Clear Sight for Kids

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Executive Summary

Clear Sight for Kids is a nonprofit in Wisconsin that makes sure children can see well enough to learn. We screen children's vision at partner elementary schools, tell parents when a child should see an eye doctor, help families get an exam and give free eyeglasses to children who need them. Glasses are paid for directly to partner eye doctors and labs, never given as cash.

A child who cannot see the board or the page often does not know anything is wrong. Teachers may think the child is not paying attention. Parents may not know a screening is needed, cannot get time off for an appointment or cannot afford glasses. A simple screening at school, a clear note home and a navigator who helps with the next step can change a child's year.

With this grant we will screen about 4,000 children in eight elementary schools in Year 1, send a note home with every result and help about 600 children get an eye exam. We expect about 450 pairs of eyeglasses in Year 1, paid to partner eye doctors and labs at about $80 a pair. We do not diagnose eye problems; licensed eye doctors do.

Our Year 1 budget is about $206,000, growing to about $263,500 by Year 5 as we add schools. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 3 paid staff in Year 1 and 4 by Year 2, supported by trained volunteers.

We are asking the Meadowbrook Health Foundation for $76,000 for our Program Director and for eyeglasses for children. School districts, civic clubs and donors also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

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

Company Description

Clear Sight for Kids is a small, independent nonprofit in Wisconsin, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve children in public elementary schools and their families across our region.

Our mission. To make sure every child can see clearly enough to learn, play and grow.

What we believe. Eye care is part of health and learning, and cost should never keep a child from seeing well. We screen with parent permission, protect each child's privacy, explain results in plain language and send every family a clear next step. We work alongside licensed eye doctors, never in place of them.

What we offer:
- School vision screening. Trained staff and volunteers screen children at school using approved handheld devices, with a parent permission form.
- Family navigation. A Family Navigator calls or texts families whose child did not pass, helps book an eye exam and arranges a ride or a time that fits.
- Free eyeglasses. When an eye doctor prescribes glasses, we pay the partner eye doctor or lab directly. Families choose frames from a children's selection.
- Follow-up. We check that the child is wearing the glasses and replace a lost or broken pair once, within the program rules.

Who we serve. Children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, especially children from families with limited income or without vision insurance.

What we do not do. We do not diagnose eye disease, prescribe glasses, sell eyewear or give money to families. A screening is not an eye exam and does not replace one.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Director manages schools, volunteers and partners. A part-time Family Navigator supports families, and a Screening Coordinator joins in Year 2. An optometrist advises us on screening standards.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from two school districts and eight schools, two optometry practices and a children's eyeglasses lab, quotes for the screening devices and a permission form being reviewed by an attorney. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Many children go through school with poor vision that no one has noticed. A child may sit close to the board, avoid reading or rub their eyes and be seen as shy or distracted. A simple eye problem can affect reading, schoolwork, sports and confidence.

Families face real barriers. A parent may not know the child needs an exam. Insurance may not cover exams or glasses, or the family may have no insurance. Appointments are often during work hours, and a trip to an eye doctor may mean a missed shift and a long drive. Glasses can be costly, and a child may lose or break them.

Schools do their best, but many do not have enough nurses or staff to screen every child, send reminders and follow up until the child has glasses. A child may fail a screening and nothing happens after the note goes home.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are the cost of screening devices and staff, building trust with schools and families, and making sure every child who needs a next step gets one.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. School vision screening is a common and useful public health step, and follow-up is what makes it work. We will use the most recent local numbers on children, schools and vision needs in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many children will need glasses, so our plan uses a first-year goal and will report what really happens.

Products & Services

Clear Sight for Kids will make sure every screened child gets a clear next step and, when needed, a pair of glasses.

How it works, step by step:
1. Partner schools. We sign an agreement with each school that sets screening days, a private space and how results are shared.
2. Permission. Parents sign a permission form in English or Spanish, or sign electronically.
3. Screen. Trained staff and volunteers screen each child using an approved handheld device in a quiet space, and record the result securely.
4. Notify. Every family receives a note with the result, whether passing or not, in plain language.
5. Navigate. For children who do not pass, the Family Navigator calls or texts the parent, explains the next step and books an exam with a partner eye doctor, with transport help when needed.
6. Exam and glasses. The eye doctor examines the child. If glasses are prescribed, the family picks frames and we pay the partner directly.
7. Follow-up. We check that the child received the glasses, is wearing them and can see well, and we tell the teacher in a way that respects the child's privacy.
8. Report. We share totals with funders and schools, never information about a named child.

Why this approach is strong. A screening alone does not help a child see better. Follow-up with a person who stays in touch with the family is what turns a failed screening into a pair of glasses.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade at partner public elementary schools in our region, and their families.

