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Executive Summary
Welcome Table Newcomer Center is a nonprofit that helps newcomers to the south side of our city and the nearby suburbs, including immigrants and refugees, settle in, learn English, find work and connect to services. We provide English classes, help finding housing and work, and connections to health care and schools, with staff who speak the languages of the people we serve.
People who have come to a new country often arrive with skills, courage and hope, but face a system they do not know, a language they are still learning, and bills that start on the first day. Our program helps newcomers handle the first steps and build lasting stability: how to get around, find housing, enroll children in school, find work and understand the services they can use.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 120 people over the year. Our Year 1 budget is about $125,000, growing to about $293,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one multilingual case manager to five. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Carlisle Family Foundation for $45,000, as part of the $111,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $14,000 in Year 1 comes from donations, which we plan to grow to about $45,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for multilingual case manager time, interpretation and translation, English and orientation classes, and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many people we serve, how many enroll in English classes, how many find work, how many connect to health care and other services, and how many say they know how to get help when they need it. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Welcome Table Newcomer Center is a nonprofit organization in Mississippi. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To help newcomers settle, learn, work and belong in our community.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2022 when a group of church members started a weekly English class for families who had just arrived. Since then we have served about 120 people from 14 countries, with 20 volunteers helping each month.
What we do:
- Welcome newcomers, assess their needs and make a plan, in their own language.
- Offer English classes and orientation on daily life, work, schools and money.
- Help people find housing, work, health care, school enrollment for children and other services.
- Provide interpretation and translation so people can use the services around them.
- Refer people to qualified legal providers for immigration questions, because we do not give immigration legal advice unless authorized.
Where we work. A donated classroom at a community center, weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Our partners. Two schools that refer families, a refugee resettlement agency, a community clinic with interpreters and a legal aid provider.
Our approach. We serve everyone who comes to us. We respect each person's culture, language and story, and we do not require anyone to share their immigration status with us unless a specific funder requires it for a specific program.
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.
People who have recently arrived in the south side of our city and the nearby suburbs often face language barriers, unfamiliar systems and a lack of local support. Many have professional skills that go unused because they cannot get credentials recognized or cannot speak English well yet. Without help, families can become isolated, fall into unsafe housing or work, or fall for scams.
Facts about our community. According to the U.S. According to the Census, a significant share of people in our county speak a language other than English at home.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Language. Few agencies have staff who speak the languages newcomers speak, and interpreters are costly.
2. Information. Newcomers often do not know what services exist, how schools, health care and transportation work, or what their rights are.
3. Work. Skills and credentials from other countries are often not recognized, so people end up in jobs far below their abilities.
4. Trust. Many people are afraid to seek help, because of past experiences or fear of being treated unfairly.
5. Scams. Newcomers are often targeted by people who promise help with immigration papers for a fee and then do nothing.
What we have seen ourselves. Many families told us they missed medical appointments because they could not understand the letters they received.
Who we serve first. People who have arrived recently, including refugees and families, and people with limited English, in families who arrived in the last two years and speak Spanish, Arabic or Somali, living on the south side.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. A welcome in your language. Every newcomer meets with a multilingual case manager who listens, learns about the family and makes a plan for the first 90 days.
2. English and orientation. We offer English classes and short orientation classes on topics such as health care, schools, money, renting and rights at work.
3. Practical help. We help people find housing, enroll children in school, apply for work, understand their bills and connect with health care.
4. Interpretation and materials. About $12,000 in Year 1 pays for interpreters, translated materials and class supplies, so that language is never a reason someone cannot get help.
5. Safe referrals for legal help. We connect people to legal providers who are authorized to give immigration advice, and we warn people about scams. We do not give legal advice ourselves.
How we will measure results. We count newcomers served, English class enrollment and progress, jobs found and connections to services. Twice a year a short survey, available in several languages, asks participants whether they know how to find help. Our goals for Year 1: serve 120 people; enroll 80 in English classes; help 40 find work; and have 80% say they know where to get help.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve newcomers in the south side of our city and the nearby suburbs, especially families who arrived in the last two years and speak Spanish, Arabic or Somali, living on the south side.
How we know people need this. Our weekly class was full all year, and we turned away 40 people. Two schools and a clinic now refer families to us each month.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 120 people over the year. The number of people in our area who speak limited English and the number of new arrivals each year are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one multilingual case manager to five, we expect to serve more people each year.
How people reach us. Schools, clinics, the library, three churches and a mosque, and other newcomers.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- Refugee resettlement agencies provide the first months of help to refugees they are assigned. We offer longer-term support and serve people who are not eligible for resettlement help. We work with the local resettlement agency on referrals for families after their first months.
- Adult education programs and community colleges teach English. We partner with them and offer lower-barrier classes and tutoring.
- Legal service providers help with immigration cases. We refer people to them and do not compete with them.
