Last Mile Connectivity Coalition

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Last Mile Connectivity Coalition is a nonprofit in Montana that connects rural households to affordable broadband, helps families get the devices and subscriptions they need and trains people to use the internet with confidence. Our Digital Inclusion Navigators meet people where they are, whether at a library, a co-op meeting or a kitchen table, to help with broadband enrollment, device setup and digital skills. We upgrade connectivity and equipment at community anchor sites such as libraries, clinics and community centers, so they can serve as technology hubs for neighbors who still lack service at home. Payments for subscriptions and devices go directly to internet service providers and retailers, never as cash.

Many rural areas still lack reliable, affordable broadband, and the families in them are locked out of telehealth, remote work, online education and government services that the rest of the country takes for granted. Even in places where a broadband signal exists, many households cannot afford a subscription, do not own a capable device, or do not know how to use the services that broadband makes possible. The problem is not just infrastructure: it is affordability, equipment, digital literacy and trust.

With this grant we will assist about 150 households in Year 1, opening in about Month 3, upgrade connectivity and equipment at about 5 community anchor sites and provide digital skills training to about 200 people. Our goal is that at least 80 percent of the households we assist are enrolled in an affordable broadband subscription within 60 days, that every anchor site we upgrade meets a basic connectivity standard we set and test and that at least 75 percent of training participants report feeling more confident using the internet at 90 days. We do not promise that a household will maintain its subscription or that connectivity will be available everywhere we serve.

Our Year 1 budget: about $567,500, growing to about $836,500 by Year 5. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 7 paid staff in Year 1 and 11 by Year 5. Federal and state broadband and digital equity contracts and ISP, utility and foundation partners add steady support, so grants fall from about 74% of our income in Year 1 to about 52% in Year 5.

We are asking the Connected Communities Fund for $90,000 for one Digital Inclusion Navigator, household device and subscription assistance paid directly to ISPs and retailers and community anchor site equipment and connectivity upgrades. Federal and state contracts, other grants and ISP and utility partners cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Darlene Castillo, the Executive Director, a former rural school librarian and broadband planning consultant to two county commissions. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Last Mile Connectivity Coalition is a nonprofit organization in Montana. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity (or a program of one, through a fiscal sponsor), governed by a volunteer board of directors. We will provide our IRS determination letter, board list and most recent financial statements with this proposal.

Our mission. To make sure every household in our rural communities can afford, access and use reliable broadband internet.

What we believe. Broadband is infrastructure, like a road or a water line. A family without it is cut off from the economy, from health care and from the education their children deserve. The solution is not just wires and signals: it is affordable plans, capable devices, people who can help and the trust of communities that have been promised connectivity before and seen it fail to arrive. We work with the internet service providers, utilities and government programs that fund infrastructure, and we do the community work that those funders often cannot do on their own.

How we started. Last Mile Connectivity Coalition began when a county library director and a rural electric cooperative manager noticed that even after a federal broadband build-out in their county, subscription rates among the lowest-income households remained low. People could not afford the plans, did not have capable devices, did not know how to sign up for federal assistance programs or did not trust that help would last. The two of them, along with a community health worker and a school principal, formed a working group, applied for a planning grant and spent a year mapping the gap. The map showed that hundreds of households were unserved, hundreds more were underserved and thousands were eligible for affordability programs they had never heard of. This proposal asks for support to do the work the map showed was needed.

