Girls Rising Juvenile Diversion

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Executive Summary

Girls Rising Juvenile Diversion is a nonprofit in Georgia that provides gender-responsive diversion programming for girls ages 10 to 17 who are referred by the Fulton County Juvenile Court Diversion Unit and Fulton County Schools. A 16-week group curriculum, weekly individual mentoring by a trained community woman and trauma-focused therapy keep girls out of court and off a record.

Girls are the fastest-growing segment of juvenile court involvement nationally, and virtually every diversion program available was built for boys. The behaviors that bring girls into court - running away, family conflict, school discipline - are often survival responses to trauma, not the risk-and-accountability issues that boys-designed programs address. With this grant we will pay the mentor stipends and case management costs for a full year. We do not supervise anyone on probation or parole, and we do not make any guarantee about court outcomes.

What we are asking for. Our program has a Year 1 budget of about $265,000. We are asking for $65,000 from a juvenile justice fund for Girls Mentor stipends and case management costs. The rest of the budget comes from other grants and donors listed in the funding section. Every dollar amount in this plan is an estimate.

Company Description

Girls Rising Juvenile Diversion is a nonprofit organization recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, governed by a volunteer board that includes a retired juvenile court judge, two women who navigated the juvenile justice system as girls and a licensed therapist. The board meets monthly, approves the budget and oversees the executive director. A new organization without its own determination letter can use a fiscal sponsor, explained in the funding section.

What we believe. Girls who touch the court system are more often survivors than offenders. A program that treats them that way gets different results.

What we do:
- 16-week gender-responsive curriculum. Weekly group sessions of 6 to 8 girls covering identity, relationships, healthy communication and goal-setting. Based on the Sisters of Nia or Girls Circle model, licensed for our use.
- Weekly individual mentoring. Each girl is assigned a Girls Mentor - a trained community woman who meets with her weekly outside the group for one to two hours.
- Trauma-focused therapy. Eight to twelve individual sessions with a contracted licensed therapist using trauma-focused CBT.
- Case management. A case manager addresses school re-enrollment, connects to housing safety and material resources and advocates with schools on discipline matters.
- Family engagement. Monthly meetings with the girl's family or caregiver, focused on communication and safety planning.

What we do not do. We do not supervise girls on probation or parole - that is the court's role. We do not provide legal representation. We do not share participant information with the court without written consent except as required by mandatory reporting law. We are mandatory reporters and follow Georgia reporting requirements.

Who we serve. Girls ages 10 to 17 referred by the Fulton County Juvenile Court Diversion Unit or Fulton County Schools Student Support Services who are eligible to avoid adjudication through program completion.

Our board has at least five members, including at least one person who has used our services or lives in the community we serve, and only a minority of board members may be related to each other or paid by the organization.

We keep a written conflict of interest policy, a whistleblower policy and a record retention policy, and the board reviews them every year.

Problem & Opportunity

Fulton County's juvenile court does not have a gender-responsive diversion program to send girls to.

1. Girls are the fastest-growing segment of juvenile court involvement nationally and in Fulton County, yet virtually no diversion program was designed with them in mind.
2. The behaviors that bring girls to court - running away from unsafe homes, school discipline incidents, family conflict - are often responses to trauma, domestic violence or sexual exploitation. Adjudication for those behaviors makes the underlying situation worse.
3. An adjudication on a record can follow a girl into college applications, housing and employment for decades.
4. The Fulton County Diversion Unit can refer girls to community programs but has no local gender-responsive program available.

Why it matters now. Fulton County processes approximately 2,400 juvenile cases per year; about 28% involve girls. Black girls in Georgia are significantly overrepresented in juvenile justice involvement relative to their share of the school-age population. School-based discipline that pushes girls out of school and into court has been documented in Atlanta metro schools.

How we know the need is real. We interviewed the Fulton County Diversion Unit director, reviewed juvenile case data, surveyed staff at three Fulton County middle schools and talked with Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta and Wellspring Living. Every source confirmed that no gender-responsive diversion program operates in the county. In a six-girl pilot, all six completed the program and none was adjudicated within 12 months.

We update this information annually from Fulton County court data and partner conversations.

Products & Services

What the funded project will do. With this grant we will pay Girls Mentor stipends and case management costs for a full year.

How a girl moves through the program:
1. Referral and intake. Referred by the Diversion Unit or a school. Intake within five business days. A case manager and a mentor meet with the girl and her caregiver together.
2. 16-week group. Weekly evening group of 6 to 8 girls at the community center, facilitated by the case manager. Curriculum covers identity, healthy relationships, goal-setting and community.
3. Weekly mentoring. Each girl's assigned Girls Mentor meets weekly outside the group - at a café, a park or wherever the girl is comfortable.
4. Therapy. Eight sessions minimum with the contracted therapist using trauma-focused CBT.
5. Case management. School re-enrollment advocacy, connection to food or clothing resources and safety planning if domestic violence or exploitation is a concern.
6. Family meetings. Monthly meetings with the caregiver facilitated by the case manager.