- Public agencies provide benefits and services. We help newcomers use them, and we help the agencies find interpreters.
- Faith communities and cultural groups provide welcome and support. We work with them and learn from them.
What makes us different: staff who speak the languages of the people we serve, evening classes and a trusted community ambassador program
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from schools, health clinics, refugee resettlement agencies, churches and mosques, temples and cultural organizations.
- Information in several languages, at places newcomers go: grocery stores, libraries, laundromats and apartment complexes.
- Word of mouth from community members, who are our most trusted messengers.
- Community ambassadors: trusted community members who share information and bring people to us.
Funding rules. Some government funding for immigrants and refugees comes with rules about who can be served and how. We follow each funder's rules and keep that funding separate from flexible donations, so that we can serve everyone who needs us.
Volunteers. Faith communities, college students, retired teachers and bilingual community members.
Raising money beyond grants. Donations are planned at about $14,000 in Year 1, growing to about $45,000 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 newcomer moves through the program:
1. A welcome meeting in the person's language, to learn what they need.
2. A 90-day plan with priorities: housing, school, work, health care, English.
3. Classes and practical help, with a case manager checking in.
4. Connections to work and other services.
5. Ongoing support as the family settles and learns about local life.
A welcome meeting. We greet the family in their language, learn what they need most in the first weeks, explain our services, and agree on the next step, such as school enrollment or a class.
Legal safety. Only people and organizations authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice (organizations recognized and their staff accredited) may give immigration legal advice. We do not give such advice unless we hold that authorization, and we warn people about fraud by unauthorized "consultants." We use qualified interpreters, not children or untrained volunteers, for important conversations.
Privacy. Information about participants, including immigration status and family details, is kept private and locked. We do not ask about immigration status unless a funder requires it for a specific program, and we share information only with signed permission or when the law requires it. Funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $4,000 in equipment (laptops, a printer, classroom supplies and office furniture), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One multilingual case manager in Year 1, then two in Year 2, three in Year 3, four in Year 4 and five in Year 5. Case managers speak the languages of the people we serve, and we use qualified interpreters for other languages.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $12,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Diane Reyes, 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: $58,000 a year.
Multilingual case managers. Meet with newcomers, make plans, teach or arrange classes, connect people to services and work with employers. One position in Year 1, growing to five by Year 5, at a planned salary of $40,000 each. Qualifications we look for: fluent in English and Spanish, experience in case management or education, and a respectful, patient manner.
Volunteers. Volunteers teach English, tutor children, give rides, help families set up their homes and welcome newcomers. They are trained before they work with participants.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Patricia Coleman, 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:
- Hire and train our first multilingual case manager and set up our English classes.
- Build referral partnerships with schools, clinics and resettlement agencies.
- Serve about 120 people over the year.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for English classes, jobs and connections to services.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $125,000.
Year 2: two multilingual case managers; budget of about $167,000.
Year 3: three multilingual case managers; budget of about $209,000.
Year 4: four multilingual case managers; budget of about $251,000.
Year 5: five multilingual case managers; budget of about $293,000.
Over the five years: grow to five multilingual case managers, add languages and classes, add a job training partner and begin a program to help skilled newcomers get their credentials recognized. Program materials and interpretation costs grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. For each person we record the services received, English progress and jobs found. Twice a year, a survey in several languages asks participants what is working. 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: $45,000 from the Carlisle Family Foundation for our first multilingual case manager's salary, interpretation and translation, and English class supplies, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $125,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $111,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Donations: $14,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $58,000. - Multilingual case managers: $40,000. - Program materials and interpretation (translation, interpreters, classes, supplies): $12,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $12,000. - That is about $122,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $4,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $125,000 in Year 1 to about $293,000 in Year 5 as we grow to five multilingual case managers. Grants and contracts are planned at $111,000 in Year 1, $147,000 in Year 2, $181,000 in Year 3, $215,000 in Year 4 and $248,000 in Year 5. Donations grow from $14,000 to $45,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $16,000 of our own plus $55,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for government funds. Many are state or federal, pay you back after you spend the money, and have rules about eligibility and reporting. Funding can also change when national policy changes, so we plan for a mix of sources. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer hours, donated furniture and household goods and community interpreters are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free classroom space at a church (about $5,000 a year in rent value), about 2,000 volunteer hours a year, and donated furniture for families 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 a church, mosque or community center, start with English classes and a few volunteers, and track your results carefully. 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.
- Letters of support from schools, clinics, resettlement agencies and cultural groups.
- Your intake form, release-of-information form and privacy policy.
- Your numbers from the past year, if you have them (people served, class enrollments, jobs).
- Your language access plan, and your legal referral list.
- 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 $58,000; each multilingual case manager $40,000, growing from 1 to 5.
- Program materials and interpretation about $12,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $12,000 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.