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Executive Summary
Open Door Counseling Center is a nonprofit that makes mental health care available to people in our county and the two neighboring counties who cannot easily get it. We provide individual and group counseling on a sliding scale, and help with finding other care, delivered by licensed counselors, with fees based on what people can pay.
Mental health problems are common, and getting help should not depend on how much money you have. Yet many people in our community wait weeks or months for an appointment, cannot afford to pay, or do not know where to start. Waiting makes problems worse. Our program offers timely, respectful care, close to home, at a price people can manage.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 120 people over the year. Our Year 1 budget is about $155,000, growing to about $373,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one licensed counselor to five. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Meridian Community Fund for $75,000, as part of the $130,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $25,000 in Year 1 comes from insurance billing and donations, which we plan to grow to about $92,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for licensed counselors, our crisis response systems, and the record-keeping funders require. In time, we expect part of our income to come from insurance billing.
We will measure how many people we serve, how long people wait for a first appointment, how many complete a course of care, and whether people report feeling better, using standard questionnaires such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, which clinicians commonly use to measure depression and anxiety. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Open Door Counseling Center is a nonprofit organization in Texas. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To make high-quality mental health care available to people who cannot easily get it.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2023 when two licensed counselors started offering sliding-scale sessions at a church one evening a week. Since then we have seen about 60 clients, with six volunteers helping with outreach.
What we do:
- Offer individual, couples, family and group counseling by licensed counselors.
- Offer a short wait for a first appointment, and a plan for people in crisis.
- Charge on a sliding scale, based on what a person can pay, and never turn away someone who cannot pay.
- Connect people to psychiatric care, medical care, support groups and other services when they need more than counseling.
- Teach community members how to recognize and respond to mental health problems, with programs like Mental Health First Aid.
Where we work. Two private counseling rooms at a community center, Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., plus telehealth where allowed.
Our partners. A community health center that refers patients, a local psychiatrist who consults with us, the county crisis team and two churches.
Our approach. We treat people with respect, offer care that fits their lives and culture, and make it as easy as possible to start. We tell everyone about the limits of confidentiality at the first visit.
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.
Many people in our county and the two neighboring counties who need mental health care do not get it. Counselors may be booked for months, may not take insurance or may be too expensive. Others do not seek help because of stigma. Untreated, mental health problems make it harder to work, parent and stay healthy.
Facts about our community. According to HRSA, our county is designated as having a shortage of mental health professionals.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Wait times. Many clinics have long waits for a first appointment.
2. Cost. Private counseling can cost more than many families can pay, and many people have no insurance or a plan with high costs.
3. Too few counselors. Many communities have fewer licensed mental health professionals than they need.
4. Culture and language. Many people want a counselor who understands their background or speaks their language.
5. Crisis. People in crisis may have only emergency rooms and the 988 line, and nowhere to follow up.
What we have seen ourselves. Several people told us they were told it would take two to three months to see a counselor
Who we serve first. People with limited income and no insurance, young people, and people in crisis, in people with low income and no insurance, young adults and people recently discharged from the hospital.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Timely counseling. We aim to offer a first appointment within two weeks, and sooner for people in crisis.
2. Licensed counselors. All counseling is provided by counselors holding the license our state requires, or by supervised trainees working under a licensed supervisor.
3. Fees people can pay. A sliding scale based on income and household size, with no one turned away for inability to pay.
4. A plan for crisis. About $16,000 in Year 1 pays for an on-call phone line, safety training for staff, supplies and links to crisis services such as 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988) and local mobile crisis teams.
5. Community education. We offer short trainings so that employers, schools, churches and families know how to respond when someone needs help.
How we will measure results. We record how long people wait, how many sessions they attend and whether they finish their plan. Clients complete standard questionnaires at the start and at regular intervals so counselors and clients can see progress. We report results as totals only. Our goals for Year 1: serve 120 people; offer a first appointment within two weeks for 90% of people; have 70% complete their plan; and have 60% show improvement on a standard questionnaire.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve people in our county and the two neighboring counties, especially people with low income and no insurance, young adults and people recently discharged from the hospital.
How we know people need this. We saw 45 people last year with only volunteer hours, and have a waiting list of 30 people.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 120 people over the year. The number of residents who live in an area with too few mental health professionals and local wait times are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one licensed counselor to five, we expect to serve more people each year.
How people reach us. Community health centers, schools, the emergency department, the courts and local churches.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- Community mental health centers provide services, often for people with serious mental illness, and often have long waits. We work with them and take referrals for people they cannot see quickly. We share referrals with our county mental health center.
- Private therapists provide good care but may be costly and may not take new patients. We offer a lower-cost option.
- Hospitals and emergency rooms provide crisis care. We provide follow-up care after a crisis.
- Primary care clinics increasingly offer mental health care. We partner with them.
- Peer support groups and faith communities are valuable. We work alongside them.