Our primary group is children from families with limited income or without vision insurance. Our secondary group is any child at a partner school whose parent has given permission for a screening. We will use the most recent local numbers on enrollment, children without vision insurance and vision screening results in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to screen about 4,000 children at eight schools in Year 1, help about 600 children get an eye exam and provide about 450 pairs of glasses. We grow to more schools and about 590 pairs of glasses by Year 5 as our funding grows. Our Year 1 budget is about $206,000 and our Year 5 budget is about $263,500.

Demand data. Letters of support from two school districts and eight schools, and conversations with school nurses, show a clear need. We do not count on any one school, and we are prepared if a school changes its calendar.

We do not serve everyone. We refer adults and children outside our schools to community clinics and civic groups, and we refer children with possible serious eye problems directly to an eye doctor.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for families, and what makes us different.

- School nurse screening alone. School nurses do vital work but may not have time for every child or for follow-up. We add staff, devices and a navigator.
- Pediatricians and primary care. They screen at checkups, but many children miss them. We reach children where they are, at school.
- Retail optical shops and vision benefits. They offer exams and glasses to those who can afford them or have insurance. We cover children who cannot.
- Other charities and civic clubs that give glasses. They help many families. We coordinate with them and add school screening and navigation.
- Doing nothing. Many children go without. We aim to close that gap.

What makes us different.
- A Family Navigator who stays in touch until the child has glasses.
- Payments made directly to eye doctors and labs, never to families.
- Partnerships with schools and with licensed eye doctors.
- Respect for each child's privacy.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger programs may have more schools and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one school and one child at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Schools and districts. We will meet principals, school nurses and teachers, explain how screening works and sign agreements before the school year starts. Teachers can also refer children they are worried about.

Parents. A permission form goes home in the child's backpack in English and Spanish, with a short video and a phone number for questions. We hold a table at back-to-school nights and parent meetings.

Eye doctors and optical labs. We will visit local optometry practices and a children's eyeglasses lab, explain the program and ask them to offer reduced prices and appointments for our children.

Civic clubs and donors. We will invite service clubs, businesses and individual donors to sponsor a school, a screening day or pairs of glasses.

Teachers and school staff. We will give teachers a one-page guide on signs a child may have trouble seeing, such as squinting or sitting close to the board, so they can ask us to screen a child they are worried about, with parent permission. Teachers also help us remind families when a note has not been returned.

Cost to the family. Free. We pay the partner eye doctor and lab directly.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (summer): Sign agreements with eight schools and two eye doctors, buy screening devices, recruit and train staff and volunteers and finish the permission form.
- Month 3 (late summer): Send permission forms home at back-to-school night and schedule screening days.
- Months 4 to 8 (fall and winter): Screen children in all eight schools, send results home and begin navigation calls.
- Months 6 to 10: Eye exams and glasses for children who need them, with a mid-year report to schools.
- Months 9 and 10 (spring): Make up screenings for children who were absent and follow up on glasses.
- Months 11 and 12 (late spring): Thank schools, survey families and teachers, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Screening happens in a quiet room at each school, provided by the school at no cost. Our small office is shared space in a community building.

Equipment. We buy about $11,000 of equipment once at the start: two handheld vision screening devices with cases ($8,400), eye charts, lights and carrying cases ($1,200) and a laptop and tablet for records and scheduling ($1,400). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Director, paid $52,000 a year, runs screening, schools and quality. A part-time Family Navigator, paid $24,000 a year, supports families. A Screening Coordinator, paid $40,000 a year, joins in Year 2.

Safety and privacy. Every staff member and volunteer passes a background check and is never alone with a child. We screen with parent permission only, keep results in a secure system and share only what the school and parent need. Children who cannot be screened for any reason are never singled out.

Payments. Eye doctors and labs are paid directly by us at agreed prices. Glasses are never given as cash. Eyeglasses and lenses are about $36,000 in Year 1, screening supplies and device upkeep about $6,000, mileage and school visits about $4,000, parent communication and outreach about $5,000 and administration and insurance about $11,000.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Daniel Okafor, Executive Director. Twelve years of nonprofit work, including seven years running a school health program. He oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Director (from Year 1). Manages schools, volunteers, partner eye doctors and data.

Family Navigator (part-time, from Year 1). Calls and texts families, books appointments and helps with transport.

Screening Coordinator (from Year 2). Leads screening teams as we add schools.

