Springboard Gymnastics Program

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Executive Summary

Springboard Gymnastics Program is a nonprofit in Illinois that gives girls ages 4 to 14 from families with low incomes a place to learn gymnastics at no cost or a small cost that fits their budget. Girls learn to tumble, balance, swing and vault, and they learn something larger along the way: that they are strong, that they can try a hard thing again and that a team of girls and a steady coach are on their side.

Gymnastics is one of the most expensive youth sports to join. Classes, uniforms and meet fees add up, and most gyms are far from the neighborhoods where many of our girls live. Many girls who would love it never get to try.

With this grant we will serve about 120 girls in Year 1 at one partner gym, in weekly classes that follow a 10-week session, with a competitive pathway for girls who want to go further. A summer camp follows. We do not promise that any girl will compete at a high level or earn a scholarship. We promise a safe gym, a caring coach and a real chance to learn.

Our Year 1 budget is about $194,000, growing to about $300,000 by Year 5 as we add classes, coaches and a second location. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year.

We are asking the Prairie State Youth Fitness Foundation for $60,000 for coach stipends, gym time rental and uniforms, snacks and mats, for July 2027 through June 2028. Businesses, families, individual donors and other grants also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

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

Company Description

Springboard Gymnastics Program is a nonprofit organization in Illinois. 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 girl should have a chance to discover what her body can do, whatever her family's income.

How we started. Three years ago a group of coaches and parents began offering a free weekly class in a borrowed gym for girls from nearby schools. About 50 girls took part in the first two years. Parents asked us to grow, and our board formed to make that possible.

What we do.
- Teach weekly classes for girls ages 4 to 14, grouped by age and skill, in 10-week sessions.
- Offer a team pathway for girls who want to train more and enter friendly meets.
- Run a summer camp with skill time, games and healthy snacks.
- Provide leotards, grips and snacks so no girl is left out for lack of gear.
- Help families with transportation information and with next steps if their daughter wants more training.

What we do not do. We do not push girls to train through pain or to meet a weight or body standard. We do not promise a scholarship or a place on a team. We do not let any girl try a skill without a trained coach, mats and spotting in place.

Where things stand today. We have a signed agreement with a partner gym for evening and Saturday time. Three part-time coaches are ready to begin after their background checks, and two elementary school principals have written letters of support.

Problem & Opportunity

Gymnastics builds strength, balance, flexibility and confidence. Too many girls never get to try it because of cost, distance and unfamiliar rules.

Cost. Class fees, registration, leotards, meet fees and travel add up quickly. Families with tight budgets often have to choose between gymnastics and basic needs.

Distance. Good gyms are often far from the neighborhoods where our girls live. A parent who works evenings cannot always drive a child across town.

Few welcoming places. Some girls tell us they felt out of place in gyms where most families had more money or where they did not know the unwritten rules. Others stopped after one season because they could not afford the next.

Pressure and body image. Girls this age are watching how their bodies are talked about. A gym that values health, effort and kindness over appearance can matter a great deal.

Safety. Gymnastics involves heights and impact. Families need to trust that coaches are trained and background-checked and that rules are clear.

What we hear.
- A mother says her daughter practices cartwheels on the couch and has asked for a class for two years.
- A school counselor says several girls she works with would benefit from a team that is positive and structured.
- A coach says girls who have never been on a beam arrive afraid and leave proud.
- A father says he could not afford a leotard, let alone fees, and almost did not ask.

We do not claim gymnastics is for every girl. We want every girl who is curious to have a fair chance to try.

Products & Services

Springboard gives girls a safe, welcoming place to learn gymnastics and build confidence.

How the program works.
1. Open house. Families visit the gym, meet the coaches and see a class. We bring an interpreter when needed.
2. Registration. Families fill out a short form. Participation is free for families under our income guidelines, and families above them pay a small fee that we set on a sliding scale.
3. Classes. Girls are grouped by age and skill. Each class meets once or twice a week for a 10-week session, with a coach for every eight girls.
4. Gear and snacks. Every girl receives a leotard and grips and a healthy snack at each class.
5. Skill chart. Coaches track skills and share progress with families at the end of each session. Girls earn level cards and celebrate small wins.
6. Team pathway. Girls who want to train more can join our team for extra practice and friendly meets.
7. Showcase. At the end of each session, families come to see what girls have learned.

Safe coaching. Every coach passes a background check and completes safety training. Skills are taught in steps, with mats and spotters. Girls learn how to fall safely and how to say when they are not ready.

Healthy culture. Coaches talk about effort, strength and kindness. We do not weigh or measure girls and we do not comment on bodies.

What we do not promise. We do not promise that every girl will reach a level, compete or earn a scholarship. We promise a safe program, steady adults and chances to learn.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Girls ages 4 to 14 who live near our partner gym and whose families have low incomes. Eligibility is based on school lunch status or family income guidelines our board sets, and no girl is turned away for lack of experience.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every girl who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. About 50 girls took part in our first two years, and every session had a waiting list. Two elementary schools have asked us to visit and share sign-up forms. Our Year 1 plan is for about 120 girls at one gym. By Year 5 we plan to serve about 300 girls across two locations.