What the grant pays for. This request covers Girls Mentor stipends and a portion of case management costs.

What we do not promise. We do not promise that any girl will avoid adjudication. Adjudication avoidance depends on the girl's participation, the Diversion Unit's decision and factors outside our control. We track completion rate, adjudication avoidance at 6 and 12 months and 12-month recidivism, and we report honestly.

Safety. We are mandatory reporters and follow all Georgia reporting requirements. For girls who are being exploited or experiencing domestic violence, we activate safety planning and connect to specialized resources immediately. We call 911 in an emergency and refer anyone in crisis to 988.

Market Analysis

Who benefits from this project are girls ages 10 to 17 in Fulton County who are referred by the Juvenile Court Diversion Unit or Fulton County Schools.

Who we serve. Girls who are eligible for diversion - meaning the court or school has determined they do not need to go through formal adjudication if they complete a program. Most are Black girls from low-income households in south Atlanta who have experienced family instability or trauma.

How many people we plan to serve. In Year 1 we plan to enroll about 75 girls across four to five cohorts. By Year 5 we plan to enroll about 150 girls a year. We chose those numbers from the capacity of the case manager and the mentor pool.

Where we serve. Fulton County, with programming at a community center in south Atlanta near the Juvenile Court.

Who else benefits. Families who have fewer court dates. Schools that have more stable students. A Diversion Unit that can tell families there is somewhere to send girls.

We choose how many girls to enroll from the case manager's realistic caseload and the size of the trained mentor pool, not from the size of the need.

Competitive Landscape

Other resources in Fulton County.

1. Fulton County Juvenile Court programs. The court has some programming but no gender-responsive community diversion option. We are a complement to the court's work, not a competitor.
2. Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta. Focuses on prevention for younger girls. Does not serve court-involved girls. We accept referrals from them for girls who need more support.
3. Wellspring Living. Serves girls who have been trafficked. We coordinate warm referrals for participants with trafficking histories.
4. Boys-focused diversion programs. Serve a different population and are not appropriate for most of our referrals.

What makes us different. We are the only gender-responsive diversion option in Fulton County with a formal Diversion Unit referral agreement. We include weekly individual mentoring, trauma therapy and family engagement as standard program elements, not add-ons.

How we avoid duplication. We meet quarterly with the Diversion Unit, Girls Inc. and Wellspring Living to coordinate referrals.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach girls and families once the project is funded.

Referral agreements. A formal referral agreement with the Fulton County Juvenile Court Diversion Unit is the primary intake pipeline. A referral agreement with Fulton County Schools Student Support Services is the secondary pipeline. Both agreements are signed before the program opens.

Warm referrals from partners. Girls Inc. and Wellspring Living refer girls who need a more intensive diversion option.

Word of mouth. Girls who complete the program talk to their friends. Mentors who know the community spread the word naturally.

Funding cultivation. OJJDP gender-responsive programming initiatives, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation and Georgia state juvenile justice reform grants are the primary funding prospects.

Annual event. A Women for Justice luncheon raises individual donor support and community awareness each spring.

Operations Plan

How the project will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1. Month 1: finalize referral agreements, recruit and train mentor cohort, confirm community center space. Months 2 to 12: run four to five 16-week cohorts on a rolling schedule, maintain mentor matches and case management.

Space. Programming at a south Atlanta community center with a meeting room large enough for a group of 8 to 10. Staff office space at the same location.

Partners. Fulton County Juvenile Court Diversion Unit, Fulton County Schools, a contracted licensed therapist, the south Atlanta community center and two girls-serving nonprofits for cross-referrals. Each has a written agreement.

Money controls. Mentor stipends are paid monthly by check to the individual mentor. Case management costs are documented with receipts. Two people approve every payment.

Records and reporting. We track girls enrolled, group attendance, mentor meeting logs, therapy sessions completed, case management contacts, adjudication avoidance at 6 and 12 months and 12-month recidivism. We report to funders twice a year.

Management & Organization

The executive director manages the program, the referral relationships and the mentor network. The case manager runs groups, manages individual case files and facilitates family meetings. The contracted therapist provides individual sessions.

The team. Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance. The numbers in parentheses are how many people we plan to have in Years 1 through 5. A number with a half, such as 2.5, means a hire phased in during the year or one part-time person.
- Executive Director: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (Years 1 to 5), about $75,000 a year.
- Case Manager: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2 (Years 1 to 5), about $52,000 a year each.
- Program Associate (added as the budget grows): 0, 0, 0, 0.5, 0.5 (Years 1 to 5), about $38,000 a year each, hired as new grant money arrives.
- Girls Mentor stipends (5 mentors): $9,600 each per year in Year 1, adjusted in later years.
- Contracted therapist (2 days per week): about $24,000 per year.

Governance and money controls. The board reviews financials monthly. An outside accountant prepares the yearly tax return. Every grant is tracked in its own budget line. Mandatory reporter training is required for all staff and mentors.