Volunteers. About 30 trained volunteers, including retired nurses and teachers.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including a school nurse and a parent, who meet every quarter. An optometrist advises us on screening standards, and an attorney reviews our permission and privacy forms.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $58,000, Program Director $52,000, Screening Coordinator $40,000 and Family Navigator (part-time) $24,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

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

- Year 1: Screen about 4,000 children at eight schools, help about 600 children get an exam and provide about 450 pairs of glasses. A balanced budget of about $206,000, with a small surplus of about $7,800. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add a Screening Coordinator and more schools, reaching about 5,200 children and about 520 pairs of glasses. A balanced budget of about $251,000, with a small surplus of about $8,800. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add more schools and a stronger follow-up system, reaching about 5,600 children. A balanced budget of about $255,000, with a small surplus of about $8,700. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 4: Begin a replacement-glasses fund and reach about 6,000 children. A balanced budget of about $259,000, with a small surplus of about $8,000. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 5: Screen about 6,400 children a year and share our permission form and follow-up system with other districts. A balanced budget of about $263,500, with a small surplus of about $7,800. About 4 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Children screened and results sent home.
- Children who did not pass and families reached.
- Children who completed an eye exam.
- Pairs of glasses provided and children wearing them at follow-up.
- Time from failed screening to glasses.
- Teacher and parent feedback.

How we review results. The Program Director reviews numbers every month during the school year. Twice a year, staff and the board review all results and share them with funders and partner schools. If a school has low follow-up, we meet with the school nurse and change the plan. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $76,000 from the Meadowbrook Health Foundation for a Program Director and eyeglasses for children, for August 2027 through July 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Director salary, $52,000.
- Other: Eyeglasses and lenses paid directly to partner eye doctors and labs, $24,000 (other funds add $12,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 48% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $206,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $7,800 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $158,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), school district partner support $30,000, civic clubs and individual donations $18,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $58,000; program director $52,000; family navigator $24,000; eyeglasses and lenses (paid to partner eye doctors and labs) about $36,000; screening supplies and device upkeep about $6,000; mileage and school visits about $4,000; parent communication and outreach about $5,000; administration and insurance about $11,000; about $3,600 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $18,300 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $8,400 for two handheld vision screening devices with cases; $1,200 for eye charts, lights and carrying cases; $1,400 for laptop and tablet for records and scheduling; $1,500 for parent permission forms and first screening supplies; $2,800 for attorney review of school and eye doctor agreements and data policy; $1,600 for banners, flyers in two languages and a simple website; $1,400 for background checks for the first volunteers and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($18,300), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $300) and a cash cushion of about $49,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $49,300. In all, that comes to $68,000. We start with $16,000 of our own savings and $55,000 in startup support from a local community foundation and our board, $71,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $206,000 in Year 1 to about $263,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $158,000, $189,000, $179,000, $173,000 and $167,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: school district partner support from $30,000 to $62,000 and civic clubs and individual donations from $18,000 to $34,000. We add schools and screening staff as the program grows, and a Screening Coordinator joins in Year 2. Grants fall from about 77% of our income in Year 1 to about 64% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $59,700, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $10,300 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. School districts, civic clubs, businesses and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Families and teachers share their stories, and sponsors can adopt a school by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A school changes its calendar. We build make-up days into the plan and keep a waiting list of schools.
- Families do not respond. The Family Navigator calls, texts and visits school events, and teachers help.
- A device breaks. We keep a spare and a repair plan.
- A privacy problem. We follow a written policy, use secure systems and train every staff member and volunteer.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow school and donor support each year.

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: two schools, one screening device and one eye doctor partner, run by a volunteer team and 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 each partner school and district.
- Agreements with partner eye doctors and the eyeglasses lab.
- Your parent permission form in English and Spanish.
- Your privacy and data policy and your background check policy.
- Your screening protocol approved by an optometrist.
- Quotes for the screening devices.
- 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):
- Grant Revenue: $158,000 in Year 1, then $189,000, $179,000, $173,000 and $167,500.
- School District Partner Support: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $62,000.
- Civic Clubs and Individual Donations: $18,000 in Year 1, growing to $34,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $58,000, program director $52,000, screening coordinator $40,000 (from Year 2), family navigator (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: eyeglasses and lenses (paid to partner eye doctors and labs) $36,000, screening supplies and device upkeep $6,000, mileage and school visits $4,000, parent communication and outreach $5,000, administration and insurance $11,000. These grow between 4% and 7% a year.
- Equipment: $11,000 at the start, then $1,500 to $2,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $18,300, paid once from $71,000 in startup money.
- Eyeglasses are paid to partner eye doctors and labs at about $80 a pair; about 450 pairs are planned in Year 1.
- Children screened: about 4,000 in Year 1, growing to about 6,400 in Year 5.
- About 5% 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