Volunteers. Volunteer tutors give regular time to a child, along with volunteers who help with events and books. They are screened and trained before they work with children.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Marcus Reyes, 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:
- Sign a partnership with our first school or schools.
- Recruit and train volunteer tutors, and hire our first tutors and program staff.
- Serve about 100 children over the year.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for attendance and reading progress.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $144,000.
Year 2: three tutors and program staff; budget of about $178,000.
Year 3: four tutors and program staff; budget of about $212,000.
Year 4: five tutors and program staff; budget of about $245,000.
Year 5: six tutors and program staff; budget of about $279,000.
Over the five years: grow to six tutors and program staff, add schools and a summer reading program, and expand family programs. Materials costs grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. We check reading levels at the start, middle and end of the year, and track attendance for each child. Twice a year we ask parents and teachers for feedback. 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 tutors' salaries, books and materials for 100 children and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $144,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $126,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Donations: $18,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $56,000. - Tutors and program staff: $64,000. - Program materials (books, learning supplies, assessments): $9,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $12,000. - That is about $141,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $3,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $144,000 in Year 1 to about $279,000 in Year 5 as we grow to six tutors and program staff. Grants and contracts are planned at $126,000 in Year 1, $152,000 in Year 2, $176,000 in Year 3, $198,000 in Year 4 and $221,000 in Year 5. Donations grow from $18,000 to $58,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $14,000 of our own plus $50,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for grants and school partnerships. Many education grants are paid in installments or after a report, and some are tied to results. We plan for that, keep careful records and do not promise gains we cannot show. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer tutor hours, donated books and school classroom space are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free classroom space at our partner school (about $5,000 a year in rent value), about 2,500 volunteer tutor hours a year and donated books 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 one school, library or church, start with a small group of children and a few trained volunteer tutors, 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 schools, teachers, libraries or other partners.
- Your tutor screening, training and child safety policies.
- Your reading assessment tool and sample report to parents.
- Your participant 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 $56,000; each tutor and program staff member $32,000, growing from 2 to 6.
- Program materials about $9,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $12,000 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.