Feedback and complaints. Girls and families can give feedback to the case manager or by a confidential written form. We reply within five business days and report themes to the board quarterly. No girl loses services for speaking up.

Milestones Narrative

Goals for each of the first five years. These are goals, not promises.
- Before the grant starts: sign Diversion Unit and school referral agreements, recruit and train five Girls Mentors, confirm community center space and contract the therapist.
- Year 1: enroll about 75 girls, achieve 80% program completion rate, achieve 85% adjudication avoidance at 12 months. Budget about $265,000.
- Year 2: hire a second case manager when enrollment exceeds 75 active participants. Budget about $318,000.
- Year 3: launch a workforce pathway for program graduates with three employer partners. Budget about $358,000.
- Year 4: expand referral agreements to two additional Fulton County school clusters. Budget about $398,000.
- Year 5: enroll about 150 girls a year and publish a plain results report with Fulton County court data. Budget about $435,000.

How we will measure results: girls enrolled, group completion rate, adjudication avoidance at 6 and 12 months, school re-engagement, family meeting completion and 12-month recidivism. We report to funders twice a year and say honestly when a goal was missed.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $65,000 from a juvenile justice fund for Girls Mentor stipends and case management costs, for January through December 2027.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Girls Mentor stipends, $48,000 (5 mentors at $9,600 each).
- Other: Case management transportation, program supplies and family meeting costs, $17,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 28% of Year 1 grant income. Other grants and donors pay for the rest.

Year 1 budget: about $265,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $7,400 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $230,000; Individual Donors and Women for Justice Luncheon $35,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $75,000; case manager $52,000; mentor stipends $48,000; contracted therapist $24,000; curriculum license and training $10,000; program supplies, venue and transportation $14,000; family engagement materials $8,000; women for Justice Luncheon $10,000; office and reporting $12,000; program supplies, participant support and contingency $4,000.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $12,800 are paid once from startup funds: $3,200 for laptops and a secure case management system, $2,800 for mentor training curriculum and materials, $2,400 for legal setup, mandatory reporter training documentation and referral agreement review, $2,200 for banners, participant handbooks and a website, and $2,200 for opening office and program supplies.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($12,800), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $2,600) and a cash cushion of about $64,200, which is about 3 months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $80,000. We start with $22,000 of our own savings and $58,000 in startup support from an Atlanta community foundation and board contributions, $80,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $265,000 in Year 1 to about $435,000 in Year 5. Grant revenue is planned at $230,000, $226,000, $254,000, $284,000 and $277,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows as sponsors and donors join. The program plans to end each year with a surplus, about $7,400, $44,600, $13,300, $10,400 and $17,900 in Years 1 to 5, which we put into savings. Some years are larger because new grant money arrives before the added staff are hired. The lowest year-end cash in the plan is about $74,200.

After the grant. OJJDP gender-responsive programming grants become the primary federal funding stream in Year 2. Individual donors from the Women for Justice Luncheon deepen over time.

Risks:
- A mentor may leave mid-cohort. We maintain a trained substitute mentor pool and cross-train.
- The Diversion Unit director may change. We build relationships with multiple staff, not just one person.
- A girl may be in active danger from domestic violence or exploitation. We have a safety protocol and warm referrals to Wellspring Living and legal aid.
- A major grant may end. We grow individual donors and the luncheon each year to reduce dependence on any one grant.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this proposal:

- Your IRS determination letter showing 501(c)(3) status, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your board list and board minutes approving the application.
- Your most recent budget and financial statements.
- A list of other funders and what each has given or been asked to give.
- Fulton County Juvenile Court Diversion Unit referral agreement.
- Fulton County Schools Student Support Services referral agreement.
- Contracted therapist license and trauma-focused CBT certification.
- Curriculum license for Sisters of Nia or Girls Circle.
- Community center space agreement.
- Mandatory reporter training certificates for all staff and mentors.
- Pilot data: 6 girls, 100% completion, 0 adjudications at 12 months.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers:
- Grant Revenue: $230,000 in Year 1, planned to reach $277,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donors and Luncheon: $35,000 in Year 1, growing to $158,000 in Year 5.
- Mentor stipends: $9,600 per mentor per year for 5 mentors, indexed for inflation in later years.
- Therapist: $24,000 per year for 2 contracted days per week at approximately $250 per day.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate.

Plain words used in this proposal:
- Diversion: a formal agreement that lets a young person avoid court adjudication by completing a community program.
- Adjudication: the court finding that a young person committed a delinquent act, equivalent to a conviction in adult court.
- Trauma-focused CBT: cognitive behavioral therapy adapted to address the effects of trauma, delivered by a licensed therapist.
- Mandatory reporter: a person legally required to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities.
- OJJDP: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, a federal agency that funds juvenile justice programs.
- 501(c)(3): the tax status that lets a nonprofit receive tax-deductible gifts and many grants.

Startup Costs