Restoring Paths Youth Diversion

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Executive Summary

Restoring Paths Youth Diversion is a nonprofit in Illinois that gives young people who have made a mistake a way to make things right without going to court. When police, schools or the State's Attorney refer a first-time, low-level case, we bring together the young person, their family and, when they agree, the person who was harmed, in a facilitated restorative conference. Together they agree on a plan to repair the harm, such as an apology, repayment, community service or a skills workshop, and we connect the young person and family to counseling, tutoring and other help. A young person who completes the plan does not get a court record from that incident.

A court case can follow a young person for years, affecting school, jobs and housing, and research and experience show that pulling a young person deeper into the system can make things worse. Families are often frightened and do not know where to turn. People who were harmed often feel ignored and want to be heard. Restorative practices give them a voice, give the young person a way to take responsibility and keep the focus on repair.

With this grant we will serve about 160 young people in Year 1, hold restorative conferences for each case that is referred and accepted, and connect every family to services. Our goals are that at least 80% of young people complete their agreements, that at least 85% of people harmed who take part say they were treated fairly and that at least 85% of families say the process was respectful. We will report re-referrals in the 12 months after completion, and we do not promise any particular result. We will track who is referred, so we can see and address racial disparities.

Our Year 1 budget: about $562,000, growing to about $803,000 by Year 5. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus. We have 8 paid staff in Year 1 and 12 by Year 5. County juvenile justice contracts, school and municipal partnerships and gifts add steady support, so grants fall from about 76% of our income in Year 1 to about 58% in Year 5.

We are asking the Youth Justice Innovation Fund for $100,000 for one Restorative Justice Facilitator, a counseling and mental health partner and youth program workshops and supplies. County and school contracts, other grants and gifts cover the rest.

I am Dr. Camille Rhodes, the Executive Director, a licensed clinical social worker and trained restorative practices facilitator with 15 years of experience in youth services and juvenile court. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Restoring Paths Youth Diversion is a nonprofit organization in Illinois. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity (or a program of one, through a fiscal sponsor), governed by a volunteer board of directors. We will provide our IRS determination letter, board list and most recent financial statements with this proposal.

Our mission. To help young people take responsibility, repair harm and stay connected to school, family and community, without a court record when a better path is available.

What we believe. Young people are still growing, and most who make a mistake do not need to be locked up or brought to court. Accountability matters, and it works best when it is real: facing the person you harmed, understanding the harm and making it right. Families and victims should have a voice. Services should be offered, not forced, and the process must be fair for every young person, whatever their race, income or neighborhood.

How we started. Restoring Paths began when a school social worker, a retired judge and a faith leader noticed that students were being referred to court for fights and thefts that could be handled in a conversation. They started holding restorative conferences for a few cases a month. Of 41 cases, 35 young people completed an agreement and most people harmed said they were glad to have taken part. This proposal asks for support to turn a pilot into a staffed program.

What we offer:
- Diversion intake. We take referrals from police, schools and the State's Attorney for first-time, low-level cases, such as minor theft, vandalism, simple fights and school-based incidents. Participation is voluntary for the young person, the family and the person who was harmed.
- Restorative conferences. A trained facilitator prepares everyone and then leads a conference in which the young person describes what happened, the person harmed explains the effect and the group agrees on a plan to repair it.
- Accountability agreements. Written plans that might include an apology, repayment through work or a payment plan, community service at a real organization, a skills workshop or a school plan, with deadlines and a check-in.
- Youth advocates. Case managers who work with each young person and family for 90 days, connect them to counseling, tutoring and mentors and check in after completion.
- Support for people harmed. People who were harmed are offered a preparation call, may bring a support person and receive a follow-up call, and may choose not to take part.
- Family engagement. Help for parents and guardians with school meetings, resources and communication.

Who we serve. Young people ages 10 to 17 in our county who are referred for first-time, low-level cases, and their families and the people they harmed. There is no charge.

What we do not do. We do not handle serious violent crimes, sexual offenses or domestic violence cases, and we do not take a case if the person harmed does not want to take part in a face-to-face process (we offer other ways). We do not give legal advice. We do not share anything a young person says in a conference with the court, as the written referral agreement provides, except where the law requires reporting. We do not promise that a young person will never be in trouble again.

