Count on Me Tutoring

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Executive Summary

Count on Me Tutoring is a nonprofit in Oklahoma that gives students extra help in math and reading through small-group tutoring. Trained tutors, many of them college students and retired teachers, work with three students at a time, three times a week, during the school day or right after school, using lessons that match what the classroom teacher is teaching. Every student takes a short assessment at the start, in the middle and at the end of the year.

Many students fall behind in math or reading, and the gap can grow if no one steps in. A student who misses a few key skills may feel lost in class and stop trying. Small-group tutoring with the same tutor, several times a week, is one of the most promising ways schools can help, but it takes tutors, schedules, materials and careful follow-through that many schools cannot manage alone.

With this grant we will tutor about 90 students at three partner schools in Year 1, with three part-time tutors working with a Program Director. We will measure progress with assessments and share results with teachers and families. We do not promise that any student will reach a particular score.

Our Year 1 budget is about $218,000, growing to about $390,000 by Year 5 as we add schools. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 5 paid staff in Year 1 and 11 by Year 5, with part-time tutors.

We are asking the Red Earth Education Foundation for $76,000 for our Program Director and for tutor wages. School districts pay for part of the program, and businesses and donors also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

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

Company Description

Count on Me Tutoring is a small, independent nonprofit in Oklahoma, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve students in grades 2 through 8 at partner public schools in our region.

Our mission. To help students catch up and feel confident in math and reading.

What we believe. Every student can learn, and the best help is regular, personal and connected to the classroom. We hire tutors who care, train them well and pay them fairly through payroll. We work with teachers, not around them, and we tell families honestly how a student is doing.

What we offer:
- Small-group tutoring. Three students with one tutor, three sessions a week, 30 to 45 minutes each, in the school.
- Assessments and goals. Short assessments in the fall, winter and spring, with goals for each student.
- Teacher partnership. A shared plan between the tutor and the classroom teacher and a short update each month.
- Family updates. A simple progress report in English and Spanish and an invitation to a family night.

Who we serve. Students in grades 2 through 8 who are behind grade level in math or reading, chosen by teachers and school leaders.

What we do not do. We do not replace classroom teaching, promise test score gains, use tutors who have not passed a background check or collect student data we do not need.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Director manages schools, curriculum, assessments and tutors. A Tutor Coordinator joins in Year 2 to schedule and support tutors. Tutors are part-time employees, counted as full-time equivalents.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from a school district and three schools, commitments from a college education department to provide tutors, a curriculum review by two teachers and a student privacy policy and data-sharing agreement under review by an attorney. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Many students are behind in math or reading, especially after disrupted school years. A student who is behind in third-grade reading may struggle with every subject in later grades. A student who misses key math skills may find each new topic harder.

Teachers do their best, but a class of 25 students makes it hard to give each child the extra time they need. Some schools offer after-school help, but attendance can be uneven and tutors can change from week to week.

Research and experience suggest that tutoring helps most when it is frequent, in small groups, with the same tutor and tied to the curriculum. That takes careful planning, trained tutors and funding.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are recruiting and keeping tutors, fitting sessions into the school schedule, paying for curriculum and assessments and showing results fairly.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Small-group tutoring is a promising approach, but results depend on how well it is carried out. We will use the most recent local numbers on student achievement and tutoring needs in our final plan. We do not know exactly how much each student will gain, so our plan uses a first-year goal and will report what really happens. We do not promise any test score.

Products & Services

Count on Me Tutoring will give students steady, personal help from a tutor who knows them.

How it works, step by step:
1. School partnership. We sign an agreement with each school that sets space, schedule, data-sharing and a teacher contact.
2. Select students. Teachers and school leaders choose students who are behind and would benefit, and families give permission.
3. Assess. Each student takes a short assessment to find strengths and gaps, and the tutor sets a goal.
4. Match and schedule. Each tutor is matched to a group of three students and the same tutor works with that group all year.
5. Tutor. Groups meet three times a week, using a lesson plan aligned with the classroom curriculum, with practice, feedback and short games.
6. Coordinate. Tutors and teachers share a short note every month, and the Program Director visits sessions regularly to coach tutors.
7. Reassess. Students retake assessments in winter and spring, and groups are adjusted.
8. Share. Families receive a progress report each term, and we report totals to schools and funders.

