Elevate Nonprofit Leadership Academy

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Executive Summary

Elevate Nonprofit Leadership Academy is a nonprofit in Georgia that prepares emerging nonprofit leaders, with a focus on leaders of color and leaders from the communities their organizations serve. A one-year fellowship offers practical training in management, finance, fundraising and governance, a coach, an executive director as a mentor, a stipend and a capacity grant paid to vendors to help the fellow's organization apply what was learned.

Many nonprofit leaders are promoted for their program skill and expected to learn management on the job, and leaders of color often have fewer mentors and networks. Leadership training costs money and time that small organizations do not have.

With this grant we will serve about 24 fellows in Year 1 in 2 cohorts. We do not give legal, tax or lobbying advice, we do not take positions on candidates or ballot measures and we do not promise any fellow a promotion. We promise honest teaching, careful use of funds and respect for every leader.

Our Year 1 budget is about $198,000, growing to about $265,500 by Year 5 as we add sites, coaches and participants. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 4 staff in Year 1 (an Executive Director, a Program Director and a part-time coach) and 7 by Year 5.

We are asking the Southern Community Leaders Foundation for $65,000 for the Program Director and fellowship stipends. Our other income and startup support cover the rest. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this proposal, and we do not promise any result beyond what we describe.

Company Description

Elevate Nonprofit Leadership Academy is a nonprofit organization in Georgia. We are a registered charity with a volunteer board of directors, a written conflict-of-interest policy and a yearly budget the board reviews.

Our mission. Strong communities need strong nonprofits, and strong nonprofits need leaders who are prepared, supported and reflect the people they serve.

What we do.
- Run a one-year fellowship for emerging nonprofit leaders, with a focus on leaders of color and leaders from the communities served.
- Teach management, finance, fundraising, board governance, evaluation and leading people.
- Provide a stipend and a coach to each fellow, with a peer cohort that meets monthly.
- Offer capacity grants paid to vendors to help fellows' organizations apply what they learn.
- Match each fellow with an experienced executive director as a mentor.
- Host an annual leadership summit open to the sector.

Our values. Respect for every participant, honesty with families and partners, safety first and a place for everyone who wants to belong.

What we do not do. We do not give legal, tax or lobbying advice and refer to professionals. Fellowship stipends are reviewed by an attorney and accountant. We do not take positions on candidates or ballot measures. We do not promise any fellow a promotion. We follow the rules of our partner sites and our insurer.

How we got here. A group of executive directors, a foundation officer and a consultant began monthly dinners for new nonprofit managers who had no training and little support. The dinners filled quickly. We kept simple records of who came and what they asked for. This proposal asks for support to move from monthly dinners to a steady program with paid, trained staff and the materials to match.

Problem & Opportunity

Many nonprofit leaders are promoted for their programmatic skill and are expected to learn management, finance and fundraising on the job, and leaders of color often have fewer mentors and networks.

Cost. Leadership training costs money and time, and small nonprofits cannot pay for it.

Access. Many programs are designed for large organizations, held far away or built on a model that does not reflect community-based leadership.

Safety and trust. Fellows want a program that respects their experience, and funders want to see that training changes organizations.

Missed benefits. Organizations that are poorly led may struggle, burn out staff and lose community trust.

What we hear.
- A new director says she was promoted on a Friday and learned the budget on Monday.
- A board chair says the organization needs a leader who comes from the community.
- A funder says many of her best grantees need management help.
- A fellow says the cohort became her professional family.

We do not claim that a program can solve every challenge. We believe that practical training, a coach and a cohort can prepare emerging leaders to lead strong, lasting organizations.

Products & Services

Elevate Nonprofit Leadership Academy gives emerging nonprofit leaders a safe, welcoming place to grow as leaders and strengthen their organizations.

How the program works.
1. Application. Candidates apply with a short form and a nomination from their organization.
2. Cohort. Fellows are selected for a cohort of about twelve and meet monthly.
3. Curriculum. Sessions cover management, finance, fundraising, board governance, evaluation and leading people.
4. Coaching and mentors. Each fellow has a coach and an experienced executive director as a mentor.
5. Stipend. Each fellow receives a stipend to offset time spent in the program.
6. Capacity grants. Fellows' organizations may apply for a small grant, paid to vendors, to apply what they learned.
7. Summit. An annual summit brings the sector together.

What a typical session looks like. Participants arrive and check in with a staff member, settle in together, work on the day's activity in small groups and finish with a short talk about what went well. Staff praise effort, correct mistakes kindly and make sure no one is left out.

Staff. Our faculty, coaches and mentors are experienced nonprofit executives and advisors who pass a background check, complete our orientation and are paid or supported for their time.