How we are run. A nine-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. The board includes two parents of young people we have served, a retired judge, a school administrator, a youth pastor, a defense attorney, a prosecutor, a licensed clinician and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director manages the organization, the Program Director leads casework and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. We have a draft referral agreement and letters of support from the State's Attorney's office, two police departments, a school district and a hospital. Before we begin, our attorney will review the referral agreement, consent forms and confidentiality policies, and we will confirm what Illinois law requires for juvenile records and data sharing.

Problem & Opportunity

Every year, many young people are referred to juvenile court for first-time, low-level offenses. For most, the incident is a mistake made in a moment of anger, peer pressure or poor judgment. A court case can lead to a record, fees, missed school and a sense of being labeled. Research from public agencies and universities has found that formal processing of low-risk young people can increase the chance of later involvement with the justice system, compared with diversion, and that children of color are referred and processed at higher rates than white children for similar behavior.

Families often feel lost. Parents may miss work for court dates, not understand what is happening and not know what services exist. Schools may refer students to court because they have few other tools. People harmed often feel that the system cares only about the offender and that no one asks what they need.

Diversion programs exist, and many are short on staff and money, handle large caseloads and offer limited follow-up. Some require fees. Referral practices vary by school and police department, and young people from some neighborhoods are far less likely to be offered diversion.

Restorative approaches have a growing record. Studies of restorative conferences, including systematic reviews, often find that participants, including victims, report high satisfaction and that some programs show reductions in repeat offending, though results vary by program and are not guaranteed. The quality of preparation, the training of facilitators and the follow-up all matter.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. We know that many young people who complete diversion do not return to the system, and that victims and families often value the process. We do not know that our program will reduce repeat offending for any group, and we will not promise it. We will use the most recent numbers from the state and the county for referrals and outcomes in our final application and will not overstate them. In our pilot, 35 of 41 young people completed their agreements.

Products & Services

Restoring Paths will take referrals, hold carefully prepared restorative conferences, write and follow up on accountability agreements and connect young people and families to help.

How it works, step by step:
1. Referral. Police, schools or the State's Attorney refer a case under a written agreement that lists which cases are eligible and what information is shared. Referral does not mean a young person is guilty of anything beyond what they admit.
2. Intake. A youth advocate calls the family within two business days, explains the process in plain words and makes clear that taking part is voluntary and that the family may talk with a lawyer first.
3. Preparation. A facilitator meets separately with the young person, the family and, if they agree, the person harmed, to prepare everyone and to decide together whether a conference is safe and appropriate.
4. Conference. A trained facilitator leads a conference with the young person, the family, the person harmed and support people. Each person speaks, and the group agrees on a plan to repair the harm.
5. Agreement. The written agreement lists each task, who will help and the due date, usually within 60 to 90 days. Community service is done at nonprofit and public partners and is part of the agreement, not a paid job.
6. Support. A youth advocate meets with the young person and family during the agreement, helps with school, counseling, tutoring or a mentor and keeps the referring agency informed about completion.
7. Completion. When the agreement is complete, we tell the referring agency, and the case is closed under the referral agreement. If the young person does not complete it, the case returns to the referring agency, which decides what happens next.
8. Follow-up. We check in after 3, 6 and 12 months and track whether there is a new referral, whether the young person is in school or working and how the family and the person harmed felt.
9. Equity. We track the race, age, school and neighborhood of every referral, acceptance and completion, review the data with our partners every quarter and work to correct disparities.

What this grant will pay for. One Restorative Justice Facilitator, a counseling and mental health partner and youth program workshops and supplies. The rest of the budget comes from county juvenile justice contracts and state grants, school and municipal partnerships, other grants and gifts.

Market Analysis

Who benefits: young people ages 10 to 17 who are referred for first-time, low-level cases, their families, people who were harmed and the schools, police and courts that refer them.

Our primary group is young people referred by local police departments, schools and the State's Attorney. We will use the most recent numbers from the state juvenile justice agency, the county and the school district in our final application. Our secondary group is the people who were harmed, who may take part in a conference, and the families who need support.

How we sized our plan. We plan to serve about 160 young people in Year 1, 190 in Year 2, 240 in Year 3, 280 in Year 4 and 330 in Year 5. Each facilitator can manage about 80 cases a year at this quality of preparation, and each youth advocate about 80 young people for 90 days of follow-up. We plan for 2 facilitators and 2 advocates in Year 1, growing to 4 and 4 by Year 5.

Demand data. Our pilot received 41 referrals in six months from one school district and one police department. Two more police departments and the State's Attorney have asked to refer.

We do not accept every referral. We decline cases that are not eligible or not safe for a conference, and we tell the referring agency promptly so the young person is not left waiting.

