New Roots Business Center Refugee Entrepreneurship Program

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Executive Summary

New Roots Business Center Refugee Entrepreneurship Program is a nonprofit in Georgia that helps refugees and former refugees start and grow businesses. A free 12-week course with interpreters, a navigator who speaks each participant's language, help with licensing and taxes, microloans and small grants paid to vendors and market tables at community events turn skills into businesses.

Refugees arrive with skills and determination, and many are pushed into low-paid jobs because credentials and credit do not carry over. Rules about licenses and taxes are unfamiliar, and banks do not recognize foreign experience.

With this grant we will serve about 40 participants in Year 1 in 1 location. We do not give immigration, legal or tax advice and we do not promise any business a profit. We promise respectful teaching in participants' languages, careful use of funds and honest help.

Our Year 1 budget is about $214,000, growing to about $278,500 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 Manager and two part-time navigators) and 7 by Year 5.

We are asking the Welcome Home Economic Foundation for $60,000 for the Program Manager and interpretation and translation. 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

New Roots Business Center Refugee Entrepreneurship Program 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. Refugees bring courage, skill and enterprise, and they should have a fair chance to build businesses in their new home.

What we do.
- Run a free business course with interpreters in the main languages of our participants.
- Pair each participant with a business navigator who speaks their language.
- Help participants understand local licensing, food safety, taxes and credit.
- Provide microloans and small grants for approved business expenses, paid to vendors.
- Offer a shared kitchen and market table at community events.
- Connect participants with mentors and lenders.

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 immigration, legal or tax advice. We refer participants to qualified attorneys and accountants. We do not promise any business a profit. Funds are paid to vendors for approved expenses and never as cash. We follow the rules of our partner sites and our insurer.

How we got here. A group of former refugees who had started businesses, a resettlement caseworker and a banker began meeting with newly arrived families who had skills and no way to use them. Many started selling food and crafts informally. We kept simple records of who came and what they were making. This proposal asks for support to move from informal gatherings to a steady program with paid, trained staff and the materials to match.

Problem & Opportunity

Refugees arrive with skills, work history and determination, and many are pushed into low-paid jobs because their credentials and credit do not carry over.

Cost. Licenses, equipment and supplies cost money that a family that has just arrived does not have.

Access. Rules about licenses and taxes are unfamiliar and written in English, and banks do not recognize foreign credit or experience.

Safety and trust. Participants and funders want to know that help is fair, transparent and respectful of culture.

Missed benefits. Skilled people stay underemployed, and communities lose new businesses and jobs.

What we hear.
- A man says he ran a shop for fifteen years and now cleans offices at night.
- A woman says she does not know which forms to fill out to sell her bread.
- A caseworker says many clients ask about starting a business within a year.
- A banker says refugees repay at high rates when given a chance.

We do not claim that a program can solve every challenge. We believe that language, local knowledge and a first small loan can help a refugee turn experience into a business.

Products & Services

New Roots Business Center Refugee Entrepreneurship Program gives refugees and former refugees a safe, welcoming place to start and grow a business.

How the program works.
1. Referral. Resettlement agencies and community groups refer clients, and people may self-refer.
2. Orientation. A navigator explains the program in the client's language.
3. Course. A 12-week course with interpreters covers planning, pricing, licensing, taxes and credit.
4. Coaching. A navigator helps each participant write a plan and complete required forms.
5. Capital. Participants with a plan may apply for a microloan or small grant, paid to vendors.
6. Market access. Participants sell at community markets and events and receive help finding buyers.
7. Follow-up. We check in at six and twelve months and help with credit building.

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 navigators speak the languages of our participants, many are former refugees, and each passes a background check, completes our training and is paid for their time.

Access and fairness. Programs are free. Services are free. We welcome every refugee and former refugee, and offer classes and materials in several languages.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Refugees and former refugees in our service area who have a business idea or a young business. Eligibility is refugee or former refugee status and a business idea, and no one is turned away for limited English.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every young person who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. In our gatherings we served full rooms and kept a waiting list. Resettlement caseworkers told us that many more clients want to start businesses than they can help. For Year 1 we plan to serve about 40 participants at 1 locations. By Year 5, with more staff and sites, we plan to serve about 120.

Where participants come from.
- Resettlement agencies and caseworkers.
- Churches, mosques and cultural groups.
- Banks and community lenders.
- Participants who tell a friend.

Who else benefits. Families gain income and stability. Neighborhoods gain businesses and jobs. Resettlement agencies gain a path to self-sufficiency for clients.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a family selling their first product at a market. 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. Small business centers. Strong, mostly in English, with limited interpretation. We add languages and cultural understanding.

2. Resettlement agencies. Provide essential early help and often limited business help. We partner.

3. Banks. Lend to qualified businesses and do not recognize foreign credit. We help participants prepare.

4. Online courses. Convenient, in English and impersonal.

5. Informal sales. Common and risky without licenses. We help move into the formal economy.

What makes us different.
- Interpreters and navigators in participants' languages.
- Microloans and grants paid to vendors.
- Credit building and lender introductions.
- Market tables at community events.
- Follow-up at six and twelve months.