Who else benefits.
- Families, who gain a safe place, steady adults and a community of other parents.
- Schools, which gain a positive activity to recommend to students who need one.
- Partner gyms, which gain new young athletes and goodwill in their neighborhoods.
- Sponsors, who can see their support reflected in girls who are stronger and more confident.

How girls find us.
- Referrals from school counselors, teachers and family liaisons.
- Flyers and information nights in English and Spanish at schools, libraries and community centers.
- Friends who bring friends. Many girls arrive with a classmate.
- Social posts and short videos made with family permission.

Capacity. Each class has room for about 16 girls with two coaches, so we add coaches and class times as demand grows rather than crowd the floor.

Competitive Landscape

What girls can find today, and how we are different.

1. Commercial gymnastics gyms. They offer excellent coaching and equipment and charge fees that many families cannot afford. We offer a free or low-cost alternative and partner with gyms that share our values.

2. Park district and school classes. They are affordable and short, and they may not have the equipment or coaching depth for girls who want to progress.

3. Dance and cheer programs. They offer movement and teamwork and do not use the same equipment. We often refer girls to them and welcome referrals back.

4. Other youth sports. Soccer, swimming and basketball programs are important. We hope girls will try many sports, and gymnastics is a good base for all of them.

5. Online videos. A motivated girl can learn basics online. It is not safe to learn tumbling without a coach and mats.

What makes us different.
- Free or sliding-scale participation and free gear and snacks.
- Small classes, trained coaches and a clear safety plan.
- A culture of effort and kindness, not body standards.
- A team pathway for girls who want more.
- Partnerships with local gyms that provide space and expertise.

What we will not do. We will not overpromise. Gymnastics is a rigorous sport, and not every girl will love it. We will help her find what she does love.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How girls, families and partners will find us.

Reaching girls and families.
- Schools. We will work with counselors, teachers and family liaisons to share a simple one-page sign-up form in English and Spanish.
- Libraries and community centers. We will place flyers, hold demonstration days and invite walk-ins.
- Families. We will hold an information night at the gym before each session, with food, an interpreter when needed and a tour of the equipment.
- Word of mouth. Girls tell their friends. We will invite each participant to bring a friend to a free class.
- Social media. We will share short videos of classes and showcases, with permission from families and no personal information about any girl.

Reaching partners and funders.
- Gyms. We will invite local gyms to partner by offering evening time, equipment or coaching.
- Businesses. We will invite local businesses to sponsor a class, a showcase or a set of leotards by name.
- Individual donors. We will hold two events each year where girls show what they have learned, and we will send a short report to every donor.
- Foundations. We will apply for grants that match our goals and send honest reports on what we learn.

Our message. We say what we do in plain words: we help girls learn gymnastics in a safe, caring place, whatever their family's income. We never promise outcomes we cannot control.

How we will know it is working. We will watch applications, attendance, how many girls return for a second session, 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 coaches, buy equipment, complete background checks, finalize waivers, consent forms and the privacy policy with our attorney and confirm our schedule with the partner gym.
- Month 3 (September): Begin the first 10-week session with an open house and information night.
- Months 3 to 10: Run fall, winter and spring sessions with a skill chart and a showcase at the end of each.
- Months 11 and 12 (May and June): Complete the spring showcase, survey families and plan summer.
- Summer: Run a camp with skill time, games and a final day for families.

Where we meet. Our partner gym provides evening and Saturday time with mats, a floor and apparatus. We bring beams, training equipment, leotards and snacks. Equipment is checked before every class.

Safety. Every coach passes a background check and completes training before starting. Two adults are present at every class. Girls are released only to adults named by their families. We keep first aid supplies and an emergency plan on site, and we follow our partner gym's rules for visitors and emergencies.

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, skills gained, the number of girls who return and short surveys from girls and families. We share what we learn with partners and funders every quarter.

Staffing. In Year 1 we have an Executive Director, a Head Coach who is also the Program Director and three part-time coaches. We add a part-time family liaison in Year 2 and more coaches as classes grow.

Management & Organization

Tasha Greene, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting to funders. I came to this work as a parent and volunteer who watched my own daughter find her confidence on a beam. I will complete the same training in safety and conduct that our coaches complete.

Head Coach and Program Director. The Head Coach designs class plans, trains the other coaches, keeps the skill charts and is the main contact for families and the partner gym. We hire someone with years of coaching experience, strong safety habits and warmth with children and parents.

Coaches. Part-time coaches teach classes, spot skills and keep the floor safe. They are chosen for patience, good judgment and care for children, then trained by our staff.