Competitive Landscape

Other options for these cases, and how we relate to them.

- The juvenile court and probation. They handle cases that need formal processing. We take cases that can be resolved without it, and we do not replace the court's role for serious offenses.
- County diversion programs and station adjustments. Some police departments handle minor cases informally with a warning and a referral. We offer a fuller process with a conference and follow-up.
- School discipline and school-based restorative programs. Many schools use restorative practices. We partner with them and handle cases that leave the school.
- Youth mentoring and counseling agencies. They provide services we connect families to. We hold a formal agreement with one counseling partner.
- Community justice and peacemaking circles. Some faith and community groups run circles. We train and support volunteer circle keepers, and we take referrals from the justice system.
- Doing nothing. Many young people get no response beyond a warning. A response that is meaningful and proportionate matters.

What makes us different.
- Trained facilitators and careful preparation of everyone before a conference.
- Support for the person who was harmed.
- Ninety days of follow-up from a youth advocate and a counseling partner.
- Close tracking of racial and other disparities, reviewed with partners.
- Honest reporting of results, including when a young person does not complete.

What we do not claim. We are new. Our pilot was small, and longer-running programs have more data. We plan to earn trust one case at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach referral partners and families.

Referral partners. We will meet police chiefs and youth officers, school principals and counselors and the State's Attorney's office, explain which cases we take and how, and give them a one-page referral form and a plain-language guide for families. We do not pay for referrals.

Families. We will call within two business days, offer to meet in a place the family chooses and give them a written explanation in English and Spanish. We will not require anyone to take part and will say clearly that families may talk with a lawyer.

People harmed. We will offer a preparation call and follow-up and explain that they can say no.

Community. We will recruit volunteer circle keepers from faith communities, schools and neighborhood groups, train them and recognize them. We will keep a simple website and publish our data.

Funders and county partners. We will report results as totals twice a year and in a short annual report, and share our equity data with partners each quarter. We will not use photographs or stories of young people or families without clear, written permission, and we will not identify any young person publicly.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 2: Attorney review of the referral agreement, consent forms and confidentiality policies, hire the Program Director, two facilitators and two youth advocates, train all staff and volunteers in restorative practices, sign the agreements with police, schools, the State's Attorney and the counseling partner.
- Month 3: Begin accepting referrals and hold the first conferences.
- Months 4 to 8: Build to about 15 to 20 new cases a month, begin 90-day follow-up and the first 3-month check-ins, begin quarterly equity reviews with partners.
- Months 9 to 12: Year-end data collection, report to funders and planning for Year 2.

Staffing and caseloads. Each facilitator carries about 80 cases a year and each youth advocate about 80 young people at a time over a year. In Year 1 we have 2 facilitators and 2 youth advocates. We add a third advocate in Year 2, a third facilitator in Year 3, a fourth advocate in Year 4 and a fourth facilitator in Year 5.

Training and standards. Facilitators complete training from an accredited restorative practices trainer, observe conferences before leading them and receive regular supervision. Volunteers complete a background check, child safety training and circle keeper training. All staff and volunteers are mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect.

Safety. A conference is held only when the facilitator judges it safe, on neutral ground with two staff present. Either side may stop at any time. We do not hold conferences in cases involving ongoing violence or threats.

Confidentiality. What is said in a conference is confidential and is not shared with the court or police except as the written agreement and the law require, such as a threat to hurt someone. Records are kept in a secure system, young people's information is shared only with the family's permission, and we report results to funders only as totals.

Community service. Service hours are done at nonprofit and public partners under supervision and are never a paid job. We make sure service is meaningful and fits the harm.

Counseling partner. We contract with a licensed behavioral health provider, paid under a written agreement, to provide assessments and short-term counseling for young people and families who want it. Participation is voluntary.

Insurance. We carry general liability, professional liability, abuse and molestation, workers' compensation and volunteer accident insurance. Insurance is about $12,000 a year in Year 1.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the program.

Dr. Camille Rhodes, Executive Director. A licensed clinical social worker and trained restorative practices facilitator with 15 years in youth services and juvenile court. She leads partnerships, fundraising, finance and hiring, reports to the board and is the main contact for funders and the county. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Director (licensed social worker). Supervises facilitators and advocates, reviews each case, manages safety and leads the quarterly equity reviews.

Restorative Justice Facilitators. Prepare participants, lead conferences and write agreements.

Youth Advocates and Case Managers. Support young people and families for 90 days, connect them to services and check in at 3, 6 and 12 months.