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 resettlement agencies, banks and small business centers 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.
- Resettlement agencies. We will give caseworkers a short referral form and a named contact.
- Cultural and religious groups. We will talk with leaders and share flyers in several languages.
- Banks and lenders. We will invite loan officers to class sessions.
- Ethnic media. We will share information in several languages.
- Word of mouth. Graduates tell friends.
- A simple website and a phone line with a text option.

Reaching staff and sponsors.
- Recruit navigators through resettlement agencies and refugee community groups.
- 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, businesses started, licenses obtained 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 start the first course.
- Months 4 to 10: Run courses with interpreters, navigation and capital.
- Months 11 and 12: Survey participants, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Classes are held at a community center and a library, provided at low or no cost.

Safety and privacy.
- Loans and grants are paid to vendors and reviewed by two people.
- Staff follow a written policy on cultural respect and privacy.
- 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 $6,500 of equipment once at the start: laptops and projector for classes ($3,000), market tables, tents and signs ($2,000), interpretation headsets and portable sound ($1,500). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. The Program Manager, paid $46,000 a year, manages the course and capital. Two part-time navigators, each paid $22,000 a year, work with participants. We add navigators as we add languages and cohorts.

Management & Organization

Joseph Nkurunziza, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting. I came to this work as a former refugee who started a business and then helped others do the same. I will take the course so I understand the program from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Staff. The Program Manager manages the course and capital, and part-time business navigators work with participants. Each passes a background check. These positions are part of our grant request.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes a former refugee business owner, a resettlement caseworker, a banker who serves as treasurer, an attorney, an accountant and a 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 small business advisor, a community lender and a cultural liaison give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $52,000 a year; program Manager, paid $46,000 a year; business Navigator (part-time), paid $22,000 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 40 participants at 1 locations.
- 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 60 participants at 1 locations.
- Year 3: About 80 participants at 2 locations.
- Year 4: About 100 participants at 2 locations.
- Year 5: About 120 participants at 2 locations.

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 54 percent of our budget, down from about 70 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: $60,000 from the Welcome Home Economic Foundation for the Program Manager and interpretation and translation, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Manager salary, $46,000.
- Other: Interpretation and translation for classes, $14,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 40% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $214,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $8,700 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $150,000; refugee Resettlement Partner Funding $34,000; bank and CDFI Partners $22,000; individual Donors $8,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $52,000; program Manager $46,000; business Navigator (part-time) $22,000; microloan and Grant Pool about $30,000; interpretation and Translation about $10,000; licensing and Food Safety Fees about $5,000; workshop Materials about $4,000; cultural Liaison Stipends about $4,000; administration and Insurance about $9,000; about $2,900 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $15,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $3,000 for laptops and projector for classes; $2,000 for market tables, tents and signs; $1,500 for interpretation headsets and portable sound; $2,500 for attorney review of the participant agreement, loan policy and privacy policy; $1,800 for multilingual flyers and a simple website; $1,700 for navigator training and background checks; $2,500 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($15,000), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $51,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $66,000. We start with $6,000 from our founding board and $62,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a credit union, $68,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $214,000 in Year 1 to about $278,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $150,000, $161,000, $149,500, $161,500 and $150,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: refugee Resettlement Partner Funding from $34,000 to $58,000; bank and CDFI Partners from $22,000 to $46,000; individual Donors from $8,000 to $24,000. Our surplus is planned at about $8,700 in Year 1, about $10,200 in Year 2, about $10,900 in Year 3, about $12,900 in Year 4 and about $13,600 in Year 5. We grow from 1 locations 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 $62,900, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $8,560 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per participant. In Year 1, our total costs are about $5,133 per participant served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more participant served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $2,207 per participant.

After the grant. Refugee resettlement partner 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 entrepreneurship 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 participants 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: $150,000 in Year 1, growing to $150,500 in Year 5.
- Refugee Resettlement Partner Funding: $34,000 in Year 1, growing to $58,000 in Year 5.
- Bank and CDFI Partners: $22,000 in Year 1, growing to $46,000 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 $52,000; program Manager $46,000; business Navigator (part-time) $22,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: microloan and Grant Pool $30,000; interpretation and Translation $10,000; licensing and Food Safety Fees $5,000; workshop Materials $4,000; cultural Liaison Stipends $4,000; administration and Insurance $9,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year.
- Equipment: $6,500 at the start, then $1,500 to $2,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $15,000, paid once from $68,000 in startup money.
- Participants served: about 40 in Year 1, growing to about 120 in Year 5. Sites: 1 in Year 1, growing to 2 by Year 5. Courses run twelve weeks, with cohorts starting several times a year.
- 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