Why this approach is strong. Consistent tutors and small groups build trust and let each student work at the right level. Alignment with the classroom keeps help relevant.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: students in grades 2 through 8 at partner public schools in our region, especially schools where many students are behind grade level.

Our primary group is students chosen by teachers and school leaders as needing extra help in math or reading. Our secondary group is families and teachers who receive progress reports and updates. We will use the most recent local numbers on student achievement and school enrollment in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to tutor about 90 students at three schools in Year 1, with about three full-time equivalent tutors. We grow to about 120 students at four schools in Year 2 with a Tutor Coordinator, 150 at five schools in Year 3, 180 at six schools in Year 4 and about 240 students at eight schools in Year 5. Our Year 1 budget is about $218,000 and our Year 5 budget is about $390,000.

Demand data. Letters of support from a school district and three schools, and requests from principals for more tutoring, show a clear need. We do not count on any single school or district.

We do not serve every student. We refer students who need special education services, language support or counseling to the school team, and we do not enroll students without permission.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for schools and families, and what makes us different.

- School-based intervention teachers. They are essential. We add extra hands and tutors so more students are served.
- Commercial tutoring centers. They offer help but can be costly. We offer free help in school.
- Online tutoring and apps. They are flexible. We offer a tutor in the room who knows the student.
- Volunteer reading programs. They help many students. We add paid, trained tutors and consistent sessions.
- After-school programs. They offer care and activities. We offer targeted academic help and coordinate schedules with them.
- Tutoring offered by the district itself. It may reach many students. We add capacity and a trained tutor team where the district cannot staff it alone.

What makes us different.
- Three sessions a week with the same tutor, in small groups.
- Lessons aligned to the classroom and shared with teachers.
- Regular assessments and honest reports.
- Tutors who are paid, trained and coached.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger tutoring programs have more schools and data. We plan to earn trust one student and one school at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Schools and districts. We will meet district leaders, principals and teachers, explain the model and sign agreements. Schools choose students and schedule sessions.

Families. A letter in English and Spanish goes home with each student, with a permission form and a number to call. We attend family nights and offer a short video.

Colleges and tutors. We will recruit tutors from college education departments, retired teacher groups and community groups, and offer a flexible, paid role.

Employers and donors. We will invite businesses and individuals to sponsor a student, a group or a school.

Online. A simple website and newsletter share information and results.

Cost to the family. Free. Districts pay part of the cost, and grants and donors pay the rest.

Telling the story. We will share stories and results with the community, always with permission and never identifying a student.

Supporting teachers. We will give each partner teacher a one-page guide on how tutoring works, how to share a student's goals and how to read the monthly update, and ask them for ideas on what a student needs next, so that tutoring and teaching work as one plan.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1 (August to July):
- Months 1 and 2 (late summer): Sign school agreements, hire and train tutors, buy equipment, finalize the curriculum and assessments and send permission forms.
- Month 3 (early fall): Assess students, form groups and begin tutoring.
- Months 4 to 9: Tutor three times a week, hold monthly teacher check-ins and winter and spring assessments and a family night each term.
- Months 10 to 12: Final assessments, survey teachers and families, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Tutoring takes place in a quiet area of each school, provided by the school. Our small office is shared space in a community building.

Equipment. We buy about $8,000 of equipment once at the start: six tablets and a charging cart for assessments ($4,200), laptops and a secure student database ($2,600) and whiteboards, manipulatives and storage for tutoring kits ($1,200). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Director, paid $46,000 a year, manages schools, curriculum and tutors. Tutors, counted as full-time equivalents and paid $24,000 a year each, are about three in Year 1, growing to eight by Year 5. A Tutor Coordinator, paid $40,000 a year, joins in Year 2.

Safety and privacy. Every tutor passes a background check, completes training and works only in the school's common spaces or classrooms with doors open or a window. We follow student privacy laws, sign a data-sharing agreement with each school and keep records secure.

Quality and learning. The Program Director observes tutoring sessions each month, coaches tutors and reviews assessments. We ask teachers and families what is working twice a year.

Costs. Curriculum and assessments are about $8,000 in Year 1, student materials about $5,000, tutor background checks and training about $6,000, evaluation about $6,000 and administration and insurance about $11,000. Districts pay about $13,080 after we bill, so that amount is owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Marcus Tate, Executive Director. Fifteen years in education and nonprofit work, including nine years as a classroom teacher and instructional coach. He oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Director (from Year 1). Manages schools, curriculum, assessments and tutor coaching.