Family Engagement Coordinator. Helps parents and guardians with school meetings, resources and communication.

Data and Compliance Coordinator (part-time). Keeps records, tracks equity and outcome data and prepares reports.

Board of directors. Nine volunteers who meet quarterly: two parents of young people we have served, a retired judge, a school administrator, a youth pastor, a defense attorney, a prosecutor, a licensed clinician and a certified public accountant. The board approves the budget and policies, reviews outcome and equity data each quarter and does not receive pay.

Youth and family advisory group. Young people who completed the program, parents and people who were harmed meet twice a year and tell us what is working and what is not.

Staff pay in this plan includes payroll taxes and workers' compensation. Salaries are Executive Director $66,000, Program Director $62,000, Restorative Justice Facilitator $50,000 each, Youth Advocate and Case Manager $44,000 each, Family Engagement Coordinator $44,000 and part-time Data and Compliance Coordinator $28,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Before opening: get at least 3 signed referral commitments from police departments, schools or the State's Attorney, confirm confidentiality and data-sharing rules with an attorney, sign the counseling partner agreement, hire and train staff and open a bank account. Do not take a case until staff are trained and the referral agreement is signed.
- Year 1: Serve about 160 young people and hold restorative conferences for each accepted case. A balanced budget of about $562,000, with a small surplus of about $13,840. 8 paid staff.
- Year 2: Serve about 190 young people and add a third youth advocate. A balanced budget of about $618,000, with a small surplus of about $14,620. 9 paid staff.
- Year 3: Serve about 240 young people and add a third facilitator. A balanced budget of about $681,000, with a small surplus of about $15,565. 10 paid staff.
- Year 4: Serve about 280 young people and add a fourth youth advocate. A balanced budget of about $738,000, with a small surplus of about $15,603. 11 paid staff.
- Year 5: Serve about 330 young people and add a fourth facilitator. A balanced budget of about $803,000, with a small surplus of about $16,656. 12 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Referrals received, accepted and declined, by referring agency, and time from referral to first contact.
- Conferences held, agreements completed and the share completed within 90 days.
- Participation by the person harmed, and whether they felt treated fairly.
- Family and youth satisfaction, collected anonymously.
- New referrals to juvenile court within 12 months of completion, reported as a count and a rate, with no claim about cause.
- School attendance and enrollment 6 months after completion where families agree to share it.
- Race, age, school and neighborhood of every referral, acceptance and completion, reviewed with partners each quarter.

How we review results. The Program Director reviews cases weekly, and the full team reviews outcomes monthly. Each quarter, staff, partners and the youth and family advisory group review the data together and we change what is not working. Twice a year the board reviews results and we share them with funders as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens, including when we fall short.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $100,000 from the Youth Justice Innovation Fund for one Restorative Justice Facilitator, a counseling and mental health partner and youth program workshops and supplies, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Restorative Justice Facilitator salary (one of two facilitators), $50,000 (other funds add $50,000).
- Contractual: Counseling and mental health partner, paid to the provider under a written agreement, $36,000 (other funds add $0).
- Supplies: Youth program workshops and supplies, $14,000 (other funds add $0).

Other money in the program. Other grants, contracts, earned income and gifts pay the other $450,560 of Year 1 costs, including the matching amounts above. All Year 1 costs are listed below.

Year 1 budget: about $562,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $13,840 after spreading startup and equipment costs over five years). Year 1 money coming in: grants $427,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), county Juvenile Justice Contracts and State Grants $90,000, school District and Municipal Partnerships $20,000, donations and Corporate Sponsors $25,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $66,000; program Director (licensed social worker) $62,000; restorative Justice Facilitator (2 positions) $100,000; youth Advocate and Case Manager (2 positions) $88,000; family Engagement Coordinator $44,000; data and Compliance Coordinator (part-time) $28,000; counseling and Mental Health Partner Contract (Paid to Provider) $36,000; youth Program Workshops and Supplies $14,000; bus Passes and Transportation Help (Paid to Transit Provider) $10,000; circle Keeper Volunteer Training and Recognition $8,000; space Rent and Utilities $24,000; insurance $12,000; staff Training and Credentials $8,000; independent Evaluation and Reporting $12,000; case Management System and Technology $8,000; outreach and Partner Meetings $6,000; administration and Accounting $12,000; and about $12,560 a year for spreading startup and equipment costs over five years. These add up to $550,560.

