Flag First Youth Football Program

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Executive Summary

Flag First Youth Football Program is a nonprofit in Alabama that offers free flag football leagues and instruction to young people ages 6 to 14. Flag football gives players the competition, teamwork and fun of football without tackling. It is now an Olympic sport and has its own path to college play.

In communities where football is central to life, many families cannot afford leagues, equipment and travel. Parents also worry about the risk of injury in tackle football at young ages. A free, supervised flag league lets children play, learn and belong.

With this grant we will serve about 150 young people in Year 1 at 3 park sites in two seasons a year. We do not promise that any player will earn a scholarship or a roster spot. We promise safe play, good coaching and a team for every child.

Our Year 1 budget is about $151,000, growing to about $191,000 by Year 5 as we add sites, coaches and players. 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 part-time League Coordinator and three part-time coaches) and 9 by Year 5.

We are asking the Gulf South Youth Sports Foundation for $45,000 for certified coach stipends, flag football equipment and tournament fees and transportation. 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

Flag First Youth Football Program is a nonprofit organization in Alabama. 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 child should have the chance to play football safely, whatever their family's income.

What we do.
- Run free flag football leagues in fall and spring for ages 6 to 14.
- Hold practices three evenings a week and games on Saturdays at city parks.
- Provide flags, balls, jerseys and equipment to every player.
- Train and pay part-time coaches certified through USA Football.
- Teach teamwork, sportsmanship and basic football skills.
- Take teams to a few tournaments each year.

What we do not do. We do not run tackle football. We do not allow players to join practices without a signed waiver and emergency form. We do not provide childcare, and we do not promise any player a scholarship or a roster spot. We follow the rules of our parks and our insurer.

How we got here. A group of coaches and parents began running Saturday flag games for neighborhood children in a park. Teams grew and families asked for more games. We kept simple records of who came and what they said. This proposal asks for support to move from a few Saturdays to a steady league.

Problem & Opportunity

Football is a great game for young people, and many cannot play it.

Cost. Leagues charge registration fees, and uniforms, cleats and travel add to the bill. Families who cannot pay are left out.

Safety worries. Parents of young children worry about collisions and concussions in tackle football and may keep children out of the game altogether.

Few fields and few coaches. Parks may have open fields, and few have trained coaches or organized leagues.

Missed benefits. Team sports build confidence, friendships and healthy habits. Children who cannot join miss these benefits.

What we hear.
- A mother says her son watches the neighborhood team practice from the fence.
- A father says he cannot afford the league fee and does not want his daughter to get hurt.
- A coach says half his team gave up football because of cost.
- A teacher says one student speaks up more in class since joining a team.

We do not claim that a flag league can solve every challenge. We believe that a safe, free team can change a child's season.

Products & Services

Flag First gives young people a safe, free way to play football.

How the program works.
1. Sites. We partner with three city parks that provide fields, and we bring equipment, coaches and referees.
2. Seasons. Two seasons a year, fall and spring, with practices three evenings a week and games on Saturdays.
3. Teams. Players are placed on teams by age and experience, and every player plays in every game.
4. Equipment. Every player receives flags, a jersey and a ball for practice.
5. Coaching. Coaches teach throwing, catching, route running, flag pulling and teamwork, and they teach safe play.
6. Sportsmanship. Every game starts and ends with a handshake, and players learn to respect referees and opponents.
7. Tournaments. Teams may travel to a few tournaments each year, with costs covered.

Coaches. Our coaches are certified through USA Football, pass a background check, complete our training and are paid a stipend.

Access and fairness. Programs are free. Girls and boys are both welcome, and we offer help with rides when we can.

What a Saturday looks like. Families arrive at the park, players check in with their coach and warm up together, and teams play two short games with a referee and a coach on each sideline. Parents cheer from the stands and everyone shakes hands at the end. Players who are new to the game get extra help from a coach or an older player, so nobody sits on the bench the whole day.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Young people ages 6 to 14 who live near our partner parks and want to play football. Eligibility is open, with priority for families with low incomes, and no child is turned away for lack of skill.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every child who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. In our Saturday flag games, teams were full and we kept a waiting list. Park staff and schools told us that more children want to play than we can fit. For Year 1 we plan to serve about 150 young people at 3 sites. By Year 5, with more coaches and sites, we plan to serve about 350.

