Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.
Executive Summary
Safe Haven Foster Family Services is a nonprofit, state-licensed foster care agency in our county and the surrounding counties that finds, trains and supports foster families so that children who cannot safely stay at home have a safe, caring place to live. We provide recruiting and training foster families, case management and 24-hour support, and respite care, with case managers who work closely with each child and family.
When a child must leave home for their safety, a loving foster family can make the difference between a hard chapter and a lasting harm. But many areas do not have enough foster families, and many foster parents quit in the first year because they feel unsupported. Our program recruits, trains and supports foster families, so children stay in their own community whenever possible and placements last.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 25 children and 15 foster families. Our Year 1 budget is about $145,000, growing to about $387,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one licensed case manager to six. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Carlisle Family Foundation for $25,000, as part of the $127,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $18,000 in Year 1 comes from grants and donations, which we plan to grow to about $58,000 a year by Year 5. Government contract income pays most of our costs, based on the number of children we serve. Grant and donor money helps pay for foster parent support and the licensing and compliance work that agencies must do.
We will measure how many foster families we recruit and keep, how many children we place and how long placements last, how many children reunite with family or find another permanent home, and how foster parents and children say they are doing. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Safe Haven Foster Family Services is a nonprofit organization in Alabama. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To make sure every child who cannot live safely at home has a caring foster family in their own community.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2022 when a church recruited and trained 10 families to foster children through the county agency. Since then those families have cared for about 25 children.
What we do:
- Recruit foster families from the community, and complete home studies, background checks and training as the law requires.
- Place children with families that fit their needs, keeping siblings together and children close to their schools and communities when possible.
- Assign a licensed case manager to each child and family, with regular visits and 24-hour on-call support.
- Support foster parents with training, support groups, respite care and supplies.
- Work with the state child welfare agency, courts and birth families toward the child's permanent plan, usually reunification.
Where we work. An office in our city, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a 24-hour on-call line.
Our partners. The county child welfare agency, the family court, two churches and a children's health clinic.
Our approach. The goal for most children in foster care is to return safely home, and we support birth families toward that goal. We are trauma-informed and put each child's safety and well-being first.
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.
In our county and the surrounding counties, more children need foster homes than there are families available. Children are sometimes placed far from home, separated from siblings or placed in group settings because no family can take them. Many foster parents leave after a year because the work is hard and support is thin.
Facts about our community. According to our state child welfare agency, many children in our county were in foster care last year, and some were placed outside the county.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Not enough homes. Many children cannot be placed in a family in their own community.
2. Support for foster parents. Many foster parents feel alone and unprepared for the needs of children who have experienced trauma.
3. Keeping siblings together. It is hard to find a family that can take brothers and sisters together.
4. Teens. Teenagers wait the longest for a family and are often placed in group homes.
5. Birth families. Support for parents working to reunite is limited.
What we have seen ourselves. Foster parents told us the hardest part was not having anyone to call at night when a child was struggling.
Who we serve first. Children who need a foster home, with priority for sibling groups, teens and children with special needs, and families who want to foster, in sibling groups and teenagers in our county, and families willing to foster them.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Recruiting and training. We find families through community and faith groups, and provide the training and home study the state requires.
2. Matching. We match children with families based on the child's needs, culture and community, with the aim of keeping children close to home.
3. Case management. A licensed case manager visits regularly, helps with school, health care and court, and answers calls any time. We pay close attention to safety.
4. Support for foster parents. About $18,000 in Year 1 pays for training, support groups, respite care and supplies, so foster parents do not burn out.
5. Working toward permanency. We support reunification with birth parents when it is safe, and work toward another permanent family when it is not.
How we will measure results. We track families recruited and kept, children placed, length of placements, moves between homes and children who reunify or find a permanent home. We ask foster parents and, where appropriate, children how they are doing. We report in a way that protects privacy. Our goals for Year 1: license 15 foster families; place 25 children; have 85% of placements last at least six months; and have 90% of foster parents say they feel supported.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve children and foster families in our county and the surrounding counties, especially sibling groups and teenagers in our county, and families willing to foster them.
How we know people need this. The county agency told us it places 65 children outside the county each year because it has too few homes.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 25 children and 15 foster families. The number of children in foster care in our county, the number of licensed foster homes and the number of children placed outside the county are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one licensed case manager to six, we expect to support more children each year.
How families reach us. The county child welfare agency, the family court, churches and our foster families.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- The state child welfare agency licenses foster homes and places children. We contract with it and provide additional support. We have a contract with the county agency.
- Other private foster care agencies recruit and support families. We coordinate and focus on keeping children in their own community.