Tutor Coordinator (from Year 2). Schedules tutors, supports them and manages data.

Tutors (part-time, from Year 1). College students, retired teachers and community members trained to deliver the program.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including a principal, a college education professor and a parent, who meet every quarter. An attorney reviews our agreements and privacy policy.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $55,000, Program Director $46,000, Tutor Coordinator $40,000 and tutor $24,000 per full-time equivalent. 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: Tutor about 90 students at three schools with about three full-time equivalent tutors. A balanced budget of about $218,000, with a small surplus of about $7,400. About 5 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add a Tutor Coordinator and a fourth school and tutor about 120 students. A balanced budget of about $286,000, with a small surplus of about $9,600. About 7 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a fifth school and tutor about 150 students. A balanced budget of about $312,500, with a small surplus of about $10,200. About 8 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a sixth school and tutor about 180 students. A balanced budget of about $339,000, with a small surplus of about $10,500. About 9 paid staff.
- Year 5: Tutor about 240 students at eight schools and share our lesson plans and training with other programs. A balanced budget of about $390,000, with a small surplus of about $11,400. About 11 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Students tutored and sessions held.
- Attendance at sessions.
- Growth on fall, winter and spring assessments.
- Teacher feedback on students' progress in class.
- Tutor retention and quality observations.
- Family feedback.

How we review results. The Program Director reviews attendance every week and assessments after each testing window. Twice a year, staff and the board review all results and share them with schools and funders. If a school has low attendance or weak growth, we meet with the school team and change the schedule or the support. 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 Red Earth Education Foundation for a Program Director and tutor wages for small-group tutoring, for August 2027 through July 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Director salary, $46,000.
- Personnel: Tutor wages for small-group sessions, $30,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 49% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $218,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $7,400 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $156,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), school district partner payments $44,000, businesses and individual donations $18,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $55,000; program director $46,000; tutors $72,000; curriculum and assessments about $8,000; student materials about $5,000; tutor background checks and training about $6,000; evaluation about $6,000; administration and insurance about $11,000; about $2,600 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $16,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $4,200 for six tablets and a charging cart for assessments; $2,600 for laptops and a secure student database; $1,200 for whiteboards, manipulatives and storage for tutoring kits; $2,500 for opening set of workbooks and tutoring kits; $2,600 for attorney review of school agreements and student privacy policy; $1,400 for banners, flyers and a simple website; $1,500 for background checks and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($16,000), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $4,100) and a cash cushion of about $52,300, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $56,300. In all, that comes to $72,500. We start with $11,000 of our own savings and $64,000 in startup support from a local education foundation and our board, $75,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $218,000 in Year 1 to about $390,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $156,000, $200,000, $202,500, $209,000 and $240,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: school district partner payments from $44,000 to $116,000 and businesses and individual donations from $18,000 to $34,000. We add schools and a Tutor Coordinator in Year 2 as the program grows. Grants fall from about 72% of our income in Year 1 to about 62% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $62,900, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $13,080 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. School districts pay a growing share of the program, and businesses and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Tutors and families share their stories, and sponsors can underwrite a group or a school by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Tutors leave. We recruit steadily, pay fairly, coach and keep a bench of substitutes.
- Low attendance. We schedule within the school day when possible and work with teachers and families.
- Weak results. We review data often and change groups, lessons or tutors.
- A district changes its budget. We keep savings and diversify funding.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow district 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: one school, two tutors and about 30 students, 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 the district and each school.
- Your school agreement and data-sharing agreement.
- Your curriculum overview and assessment plan.
- Your tutor background check and training policy.
- Your family permission form in English and Spanish.
- Quotes for equipment.
- 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: $156,000 in Year 1, then $200,000, $202,500, $209,000 and $240,000.
- School District Partner Payments: $44,000 in Year 1, growing to $116,000.
- Businesses 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 $55,000, program director $46,000, tutor coordinator $40,000 (from Year 2), tutors (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: curriculum and assessments $8,000, student materials $5,000, tutor background checks and training $6,000, evaluation $6,000, administration and insurance $11,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $8,000 at the start, then $1,000 to $2,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $16,000, paid once from $75,000 in startup money.
- Students tutored: about 90 in Year 1, growing to about 240 in Year 5. District payments are $44,000 in Year 1 and grow to $116,000 as schools join.
- About 6% 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