Code and Controller

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Code and Controller is a nonprofit in Washington that uses esports teams as a way into science, technology, engineering and math for young people ages 12 to 18 in neighborhoods where few programs reach them. Many young people already spend hours a week gaming. We meet them there, give them a coach and a team, and then show them how the same games connect to computer science, game design, data, art and careers in technology. Everything we offer is free to participants.

Most of the young people we serve have never been shown that the thing they love is built by people with jobs. They can name every character in a game and have no idea that a studio, a data team and a security team stand behind it. Families with tight budgets also cannot pay for a team, a good computer or coding classes.

With this grant we will serve about 100 young people in Year 1 at 2 sites: a middle school and a community center. Each young person joins a 16-week season that includes two practices a week and a STEM workshop every other Saturday. A summer program follows. We do not promise that any young person will choose a career in technology or win a scholarship. We promise a safe place, a caring coach and a real chance to build something they are proud of.

Our Year 1 budget is about $176,000, growing to about $289,000 by Year 5 as we add sites and coaches. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year.

We are asking the Evergreen Youth Opportunity Foundation for $56,000 for a Program Director and coach stipends, STEM workshop kits and guest instructors, for July 2027 through June 2028. Technology companies, the city, individual donors and other grants also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

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

Company Description

Code and Controller is a nonprofit organization in Washington. We are governed by a volunteer board of directors, with a written conflict-of-interest policy and a yearly budget that the board reviews and approves.

Our mission. Every young person should see a path from the games they love to the skills and careers behind them, whatever their family's income.

How we started. Two years ago a small group of teachers and community volunteers began a lunchtime and after-school gaming club at a middle school that had no computer science classes. Players asked how the games were made, and the club grew into a team, then two teams, then a program with workshops. About 65 young people took part in that first period. Parents and school staff asked us to become a standalone organization, and our board formed to do that.

What we do.
- Run free 16-week esports seasons at partner sites, with two practices a week.
- Hold STEM workshops every other Saturday: game design, simple coding, using data from our own matches, digital art and online safety.
- Invite mentors who work in technology to visit, talk about their jobs and help with projects.
- Help families and young people with next steps: course choices, summer programs and college and career information.

What we do not do. We do not run gambling, betting or paid entry tournaments. We do not let adults play with young people unsupervised or communicate with them privately online. We do not guarantee any scholarship or job.

Where things stand today. We have signed one site agreement and are close to a second. We have two part-time coaches ready to start after background checks, equipment quotes in hand and written support from two school principals.

Problem & Opportunity

Young people learn best when what they are learning connects to something they already care about. For many, that is gaming. Too often the connection never gets made.

A hidden doorway. Games are built by designers, programmers, artists, sound engineers, data analysts and security specialists. Most young people we meet in our neighborhoods have never met anyone who does that work, and no one has told them it is within reach.

Few programs. Many schools in our area have no computer science class or only one. Clubs and teams cost money, and families with tight budgets cannot pay fees or buy computers, headsets and internet service at home.

Unsafe online spaces. Young people who play alone at night may be in voice chats with strangers who are rude, hostile or worse. Parents worry and do not always know what to ask.

Few adults who know the games. A teacher who volunteers to run a gaming club may not know the games, and a coach who does may not know how to connect them to learning.

Unequal access. Young people with a fast computer at home can practice and learn on their own. Others share one computer with several people or do not have one at all.

What we hear.
- A seventh grader says he can talk about his game for an hour and no one in school asks about it.
- A parent says her daughter is quiet at home and loud with her teammates, and wishes she had a place to be that person more often.
- A principal says students will come to a club for the games and stay for the coding if someone teaches them gently.
- A volunteer says she works in software and no one ever invited her to talk about it with young people.

We do not claim gaming is the answer to everything. We say it is a door that is already open, and we want to walk through it with young people.

Products & Services

Code and Controller gives young people a team, a coach and a way from the games they play to the skills behind them.