- Faith communities often recruit foster families. We work with them and support their members.
- Kinship care, when relatives care for a child, is often best. We help relatives get support and licensing.
- Residential programs care for children who cannot live in a family. We aim to reduce the need.
What makes us different: support from a case manager who is on call any time, respite care for foster parents and a focus on keeping children in their own community
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Recruitment events at churches, community centers and employers.
- Information sessions and word of mouth from foster families, who are our best recruiters.
- Partnerships with courts, schools and health providers.
- A clear, simple inquiry process, and honest information about what fostering involves.
Licensing and contracts. Private foster care agencies must be licensed by the state, and usually must have a contract with the state or county child welfare agency to receive children and payment. This can take many months, so we begin early. Rules on training, home safety, background checks and records are strict.
Volunteers. Church groups, retired social workers and foster families.
Raising money beyond grants. Grants and 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 foster family and child move through the program:
1. A family attends an information session and applies.
2. A home study, background checks and training.
3. A license, and a match with a child who needs a home.
4. Placement, with regular visits and 24-hour support.
5. Work toward the child's permanent plan, with support after.
An information session. Foster parents tell their stories, we explain the steps, the training, the support and the time commitment, and families can ask questions.
Safety and law. We follow state licensing rules, ratios and safety standards. Staff are mandated reporters of suspected abuse or neglect. We do not make decisions that belong to the court or the state agency, and we follow the child's case plan. We carry the insurance our contract requires.
Privacy. Information about children and families is strictly confidential under child welfare law. We share it only as the law and the court allow, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $5,000 in equipment (laptops, a secure records system, a vehicle allowance for home visits and office furniture), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One licensed case manager in Year 1, then two in Year 2, three in Year 3, five in Year 4 and six in Year 5. Case managers carry limited caseloads, because children in foster care need frequent contact and prompt help.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $16,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Maria Mitchell, 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: $62,000 a year.
Licensed case managers. Visit children and foster families, coordinate with the state agency and court, and keep records. One position in Year 1, growing to six by Year 5, at a planned salary of $46,000 each. Qualifications we look for: a licensed social worker with at least two years of child welfare experience and a calm, caring manner.
Volunteers. Volunteers help with recruitment events, respite, mentoring and supply drives. They do not have access to confidential case records.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Grace Williams, 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:
- Complete state licensing and sign our contract with the child welfare agency.
- Hire our first licensed case manager and recruit and train our first foster families.
- Serve about 25 children and 15 foster families.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for families licensed, children placed and placement stability.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $145,000.
Year 2: two licensed case managers; budget of about $194,000.
Year 3: three licensed case managers; budget of about $242,000.
Year 4: five licensed case managers; budget of about $338,000.
Year 5: six licensed case managers; budget of about $387,000.
Over the five years: grow to six licensed case managers, add services for teens and sibling groups, and expand to more counties. Foster parent support resources grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. We track families, placements, moves and outcomes for children. Twice a year, we ask foster parents what would help them. 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: $25,000 from the Carlisle Family Foundation for our foster parent support program, respite care and the costs of licensing and compliance, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $145,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $127,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Grants and donations: $18,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $62,000. - Licensed case managers: $46,000. - Foster parent support resources (training, respite, supplies, support groups): $18,000. - Administration and licensing compliance (licensing, insurance, records, reporting): $16,000. - That is about $142,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $5,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $145,000 in Year 1 to about $387,000 in Year 5 as we grow to six licensed case managers. Grants and contracts are planned at $127,000 in Year 1, $168,000 in Year 2, $206,000 in Year 3, $292,000 in Year 4 and $329,000 in Year 5. Grants and donations grow from $18,000 to $58,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $22,000 of our own plus $80,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for government contracts. Payment is typically per child and may arrive after the month of care. Contracts can be delayed or changed, and licensing may take months. We plan for the wait, keep a reserve and keep careful records. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer hours, donated clothing, furniture and supplies, and community partners are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Donated office space from a church (about $6,000 a year in rent value), about 600 volunteer hours a year and donated clothing and supplies 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 an existing licensed agency, begin by recruiting and supporting a few foster families, and track results carefully. Child safety and compliance come before growth. 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.
- Your state license as a child-placing agency, or the steps and timeline to get it.
- Your contract or letter of intent with the state child welfare agency.
- Letters of support from courts, schools, churches or other partners.
- Your policies on child safety, confidentiality, training and 24-hour support.
- 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 $62,000; each licensed case manager $46,000, growing from 1 to 6.
- Foster parent support resources about $18,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $16,000 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.