Access and fairness. Programs are free. The fellowship is free. We welcome every eligible leader and give priority to leaders of color and leaders from the communities their organizations serve.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Emerging leaders at community-based nonprofits in our region with at least three years of experience. Eligibility is leadership potential, experience and an organization's nomination, and no fellow is turned away for the size of their organization.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every young person who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. In our dinners we served full rooms and kept a waiting list. Foundation officers told us that many more emerging leaders need training than the region offers. For Year 1 we plan to serve about 24 participants at 1 cohorts. By Year 5, with more staff and sites, we plan to serve about 48.

Where participants come from.
- Nonprofit associations and networks.
- Foundation program officers.
- Executive directors and board chairs.
- Fellows who tell a colleague.

Who else benefits. Organizations gain stronger management. Funders see better use of grants. Communities gain leaders who understand them.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a new director leading her first board meeting. We keep our early counts modest and honest so we can do the work well.

Competitive Landscape

What young people can find today, and how we are different.

1. University executive programs. Strong and costly. We offer a free, cohort-based program.

2. National leadership programs. Excellent and distant. We are local.

3. Consultants. Skilled and costly for small groups. We build capacity in groups.

4. Peer networks. Valuable and informal. We add structure.

5. Online courses. Convenient and not personal.

What makes us different.
- Free for fellows and their organizations.
- A cohort, a coach and a mentor for each fellow.
- A stipend and capacity grants paid to vendors.
- A focus on leaders of color and community leaders.
- An annual summit for the sector.

Why this gap matters. Existing programs do good work, and most serve people who can already pay or who live close to them. The people we serve are the ones left over: they live in the wrong neighborhood, have the wrong schedule or have no one to ask. We are built to reach them.

We have spoken with nonprofit associations, foundations and other leadership programs to make sure we are filling a gap and not duplicating services. Their letters of support are in the attachments.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How young people and partners will find us.

Reaching young people.
- Nonprofit associations. We will share information in newsletters and meetings.
- Foundation program officers. We will present and share nomination forms.
- Executive directors and board chairs. We will talk with leaders who know emerging talent.
- Social media and local media. We will share fellows' stories.
- Word of mouth. Fellows tell colleagues.
- A simple website and a phone line with a text option.

Reaching staff and sponsors.
- Recruit faculty, coaches and mentors through nonprofit associations, foundations and retired executives.
- Offer an orientation, a background check and training in safety, privacy and respectful practice.
- Give partners a short report each quarter with counts of participants and what they said.

How we decide who joins. We use a simple sign-up form and enroll participants in the order received, with priority for those with the greatest need and for people new to the program. We keep a waiting list when the program is full.

What we watch. Sign-ups, attendance, fellows graduated, capacity grants awarded and how many participants return for a second season.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (July and August): Hire the staff, buy equipment and materials, finalize the waiver, consent form and privacy policy with our attorney and sign site agreements.
- Month 3 (September): Open applications and select the first cohort.
- Months 4 to 10: Hold monthly sessions, coaching and mentoring through the year.
- Months 11 and 12: Hold the summit, survey fellows and organizations, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Sessions are held at a community foundation conference room and a community center, provided at low or no cost.

Safety and privacy.
- Stipends and capacity grants are reviewed by an attorney and an accountant and paid according to a written policy.
- Faculty follow a written conflict-of-interest policy.
- Every staff member and volunteer passes a background check and completes safety training.
- Staff work in pairs or in view of others whenever participants are minors or in a vulnerable situation.
- We keep an emergency plan at every site, and participants complete an emergency contact form.
- We keep records private, share them only with a participant's permission or as the law requires and follow a written policy.

Equipment. We buy about $5,000 of equipment once at the start: laptops and projector for sessions ($2,500), session supplies and furnishings ($1,500), locking storage and printer ($1,000). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. The Program Director, paid $48,000 a year, manages the cohort and curriculum. A part-time coach, paid $24,000, works with fellows. We add coaches as cohorts grow.

Management & Organization

Dr. Valerie Washington, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting. I came to this work as an executive director who learned most of what I know the hard way. I will complete the program curriculum so I understand it from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Staff. The Program Director manages the cohort and curriculum, and part-time coaches work with fellows. Each passes a background check. These positions are part of our grant request.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes a retired executive director, a foundation officer, a board chair, a banker who serves as treasurer, an attorney and a program graduate. The board meets every other month, approves our budget and reviews our safety plan. No board member is paid, and members with a conflict of interest step out of related decisions.