What makes us different: short waits, fees on a sliding scale, evening hours and counselors who speak Spanish
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from doctors, clinics, schools, courts, churches, emergency rooms and social service agencies.
- Presentations and information at schools, libraries, employers, churches and community events.
- Word of mouth from clients and families.
- A simple way to request an appointment, by phone, text or online.
Getting paid by insurance. Over time, we plan to bill Medicaid and private insurance for counseling, which means being approved (credentialed) by each payer. This can take several months and requires licensed staff and good record-keeping. We do not count on insurance money until we are approved.
Volunteers. Faith communities, college students and community groups.
Raising money beyond grants. Insurance billing and donations are planned at about $25,000 in Year 1, growing to about $92,000 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 client moves through the program:
1. A request for an appointment, and a short screening to check for urgent needs.
2. A first visit, where the counselor listens, explains confidentiality and its limits, and agrees on goals.
3. Regular sessions, with progress checked at set times.
4. Referral to other care when needed.
5. Ending care when goals are reached, with a plan for what to do if problems return.
A first visit. The counselor explains what we do and the limits of confidentiality, asks about what brought the person in, checks for safety, and agrees on goals and a schedule.
Safety and rules. Our counselors follow their professional ethics and state law, including the limits of confidentiality (for example, when someone is in danger or when abuse of a child or older adult must be reported). We follow HIPAA privacy rules, carry professional liability insurance and follow a written crisis plan. Rules for clinics and counselors differ by state, so we check what applies to us before we begin.
Privacy. Health information is kept private and locked, and we follow HIPAA. We share information only with the client's written permission or when the law requires it, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $5,000 in equipment (laptops, a secure records system, a printer and office furniture), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One licensed counselor in Year 1, then two in Year 2, three in Year 3, four in Year 4 and five in Year 5. Counselors receive regular supervision and have a limited caseload, because good care takes time.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $15,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Anthony Torres, Executive Director and Clinical Director.
The Executive Director leads the organization, raises money and manages grants and contracts, builds partnerships, oversees the finances and reports to the Board. As Clinical Director, this person must hold the license our state requires for the services we provide, and oversees the quality and safety of all counseling. Planned salary: $68,000 a year.
Licensed counselors. Provide counseling, keep clinical records and take part in the crisis plan. One position in Year 1, growing to five by Year 5, at a planned salary of $52,000 each. Qualifications we look for: a licensed professional counselor or clinical social worker with at least two years of experience and an ability to work with people from many backgrounds.
Volunteers. Volunteers can help with community education, outreach and event setup. They do not provide counseling.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Karen Carter, 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 the licensing, insurance and privacy steps our state requires.
- Hire our first licensed counselor and set up our crisis plan.
- Serve about 120 people over the year.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for wait times, sessions completed and client progress.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $155,000.
Year 2: two licensed counselors; budget of about $209,000.
Year 3: three licensed counselors; budget of about $264,000.
Year 4: four licensed counselors; budget of about $318,000.
Year 5: five licensed counselors; budget of about $373,000.
Over the five years: grow to five licensed counselors, become approved to bill insurance, add group programs and community training, and strengthen our crisis partnerships. Crisis response costs grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. We track wait times, sessions and standard questionnaire scores at set times. Twice a year a short survey asks clients how respected and helped they feel. Staff and the Board review results and share totals with funders. We do not make promises about individual outcomes, because every person is different.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $75,000 from the Meridian Community Fund for our first licensed counselor's salary, our crisis response systems, and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $155,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $130,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Insurance billing and donations: $25,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director and Clinical Director: $68,000. - Licensed counselors: $52,000. - Crisis response and safety costs (on-call phone, safety training, partner services, supplies): $16,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $15,000. - That is about $151,000 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 $155,000 in Year 1 to about $373,000 in Year 5 as we grow to five licensed counselors. Grants and contracts are planned at $130,000 in Year 1, $171,000 in Year 2, $210,000 in Year 3, $246,000 in Year 4 and $281,000 in Year 5. Insurance billing and donations grow from $25,000 to $92,000, 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 Medicaid, insurance and government funds. Becoming approved to bill can take months, payment may come weeks after the visit, and not all counseling is paid for. We do not count on insurance money until we are approved, and we plan to keep enough cash to cover the wait. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer hours, donated supplies and supervision from partner clinicians are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free use of a church office (about $6,000 a year in rent value), supervision hours from a partner psychiatrist, and about 400 volunteer hours a year 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 an existing clinic, school or church, start with a small number of hours with a licensed counselor, and track your results carefully. Quality and safety come before growth. 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 clinics, schools, physicians or other partners.
- Your clinical director's license and your counselors' licenses (or your plan to obtain them).
- Your privacy, confidentiality, consent and crisis response policies, and proof of professional liability insurance.
- Your client numbers from the past year, if you have them (people served, wait times).
- 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 Clinical Director $68,000; each licensed counselor $52,000, growing from 1 to 5.
- Crisis response and safety costs about $16,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $15,000 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.