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

Our board. Our volunteer board includes a pediatric nurse, a school principal, two parents of girls in the program, 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 waivers, consent forms and privacy policy. An insurance agent helped us choose the right coverage.

Pay. I am paid $50,000 a year, and the Head Coach is paid $42,000. 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 120 girls at one partner gym.
- Complete at least 3 ten-week sessions and one summer camp.
- Have at least 75 percent of girls attend most of their classes.
- Have at least 80 percent of girls learn at least three new skills on our skill chart.
- Have at least 50 percent of girls return for a second session.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 80 percent of families on safety and communication.
- Send every family a short progress note at the end of each session.

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

Year 2 (about 150 girls):
- Add a part-time family liaison and a fourth coach.
- Start a small team for girls who want extra practice.

Year 3 (about 190 girls):
- Add a second location or additional class times, depending on demand.
- Hold a family day and gymnastics showcase open to the neighborhood.

Years 4 and 5 (about 240 and 300 girls):
- Keep two locations 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 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: $60,000 from the Prairie State Youth Fitness Foundation for coach stipends, gym time rental and uniforms, snacks and mats, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Coach stipends for three part-time coaches, $38,000 (other funds add $12,000).
- Contractual: Gym time rental at our partner gym, $12,000 (other funds add $12,000).
- Supplies: Leotards, snacks and mats for participants, $10,000 (other funds add $4,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 57% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants, sliding-scale family fees, sponsors and donors pay for everything it does not cover. If we receive less than we ask for, we will run fewer class times and add them as funding arrives.

Year 1 budget: about $194,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $4,500 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $105,000; Sliding-Scale Family Fees $24,000; Business and Community Sponsors $40,000; Individual Donations $25,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $50,000; Head Coach and Program Director $42,000; Coach (part-time) $45,000; Gym Time Rental at Partner Gym about $24,000; Equipment Upkeep and Mats about $5,000; Leotards, Snacks and Meet Fees about $6,000; Coach Training and Background Checks about $3,500; Administration and Insurance about $10,000; about $6,400 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $31,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $20,000 for balance beams, vault mats, bars and floor training equipment; $3,000 for attorney review of waivers, consent and privacy policy; $3,500 for background checks and first insurance payment; $2,000 for registration and scheduling software; $2,500 for flyers, banners and a simple website.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($31,000), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $46,400, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $77,500. We start with $12,000 from our founding board and $68,000 in startup support from a local business partner and a community foundation, $80,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $194,000 in Year 1 to about $300,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $105,000, $124,000, $132,000, $140,000 and $150,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows as well: sliding-scale family fees from $24,000 to $48,000, business and community sponsors from $40,000 to $60,000 and individual donations from $25,000 to $42,000. We grow from about 120 girls to about 300, with a part-time family liaison joining in Year 2 and more coaches each year. Our surplus is planned at about $4,500 in Year 1, about $8,500 in Year 2, about $6,300 in Year 3, about $10,000 in Year 4 and about $15,500 in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $60,700, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $7,760 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per girl. In Year 1, our total costs are about $1,600 per girl served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more girls served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $950 per girl.

After the grant. Sponsors, family fees and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Families and girls share their stories, and businesses can sponsor a class or a showcase by name. We will also look for gyms and schools that want to run their own programs and share our materials with them.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- An injury. Trained coaches, spotters and mats, waivers, small classes and insurance.
- A coach leaves. We keep a list of trained backup coaches and share class plans so a new coach can step in quickly.
- The partner gym changes its schedule or closes. We keep agreements with more than one gym and stay flexible about where we meet.
- Low attendance. We adjust outreach, schedules and transportation information based on feedback from girls and families.
- Equipment wears out. We keep an upkeep budget and ask sponsors for in-kind help.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow business 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 your partner gym.
- Your partner gym agreement and your insurance certificate.
- Your waiver, parent consent and privacy policy.
- Your safety plan, background check policy and coach training outline.
- Your session outline and skill chart.
- Quotes for equipment, leotards and mats.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and Head Coach.
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: $105,000 in Year 1, growing to $150,000 in Year 5.
- Sliding-Scale Family Fees: $24,000 in Year 1, growing to $48,000 in Year 5.
- Business and Community Sponsors: $40,000 in Year 1, growing to $60,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donations: $25,000 in Year 1, growing to $42,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $50,000; Head Coach and Program Director $42,000; Coach (part-time) $15,000; Family Liaison (part-time) $22,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Gym Time Rental at Partner Gym $24,000; Equipment Upkeep and Mats $5,000; Leotards, Snacks and Meet Fees $6,000; Coach Training and Background Checks $3,500; Administration and Insurance $10,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year.
- Equipment: $20,000 at the start, then $3,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $31,000, paid once from $80,000 in startup money.
- Girls served: about 120 in Year 1, growing to about 300 in Year 5.
- Locations: one partner gym in Year 1, growing to two by Year 3. Each session runs 10 weeks, with one or two classes a week.
- 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