How the program works.
1. Sites. We partner with a middle school and a community center that provide space and internet. We bring computers, coaches and materials.
2. Seasons. Each season runs 16 weeks, with two practices a week of about two hours. Teams are small, with one coach for about eight young people.
3. Practice. Coaches teach teamwork, communication, taking turns, handling losses and keeping a positive voice, as well as the games themselves.
4. STEM workshops. Every other Saturday, participants take part in a workshop that connects to what they have been playing. Examples include building a simple game with block coding, making a chart of a team's wins and mistakes, designing a character, learning how accounts are protected from hackers and how to tell a real message from a fake one.
5. Mentors. Guest instructors from local technology companies visit, talk about their work and help with projects. Every visit is supervised by our staff.
6. Next steps. Each participant meets with a coach twice a season to talk about school, classes, summer programs and careers, and goes home with a one-page plan.
7. Showcase. At the end of each season, families come to a showcase where young people present their projects and play a friendly match.

Safe play. Every site has rules about language and conduct. Players use program accounts, not personal ones, during sessions. Coaches do not message young people privately. Parents sign a consent form and a privacy policy, and every adult working with young people passes a background check.

Healthy habits. Every session includes a break, water and stretching. We talk about sleep, screens and balance.

What we do not promise. We do not promise that every young person will finish a project, choose a technology career or earn a scholarship. We promise a safe program, steady adults and chances to learn.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Young people ages 12 to 18 who live near our partner sites, who like to play games or want to try them and whose families have low incomes. Eligibility is based on school lunch status or family income guidelines our board sets. No young person is turned away for lack of skills or equipment.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every young person who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. About 65 young people took part in our first club and teams. Our first partner school has a waiting list of students who asked about the club. Our Year 1 plan is for about 100 young people at 2 sites. By Year 5 we plan to serve about 300 young people at 5 sites.

Who else benefits.
- Families, who gain a safe place and an adult who knows their child.
- Schools, which gain a way to reach students who may not join sports or clubs.
- Technology employers in our area, who want a more diverse group of local young people to see their industry as a future.
- Neighborhoods, where young people have a constructive place to spend evenings and weekends.

How young people find us.
- Referrals from school counselors, teachers and family liaisons.
- Flyers and information nights in English and Spanish at each site.
- Friends who bring friends. We expect many of our new participants will come with a friend.
- Social media posts and short videos made by participants, with family permission.

Capacity. Each site has room for about 50 young people a season at most, so we add sites and coaches as demand grows rather than crowd the space.

Competitive Landscape

What young people can find today, and how we are different.

1. School clubs. Some schools have robotics, coding or gaming clubs. They can be excellent and are limited by money, space and volunteer time. We want to work with schools, not replace their clubs, and we are glad to share our curriculum.

2. Commercial gaming centers and camps. They offer strong equipment and coaching and charge fees that many families cannot pay. We offer a free option for young people who could not otherwise attend.

3. Library and community center programs. Some offer coding classes or open computer time. They give valuable access, and few combine a team, a coach and a plan for what comes next.

4. Online videos and courses. A motivated young person can learn a lot online. Many do not know where to start, and no one is there to say, "Good job, now try this next."

5. Other youth nonprofits. Boys and girls clubs, youth sports and arts programs serve many of the same young people. We will refer participants to them when they need something we do not offer, and we hope they will do the same for us.

What makes us different.
- A direct link between the games young people love and STEM learning.
- Free participation and equipment for every young person.
- Small teams with trained coaches and a clear safety plan.
- Mentors from local technology companies.
- A written next-steps plan for every participant.

What we will not do. We will not exaggerate what a program like ours can do. Esports will not solve every problem a young person faces, and we will say so.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How young people, families and partners will find us.

Reaching young people and families.
- Schools. We will work with counselors, teachers and family liaisons to invite students and share a simple one-page sign-up form in English and Spanish.
- Community centers and libraries. We will place flyers, hold open sessions and invite walk-ins.
- Families. We will hold a short information night at each site before the season begins, with an interpreter when needed and with food provided.
- Word of mouth. Young people who take part tell their friends. We will ask them to bring a friend to the first practice.
- Social media. We will post short videos of games, projects and showcases, with permission from families, and no personal information about any young person.

Reaching partners and funders.
- Technology companies. We will invite local companies to sponsor a team or a workshop by name, to send mentors and to give equipment.
- City agencies. We will meet with the city's youth and technology offices to describe our results and ask about contracts and small grants.
- Individual donors. We will hold two events each year where participants show their projects, and send a short report to every donor.
- Foundations. We will apply for grants that fit our goals and give honest reports on what we learn.