Advisory partners. A nonprofit professor, a community foundation president and an executive coach give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $54,000 a year; program Director, paid $48,000 a year; leadership Coach (part-time), paid $24,000 a year.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals, how we will measure them and when we plan to reach them.

Year 1 outcomes (July 2027 through June 2028):
- Serve about 24 participants at 1 cohorts.
- Run at least two full seasons and a summer session.
- Have at least 85 percent of participants attend most sessions.
- Have at least 80 percent of participants return for a second season.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 90 percent of families who answer our short survey.

What we count and how.
- Participants enrolled, sessions and games attended, from our records.
- Skills learned and goals met, from the coach's checklist.
- Equipment issued and returned, from our log.
- Participant and family feedback, from a short, confidential form.
We report what we find, including what did not work, and use it to improve.

Growth over five years.
- Year 2: About 30 participants at 1 cohorts.
- Year 3: About 36 participants at 1 cohorts.
- Year 4: About 42 participants at 2 cohorts.
- Year 5: About 48 participants at 2 cohorts.

Learning along the way. At the end of each quarter, the director and the board review the numbers and decide whether we are on track. If we are behind, we will adjust our outreach, our sites or our schedule before asking for more money.

After the grant. By Year 5, grants make up about 49 percent of our budget, down from about 64 percent in Year 1, as partners and donors give more. We will keep building those relationships every year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $65,000 from the Southern Community Leaders Foundation for the Program Director and fellowship stipends, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Director salary, $48,000.
- Other: Fellowship stipends, $17,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 52% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $198,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $8,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $126,000; community Foundation Partners $40,000; corporate Partners $24,000; individual Donors $8,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $54,000; program Director $48,000; leadership Coach (part-time) $24,000; fellowship Stipends about $24,000; speaker and Retreat Costs about $10,000; capacity Grants Paid to Vendors about $12,000; curriculum about $4,000; evaluation about $4,000; administration and Insurance about $9,000; about $2,600 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $12,500 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $2,500 for laptops and projector for sessions; $1,500 for session supplies and furnishings; $1,000 for locking storage and printer; $2,500 for attorney review of the fellowship agreement, stipend policy and privacy policy; $1,500 for flyers, banners and a simple website; $1,500 for coach training and background checks; $2,000 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($12,500), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $47,300, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $60,000. We start with $6,000 from our founding board and $56,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a corporate partner, $62,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $198,000 in Year 1 to about $265,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $126,000, $139,000, $127,000, $140,500 and $129,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: community Foundation Partners from $40,000 to $64,000; corporate Partners from $24,000 to $48,000; individual Donors from $8,000 to $24,000. Our surplus is planned at about $8,000 in Year 1, about $9,700 in Year 2, about $10,200 in Year 3, about $12,000 in Year 4 and about $13,100 in Year 5. We grow from 1 cohorts to 2 by Year 5, adding a part-time coach for each new site.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $58,100, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $7,920 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per fellow. In Year 1, our total costs are about $7,917 per fellow served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more fellow served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $5,258 per fellow.

After the grant. Community foundation and corporate funding, corporate sponsors and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Participants and families share their stories, and businesses can sponsor a team or a season by name. We will look for partnerships with schools and the city that want a safe, free leadership development option for every child.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- An injury. Certified coaches, proper equipment, groups matched by age and skill, a written emergency plan and insurance.
- A site is no longer available. We keep agreements with more than one site and a plan for bad weather.
- A coach leaves. We keep a list of trained backup coaches and share lesson plans.
- Low attendance. We adjust sites, times and rides based on family feedback.
- 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 partner 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 neighborhood, a handful of fellows and a small team, 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 partner schools, agencies and sites.
- Your site agreements and your insurance certificate.
- Your consent, waiver and privacy policy.
- Your safety plan and background check policy.
- Your program outline and schedule.
- Quotes for equipment and materials.
- 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: $126,000 in Year 1, growing to $129,500 in Year 5.
- Community Foundation Partners: $40,000 in Year 1, growing to $64,000 in Year 5.
- Corporate Partners: $24,000 in Year 1, growing to $48,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donors: $8,000 in Year 1, growing to $24,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive Director $54,000; program Director $48,000; leadership Coach (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: fellowship Stipends $24,000; speaker and Retreat Costs $10,000; capacity Grants Paid to Vendors $12,000; curriculum $4,000; evaluation $4,000; administration and Insurance $9,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $5,000 at the start, then $1,500 to $2,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $12,500, paid once from $62,000 in startup money.
- Participants served: about 24 in Year 1, growing to about 48 in Year 5. Sites: 1 in Year 1, growing to 2 by Year 5. Each cohort runs twelve months, with a new cohort starting every six months.
- About 4% 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