Where players come from.
- Schools, coaches and physical education teachers.
- Park and recreation staff.
- Churches and neighborhood centers.
- Families who tell a friend.

Who else benefits. Families gain a safe, free activity. Parks gain steady use. Local high school teams gain players who already know the game.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a child with a flag belt on. We keep our early counts modest and honest so we can do the work well.

Competitive Landscape

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

1. Tackle football leagues. Strong programs for families that can pay and accept the contact. We offer a flag alternative and send players who want tackle to those leagues when they are ready.

2. Recreation department leagues. Some have flag football, with limited seasons and fees. We partner with parks and fill gaps.

3. School teams. They begin in older grades and have limited roster spots. We prepare younger players for them.

4. Private training and camps. They teach well and charge fees that many families cannot pay.

5. Pickup games. Fun, with no coaching or rules about safety.

What makes us different.
- Free to every player.
- No tackling and certified coaches.
- Equipment for every player.
- Games every Saturday and tournaments for those who want them.
- A path to school teams and, for some, to college flag football.

We have spoken with parks, schools and other leagues to make sure we are filling a gap and not duplicating services. Their letters of support are in the attachments.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How players and partners will find us.

Reaching players.
- Schools. We will work with coaches and teachers to share a one-page sign-up form in English and Spanish.
- Parks. We will post flyers and hold open practice days.
- Families. We will hold a short information night at each site before a season begins.
- Churches and neighborhood centers. We will talk with leaders who know the families.
- Word of mouth. Many players will find us through a friend.
- A simple website and a phone line with a text option.

Reaching coaches and sponsors.
- Invite former players, teachers and community members to become certified coaches.
- Offer an orientation, a background check and USA Football training.
- Give partners a short report each season with counts of players and what families said.

How we decide who joins. We use a simple sign-up form and enroll players in the order received, with priority for families with the greatest need. We keep a waiting list when teams are full.

What we watch. Sign-ups, attendance, injuries and how many players return for a second season.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (July and August): Hire the League Coordinator and coaches, buy equipment, finalize the waiver, consent form and privacy policy with our attorney and sign park agreements.
- Month 3 (September): Begin the fall season at three parks.
- Months 4 to 6: Run practices and games, with a tournament in November.
- Months 7 to 10: Run the spring season.
- Months 11 and 12: Survey players and partners, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Practices and games are held on city park fields, provided at no or low cost. We store equipment in locked bins.

Safety and privacy.
- Every coach and volunteer passes a background check and completes safety training.
- Flag football has no tackling, and coaches stop any play that is unsafe.
- Two adults are present at every practice, and no adult is ever alone with a young player.
- Players warm up, hydrate often and sit out when hurt until a doctor says they may return.
- We keep an emergency plan and a first aid kit at every site.
- We keep records private, share them only with a family's permission and follow a written policy.

Equipment. We buy about $12,000 of equipment once at the start: flag sets and game balls for 150 players ($6,000), cones, portable goals and line markers ($3,000), first aid kits and storage ($1,500) and scoreboards and a sound system ($1,500). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. A part-time League Coordinator, paid $28,000 a year, handles schedules, referees and sign-ups. Three part-time certified coaches, each paid a stipend of $10,000 a year, lead practices and games. We add a coach for every new site.

Management & Organization

Andre Jefferson, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting. I came to this work as a high school football coach who wanted younger children to have a safe way to play. I will complete the training we require of our coaches so I understand the program from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

League Coordinator. The coordinator manages schedules, referees and sign-ups and talks with families. We will hire someone with experience in youth sports and strong organizational skills.

Certified Coaches. Part-time coaches who lead practices and games and teach safe play. Each is certified through USA Football and passes a background check. These stipends are part of our grant request.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes a high school coach, a parent, a parks department employee, a banker who serves as treasurer, an attorney and a former player. 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 school athletic director, a park supervisor and a sports medicine nurse give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $46,000 a year; league Coordinator (part-time), paid $28,000 a year; certified Coach (part-time stipend), paid $10,000 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):
- Serve about 150 young people ages 6 to 14 at 3 park sites.
- Run a fall season and a spring season with a game every Saturday.
- Have at least 85 percent of players attend most practices and games.
- Have at least 80 percent of players return for a second season.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 90 percent of families who answer our short survey.