Our message. We say what we do in plain words: we use games to help young people discover technology. We never promise outcomes we cannot control.

How we will know it is working. We will watch the number of young people who apply, how many finish a season, how many bring a friend, how many families attend the showcase and how many partners renew.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (July and August): Hire the Program Director and coaches, buy equipment, complete background checks, finalize consent forms and the privacy policy with our attorney and sign site agreements.
- Month 3 (September): Begin the first 16-week season at two sites, with information nights beforehand.
- Months 3 to 10: Run fall and spring seasons, with a STEM workshop every other Saturday and a showcase at the end of each season.
- Months 11 and 12 (May and June): Complete the spring showcase, survey families and begin planning summer.
- Summer: Run a short summer program at one site, with coding, design and a final project day.

Where we meet. Each site provides a room with power, internet and a place to store equipment. We bring a locked cart of computers, headsets and controllers so that equipment can be set up and put away in under thirty minutes.

Safety. Every adult working with young people passes a background check and completes our training before starting. Two adults are present at every session, and no one is ever alone with a young person. Parents sign consent forms. Young people use program accounts during sessions, and we monitor chat for language and conduct. We follow the site's own policies for visitors, emergencies and first aid.

Privacy. We keep names, grades and contact information in a secure system that only staff can see. We never share photos or names without written permission.

Measuring results. We track attendance, projects finished, the survey results from families and young people and what participants do next. We share what we learn with partners and funders every quarter.

Staffing. In Year 1 we have an Executive Director, a Program Director who is the lead coach and two part-time coaches. We add a part-time family and school liaison in Year 2 and more coaches as we add sites.

Management & Organization

Dana Whitfield, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting to funders. I taught technology classes to middle school students for several years before starting this program and saw how much more engaged young people were when we used what they already loved. I will complete the same training in safety and conduct that our coaches complete.

Program Director and Lead Coach. The Program Director designs the practice and workshop plans, trains the coaches, runs the lead team and is the main contact for families and sites. We hire someone who has coached young people, loves games and communicates warmly with parents.

Coaches and mentors. Part-time coaches run practices, support workshops and keep sessions safe. They are chosen for patience, good judgment and care for young people, then trained by our staff. Volunteer mentors from technology companies visit and share their work.

Family and School Liaison. Starting in Year 2, this part-time role helps families sign up, answers questions in English and Spanish and keeps schools informed.

Our board. Our volunteer board includes a school principal, a software developer, a parent from our first club, a nonprofit finance volunteer and an attorney. The board meets every month, reviews finances and approves policies.

Outside help. A bookkeeper, paid by the hour, keeps our books. An accountant reviews them every year. Our attorney helped write our consent forms, privacy policy and site agreements. An insurance agent helped us choose the right coverage.

Pay. I am paid $52,000 a year, and the Program Director is paid $44,000. Both are included in the budget. We pay a fair wage and do not rely on unpaid labor to run the program.

Milestones Narrative

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

Year 1 outcomes (July 2027 through June 2028):
- Serve about 100 young people at 2 sites.
- Complete at least 2 sixteen-week seasons and one summer program.
- Have at least 75 percent of participants attend most of their sessions.
- Have at least 70 percent of participants finish a project, such as a simple game, a chart or a design.
- Have at least 40 percent of participants return for a second season.
- Meet with every participant twice to write a one-page next-steps plan.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 80 percent of families on safety and communication.

How we measure. Attendance sheets, project records, short surveys at the middle and end of each season and a short follow-up with families six months later.

Year 2 (about 150 young people):
- Add a third site and a family and school liaison.
- Begin a peer mentor role for participants in their second year.
- Start a partnership with a community college so participants can visit a campus.

Year 3 (about 200 young people):
- Add a fourth site and a second summer session.
- Share our curriculum with two other organizations.

