Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.
Executive Summary
Neighborhood Legal Help Center is a nonprofit law office that provides free civil legal help to people in our county and the two neighboring counties who cannot afford a lawyer. We provide free advice, representation in eviction and benefits cases and monthly clinics with volunteer lawyers, using staff attorneys and volunteer lawyers.
In criminal cases, people have a right to a lawyer. In civil cases such as evictions, family matters, benefits and consumer debt, they do not. Many people with low incomes face these problems alone, against landlords, lenders and agencies with lawyers. The results can be losing a home, a job, custody of a child or needed benefits. Our program gives people a lawyer, or at least clear advice, when it matters most.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 250 people, including about 60 full representation cases. Our Year 1 budget is about $162,000, growing to about $345,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one staff attorney to four. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Lakeshore Community Trust for $75,000, as part of the $146,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $16,000 in Year 1 comes from donations, which we plan to grow to about $50,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for attorneys, volunteer lawyer coordination and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many people we help, what kind of help we give (advice, brief service or full representation), the results in cases we close, such as a home kept or benefits restored, and how many volunteer lawyers join us. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Neighborhood Legal Help Center is a nonprofit organization in Minnesota. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To give people with low incomes the legal help they need to keep their homes, their families and their basic needs safe.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2022 when a group of local lawyers started a monthly free legal clinic at a library. Since then we have helped about 200 people, with 25 volunteer lawyers taking part.
What we do:
- Give free legal advice and brief help to people who qualify.
- Represent people in court and hearings for the most serious problems, like evictions, benefits denials and family safety matters.
- Run clinics where volunteer lawyers give advice, with our attorneys supervising.
- Help people understand their rights, and give forms and self-help information for people who will represent themselves.
- Connect people to social services and other help they need alongside legal help.
Where we work. An office downtown Monday to Friday, a monthly clinic at the library and hearing support at the courthouse.
Our partners. The county bar association (volunteer lawyers), the courthouse self-help center, a law school clinic and two shelters.
Our approach. Everyone deserves a fair hearing. We take cases based on need, the seriousness of the problem and our capacity, and we are honest with each person about what we can and cannot do.
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 with low incomes in our county and the two neighboring counties face serious legal problems, such as eviction, denial of benefits, unsafe housing, family violence and consumer debt, without a lawyer. Most legal aid programs turn away many of the people who ask because there are not enough lawyers. Without help, people often lose cases they should have won.
Facts about our community. According to our county court, a large number of eviction cases were filed last year, and very few tenants had a lawyer.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Not enough lawyers. Many legal aid programs turn away half or more of the people who qualify.
2. Cost. Private lawyers cost more than many families can pay.
3. Confusion. Courts and agencies use complicated forms and rules, which are hard to follow alone.
4. Time. Many legal problems come with short deadlines that people do not know about.
5. Rural gaps. In many rural areas, there are few lawyers at all.
What we have seen ourselves. Many people told us they received a court notice and did not know what it meant or that they had only a few days to respond.
Who we serve first. People with limited income facing eviction, loss of benefits, family safety issues and other serious problems that affect basic needs, in tenants facing eviction, survivors of domestic violence and people who have lost benefits, in the east and south neighborhoods.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Intake and advice. People call or come in, and our staff screens for eligibility and urgency. Many people receive same-day advice and information.
2. Representation for the most serious cases. Our attorneys represent clients in court and hearings in cases involving housing, benefits, family safety and similar basic needs.
3. Volunteer lawyers. We recruit, train and support lawyers who give time. About $12,000 in Year 1 pays for coordination, training, tools and malpractice coverage so volunteers can help safely.
4. Self-help resources. We provide plain-language guides, forms and workshops for people who will represent themselves.
5. Connections. We refer clients to social services, housing help and other support that can solve the root of the problem.
How we will measure results. We track every case: the type of problem, the level of help (advice, brief service or full representation) and the result when the case closes. We report outcomes such as a home kept, benefits restored or a safety order granted, and we say clearly how many cases we closed and how many we turned away. Our goals for Year 1: help 250 people; represent 60 in court; keep at least 40 families in their homes; and recruit 30 volunteer lawyers.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve people with low incomes in our county and the two neighboring counties, especially tenants facing eviction, survivors of domestic violence and people who have lost benefits, in the east and south neighborhoods.
How we know people need this. Our monthly clinic has a waiting list of 40, and last year we turned away 120 people we could not help.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 250 people, including about 60 full representation cases. The number of households that qualify for legal aid, eviction filings in our county and the share of people who go to court without a lawyer are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one staff attorney to four, we expect to help more people each year.
How people reach us. The courthouse help desk, two shelters, a health clinic and local churches.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- Larger legal aid programs may serve our area. We coordinate so we do not duplicate each other, and we serve gaps. We coordinate referrals with the regional legal aid program so we serve different cases.
- Bar association lawyer referral services connect people to private lawyers, often for a fee. We serve people who cannot pay.
- Law school clinics provide student help under supervision. We partner with them.
- Court self-help centers help people represent themselves. We work with them and take cases they cannot handle.