What we count and how.
- Players enrolled, practices and games attended and injuries, from our records.
- Players returning each season, from sign-up records.
- Equipment issued and returned, from our log.
- Player and family feedback, 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 200 players at 3 sites and a girls-only league.
- Year 3: About 250 players at 4 sites and a new coach training day.
- Year 4: About 300 players at 5 sites and a citywide tournament.
- Year 5: About 350 players at 6 sites 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 35 percent of our budget, down from about 60 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: $45,000 from the Gulf South Youth Sports Foundation for certified coach stipends, flag football equipment and tournament fees and transportation, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Stipends for three USA Football certified coaches, $30,000.
- Supplies: Flag sets, game balls, cones and equipment for 150 players, $10,000 (other funds add $3,000).
- Other: Tournament registration fees and transportation, $5,000.

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 $151,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $8,600 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $91,000; city Parks Department Partnership $32,000; corporate Sponsors $20,000; individual Donors $8,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $46,000; league Coordinator (part-time) $28,000; certified Coach (part-time stipend) $10,000; flags, Balls and Game Equipment about $8,000; field Permits and Park Fees about $5,000; referees and Officials about $6,000; tournament Fees and Transportation about $6,000; coach Certification and Training about $3,000; administration and Insurance about $8,000; about $4,800 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $19,300 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $6,000 for flag sets and game balls for 150 players; $3,000 for cones, portable goals and line markers; $1,500 for first aid kits and equipment storage; $1,500 for scoreboards and a portable sound system; $2,000 for attorney review of the waiver, consent and privacy policy; $1,800 for banners, bilingual flyers and a simple website; $1,500 for background checks and coach certification for the first season; $2,000 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($19,300), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $35,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $54,500. We start with $6,000 from our founding board and $51,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a sporting goods company, $57,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $151,000 in Year 1 to about $191,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $91,000, $77,000, $73,500, $70,500 and $67,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: city Parks Department Partnership from $32,000 to $56,000; corporate Sponsors from $20,000 to $44,000; individual Donors from $8,000 to $24,000. Our surplus is planned at about $8,600 in Year 1, about $8,500 in Year 2, about $8,600 in Year 3, about $9,200 in Year 4 and about $9,200 in Year 5. We grow from 3 park sites to 6 by Year 5, adding a part-time coach for each new site.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $50,000, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $6,040 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per player. In Year 1, our total costs are about $965 per player served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more player served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $520 per player.

After the grant. City parks funding, corporate sponsors and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Players and parents share their stories, and businesses can sponsor a team or a season by name. We will look for partnerships with schools and the city that want a safe, free football option for every child.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- An injury. Certified coaches, no tackling, proper equipment, matched teams, a written emergency plan and insurance.
- A field is closed. We keep agreements with more than one park and a rain plan.
- A coach leaves. We keep a list of trained backup coaches and share lesson plans.
- Low attendance. We adjust sites and times and offer rides when we can.
- 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 players 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: $91,000 in Year 1, growing to $67,000 in Year 5.
- City Parks Department Partnership: $32,000 in Year 1, growing to $56,000 in Year 5.
- Corporate Sponsors: $20,000 in Year 1, growing to $44,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donors: $8,000 in Year 1, growing to $24,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive Director $46,000; league Coordinator (part-time) $28,000; certified Coach (part-time stipend) $10,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: flags, Balls and Game Equipment $8,000; field Permits and Park Fees $5,000; referees and Officials $6,000; tournament Fees and Transportation $6,000; coach Certification and Training $3,000; administration and Insurance $8,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $12,000 at the start, then $2,500 to $3,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $19,300, paid once from $57,000 in startup money.
- Players served: about 150 in Year 1, growing to about 350 in Year 5. Sites: 3 in Year 1, growing to 6 by Year 5. Seasons run September to November and March to May.
- 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