Years 4 and 5 (about 250 and 300 young people):
- Keep four to five sites running with trained coaches.
- Report results in public each year and ask an outside reviewer to look at our program.
- Build a larger base of local donors and company sponsors so that no one funder is more than half of our budget.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $56,000 from the Evergreen Youth Opportunity Foundation for a Program Director and coach stipends, STEM workshop kits and guest instructors, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Director and coach stipends for two sites, $38,000 (other funds add $18,000).
- Supplies: STEM workshop kits and learning software, $10,000 (other funds add $5,000).
- Contractual: Guest instructors and mentors from local technology companies, $8,000 (other funds add $3,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 57% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover. If we receive less than we ask for, we will start with one site and add the second when more funding arrives.

Year 1 budget: about $176,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $4,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $98,000; Technology Company Sponsors $45,000; City Youth Technology Contract $20,000; Individual Donations $13,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $52,000; Program Director and Lead Coach $44,000; Coach and Mentor (part-time) $32,000; STEM Workshop Materials and Software about $12,000; Game Accounts, Licenses and Internet about $5,000; Transportation and Field Trips about $6,000; Mentor Training and Background Checks about $4,000; Administration and Insurance about $11,000; about $9,600 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $42,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $30,000 for 12 gaming laptops and desktops, monitors and headsets for two sites; $3,000 for attorney review of consent forms, waivers and the privacy policy; $3,500 for background checks for the first coaches and first insurance payment; $2,500 for software licenses and learning accounts; $3,000 for bilingual flyers, banners and a simple website.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($42,000), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $41,500, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $83,500. We start with $15,000 from our founding board and $70,000 in startup support from a technology company and a local community foundation, $85,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $176,000 in Year 1 to about $289,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $98,000, $120,000, $132,000, $140,000 and $150,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows as well: technology company sponsors from $45,000 to $76,000, the city youth technology contract from $20,000 to $35,000 and individual donations from $13,000 to $28,000. We grow from 2 sites to 5 and from about 100 young people to about 300, with a part-time family and school liaison joining in Year 2 and more coaches each year. Our surplus is planned at about $4,000 in Year 1, about $6,900 in Year 2, about $15,400 in Year 3, about $16,000 in Year 4 and about $17,200 in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $58,000, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $7,040 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per young person. In Year 1, our total costs are about $1,750 per young person served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more young people served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $900 per young person.

After the grant. Technology companies, the city and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Families and young people share their stories, and companies can sponsor a team or a workshop by name. We will also look for schools and employers who want to build their own programs and share our materials with them.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A safety concern involving a young person. Background checks, two adults at every session, program accounts, written conduct rules, parent consent and insurance.
- A coach leaves. We keep a list of trained backup coaches and share lesson plans so a new coach can step in quickly.
- A partner site changes its schedule or closes. We keep agreements with more than one site and stay flexible about where we meet.
- Low attendance. We adjust outreach, schedules and projects based on feedback from young people and families.
- Equipment breaks or becomes outdated. We keep an upkeep budget, rotate equipment and ask sponsors for in-kind help.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow company, city and donor support each year and avoid taking on costs we cannot cover.

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 participants 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 schools and community centers.
- Your site agreements and your insurance certificate.
- Your parent consent, conduct rules and privacy policy.
- Your safety plan, background check policy and staff training outline.
- Your season outline and sample workshop plans.
- Quotes for computers, headsets and software.
- 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: $98,000 in Year 1, growing to $150,000 in Year 5.
- Technology Company Sponsors: $45,000 in Year 1, growing to $76,000 in Year 5.
- City Youth Technology Contract: $20,000 in Year 1, growing to $35,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donations: $13,000 in Year 1, growing to $28,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $52,000; Program Director and Lead Coach $44,000; Coach and Mentor (part-time) $16,000; Family and School Liaison (part-time) $22,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: STEM Workshop Materials and Software $12,000; Game Accounts, Licenses and Internet $5,000; Transportation and Field Trips $6,000; Mentor Training and Background Checks $4,000; Administration and Insurance $11,000. These grow between 5% and 8% a year.
- Equipment: $30,000 at the start, then $4,000 to $5,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $42,000, paid once from $85,000 in startup money.
- Young people served: about 100 in Year 1, growing to about 300 in Year 5.
- Sites: 2 in Year 1, growing to 5 by Year 5. Each season runs 16 weeks, with two practices a week and a workshop every other Saturday.
- 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