- Specialized nonprofits (for example, for survivors, veterans or immigrants) serve particular groups. We refer cases and co-operate.
What makes us different: a staff attorney who works with volunteer lawyers, clinics in libraries and a focus on housing and family safety
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from courts, social service agencies, shelters, clinics, churches and schools.
- A simple hotline and online intake, in the languages people speak.
- Clinics held in libraries, community centers and courthouses.
- Word of mouth from people we have helped.
Funding rules. In every state, a program funded by interest on lawyers' trust accounts (called IOLTA) helps pay for legal aid, and most states have an IOLTA grant process. Some federal funding, such as through the Legal Services Corporation, comes with limits on who can be served and what cases can be taken. Learn the rules for every funder before you apply.
Volunteers. The county bar association, law firms, retired attorneys, in-house counsel and law students.
Raising money beyond grants. Donations are planned at about $16,000 in Year 1, growing to about $50,000 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 case moves through the program:
1. Intake, with questions to check income, the problem and deadlines.
2. A conflict check, to be sure we do not represent both sides.
3. A decision about the level of help: advice, brief service or full representation.
4. Work on the case by an attorney or a supervised volunteer.
5. Closing the case with a written summary of the result, and referrals to other help.
An intake call. A staff member asks about the problem, deadlines and household income, explains what we can offer and, when needed, gives the caller a same-day referral.
Rules for lawyers. Only lawyers licensed in our state, or supervised law students and legal staff within the rules of our state, may give legal advice. We carry malpractice insurance, check conflicts of interest, and follow rules about client confidentiality, fees and trust accounts.
Privacy. Client information is protected by attorney-client confidentiality, one of the strongest privacy rules there is. We share it only as the rules of professional conduct allow, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $5,000 in equipment (laptops, a secure case management system, a printer and office furniture), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One staff attorney in Year 1, then two in Year 2, two in Year 3, three in Year 4 and four in Year 5. Attorneys handle a limited number of cases, so each client gets real attention.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $16,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Victor Bennett, Executive Director and Managing Attorney.
The Executive Director leads the organization, raises money and manages grants and contracts, builds partnerships, oversees the finances and reports to the Board. As Managing Attorney, this person must be licensed to practice law in our state, and is responsible for the quality of legal work and for following the rules for lawyers. Planned salary: $72,000 a year.
Staff attorneys. Represent clients, supervise volunteer lawyers and law students, and handle hearings. One position in Year 1, growing to four by Year 5, at a planned salary of $58,000 each. Qualifications we look for: licensed in our state, two or more years of experience in housing or family law and strong client communication skills.
Volunteers. Volunteer lawyers and law students give time through clinics and cases under our attorneys' guidance. They are screened, trained and covered by malpractice insurance.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including David Thompson, 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:
- Complete our setup: malpractice insurance, trust accounting, case management and intake rules.
- Hire our first staff attorney and sign up our first volunteer lawyers.
- Help about 250 people, including about 60 full representation cases.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for cases closed and results.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $162,000.
Year 2: two staff attorneys; budget of about $222,000.
Year 3: two staff attorneys; budget of about $223,000.
Year 4: three staff attorneys; budget of about $284,000.
Year 5: four staff attorneys; budget of about $345,000.
Over the five years: grow to four staff attorneys, add clinics in more places and expand our volunteer lawyer network. Pro bono coordination costs grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. For each case we record the problem, the help given and the result. We ask clients for feedback when the case closes. Staff and the Board review results and share them with funders, with no client information.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $75,000 from the Lakeshore Community Trust for our first staff attorney's salary, volunteer lawyer coordination and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $162,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $146,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Donations: $16,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director and Managing Attorney: $72,000. - Staff attorney: $58,000. - Pro bono program coordination (volunteer lawyer recruiting, training and malpractice coverage): $12,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $16,000. - That is about $158,000 in costs. The remaining $4,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $5,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $162,000 in Year 1 to about $345,000 in Year 5 as we grow to four staff attorneys. Grants and contracts are planned at $146,000 in Year 1, $199,000 in Year 2, $192,000 in Year 3, $244,000 in Year 4 and $295,000 in Year 5. Donations grow from $16,000 to $50,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $20,000 of our own plus $70,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for grants and government contracts. Many are paid after the work is done and come with strict rules about eligible clients and cases. We plan for the wait and keep careful records. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer lawyers' time and donated services are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. The value of volunteer lawyer time is often significant, and funders may ask for it. Free office space from a law firm (about $9,000 a year in rent value), about 1,200 hours of volunteer lawyer time a year and donated court costs 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 bar association or law school, start with monthly clinics staffed by volunteer lawyers and one staff attorney, and track 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 courts, bar associations, social service agencies or other partners.
- Proof of malpractice insurance and your attorney's license information.
- Your intake rules, conflict check and case handling policies.
- Your case numbers from the past year, if you have them (people helped, cases closed, results).
- 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 and Managing Attorney $72,000; each staff attorney $58,000, growing from 1 to 4.
- Pro bono coordination costs about $12,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $16,000 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.