How we planned costs. Each facilitator handles about 80 cases a year, so two facilitators handle about 160. The counseling partner is paid $36,000 in Year 1 under a written agreement. Workshops and supplies cost about $14,000, or about $90 per young person. We do not charge families.

About government funding. County juvenile justice agencies, state juvenile justice funds and federal programs fund diversion and restorative programs, and school districts and cities contract for services. These funds are competitive, awarded for set periods and subject to appropriations and agency rules, and some require a data-sharing agreement. The amounts in this plan are our planning estimates, not promises, and agencies can change their budgets, rules and awards.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $50,800 are paid once from startup money and are listed item by item in the Startup Costs section.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($50,800), the cash the budget uses before it levels out (about $15,340) and a cash cushion of about $134,500, which is three months of Year 1 operating costs. That comes to about $200,640, rounded up to the nearest $500: $201,000. We start with $20,000 of our own savings and $185,000 in startup support from a community foundation, a faith community fund and our board, $205,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $562,000 in Year 1 to about $803,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $427,000, $424,000, $439,000, $448,000, $465,000 in Years 1 to 5, and county Juvenile Justice Contracts and State Grants grow from $90,000 to $220,000; school District and Municipal Partnerships grow from $20,000 to $60,000; donations and Corporate Sponsors grow from $25,000 to $58,000. Grants fall from about 76% of our income in Year 1 to about 58% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $138,900, at the end of Year 1. County contract payments often arrive after we bill or after we submit reports. We plan for about $39,340 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is to grow county and school contracts as our data accumulates, to expand to more police departments and schools and to invite individuals and civic groups to give. Because diversion costs far less than formal processing, success strengthens our case for public funding.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Referrals build more slowly than planned. We start with agencies already committed, hold partner meetings every quarter and share our early data, and we keep staffing flexible.
- A conference goes badly or someone is unsafe. We screen every case, prepare everyone separately, use two staff and let anyone stop at any time.
- A young person is not referred equally. We track referrals by race, school and neighborhood and review them with partners each quarter.
- A young person's information is shared improperly. We limit access, train staff and have a written confidentiality policy reviewed by an attorney.
- A referral partner withdraws. We keep agreements with several agencies so no single partner is critical.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow county and school contracts and keep our cost per case low.

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 partner school, one trained facilitator and a few cases a month, tracked carefully for six months. Completion rates and what participants say are the best evidence you can bring to your first grant application.

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.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and Program Director, and facilitator training certificates.
- Letters of support or commitment from the State's Attorney, police departments, schools and a counseling partner.
- Your referral agreement, consent forms and confidentiality and data-sharing policies, reviewed by an attorney.
- Your conference protocol, safety screening checklist and sample accountability agreement.
- Your equity data plan and a sample quarterly report.
- Results from your pilot, shown as totals.
- Proof of general and professional liability, abuse and molestation and workers' compensation insurance, or quotes.
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):
- Income: Grant Revenue: $427,000 in Year 1, growing to $465,000 by Year 5; County Juvenile Justice Contracts and State Grants: $90,000 in Year 1, growing to $220,000 by Year 5; School District and Municipal Partnerships: $20,000 in Year 1, growing to $60,000 by Year 5; Donations and Corporate Sponsors: $25,000 in Year 1, growing to $58,000 by Year 5.
- Young people served: about 160 in Year 1, then 190, 240, 280 and 330; each facilitator manages about 80 cases a year and each youth advocate about 80 young people.
- Counseling partner: $36,000 in Year 1, growing 10% a year; youth workshops and supplies about $14,000 in Year 1 (about $90 per young person).
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $66,000; program director (licensed social worker) $62,000; restorative justice facilitator $50,000; youth advocate and case manager $44,000; family engagement coordinator $44,000; data and compliance coordinator (part-time) $28,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: counseling and Mental Health Partner Contract (Paid to Provider) $36,000, youth Program Workshops and Supplies $14,000, bus Passes and Transportation Help (Paid to Transit Provider) $10,000, circle Keeper Volunteer Training and Recognition $8,000, space Rent and Utilities $24,000, insurance $12,000, staff Training and Credentials $8,000, independent Evaluation and Reporting $12,000, case Management System and Technology $8,000, outreach and Partner Meetings $6,000, administration and Accounting $12,000. These grow between 4% and 10% a year, and negative growth means a cost that is highest in Year 1.
- Startup costs ($50,800) and later equipment are spread evenly over five years in the plan's books, about $12,560 a year.
- About 7% 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