What we offer:
- Outreach and enrollment. Digital Inclusion Navigators meet households at libraries, schools, co-ops, churches, food pantries and doorsteps. They explain free and low-cost broadband programs, walk a household through the enrollment process and follow up until the connection is working.
- Device assistance. Loaner and donated devices for households that need a capable computer, tablet or router, and help setting them up. Devices are loaned or transferred directly; no cash is given to a household.
- Subscription assistance. Help enrolling in ACP successors, Lifeline, state assistance programs and provider-sponsored low-income plans, with direct payment to the ISP where a program requires it.
- Anchor site upgrades. Equipment and connectivity improvements at public libraries, rural health clinics, community centers, fire stations and tribal facilities, so they can offer fast, reliable public internet and serve as training and connection hubs.
- Digital skills training. Group classes and one-on-one coaching at anchor sites and in mobile settings on topics including using email, video calls, telehealth portals, government services, job applications and staying safe online.
- Affordability screening. Every household we work with is screened for every program it may qualify for, including federal assistance programs, provider discounts and state or local support.
- A local broadband map. We maintain a community-level map of actual service availability and speed, contributed by households and anchor sites, to support local planning and federal reporting.

Who we serve. Rural households in our service counties, including households on fixed incomes, households with school-age children, older adults, people with a disability, agricultural families and tribal members, regardless of which internet service provider serves their address. Some federal and state programs have their own eligibility rules, which we confirm for each program. We do not charge any household for our services.

What we do not do. We are not an internet service provider, and we do not build, own or operate network infrastructure. We do not promise that a household will receive a government subsidy it has not been found eligible for, or that a provider will offer service to every address. We do not give cash to households. We do not provide legal services, and we refer immigration or legal questions to legal aid.

How we are run. A seven-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. The board includes a rural library director, a rural electric cooperative representative, a county commissioner, a tribal liaison, a broadband planning specialist, an attorney and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director manages the organization, the Program Director runs the program and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from two county libraries, a rural health clinic, a rural electric cooperative, a tribal health department, a regional internet service provider and the state broadband office. We have a letter of intent for a small office on a main street in the county seat. Before we begin, we will have an attorney review our ISP partnership agreements, device loan program rules, data-sharing agreements and privacy policies and confirm any Montana requirements.

Problem & Opportunity

Rural broadband is not a single problem. It is several: where a signal exists and where it does not, whether a household can afford a plan, whether a family has a device that works, whether anyone in the household knows how to use it and whether they trust that a program will last long enough to be worth the effort.

Federal and state governments have made large investments in broadband infrastructure in recent years, and most of those investments fund construction. Building a tower, running fiber or deploying fixed wireless takes years, and the benefits flow first to households that are easiest to reach. The households with the worst connectivity, often those in the most remote areas, those with the fewest resources and those that have been most skeptical of past promises, tend to be the last to benefit from an infrastructure program and the least likely to sign up when service arrives.

Affordability is a separate and often overlooked barrier. In counties where broadband is technically available, a significant share of households are not subscribed, and cost is the leading reason. Federal programs have helped millions of households afford a subscription, and those programs have eligibility requirements, enrollment steps and annual renewal requirements that many rural households find confusing or cannot navigate alone. When a Navigator is available to walk through the process, enrollment rates are much higher.

Devices matter too. A smartphone can do many things, but applying for a job, filling out a benefits form, attending a virtual medical appointment or helping a child with schoolwork is far harder on a phone than on a computer with a keyboard and a full-size screen. Many rural households that have a broadband signal do not have a capable computer or tablet.

Anchor sites, such as libraries, community centers, health clinics and fire stations, can extend broadband access into the community, but many of them operate on slow, aging connections that are not fast enough to serve multiple users at once, do not have enough public terminals and do not have staff who can help a neighbor use them. A well-equipped, well-connected anchor site with trained staff can serve dozens of households that cannot get or afford service at home.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Connectivity alone does not guarantee that a household will use broadband for the things that matter most to them. Adoption depends on affordability, digital skills and trust, and on whether the services people want are accessible in their language and at their ability level. We will measure what we can, such as enrollment, retention and self-reported confidence, and share results honestly. We will use data from the FCC, the state broadband office, our own mapping program and the Census Bureau in our final application and will not overstate the gap.

Our counties are among those with the lowest broadband subscription rates in the state, and both the state broadband office and the federal digital equity planning process have identified our area as a priority. We aim to be the community implementation partner that federal and state infrastructure investments need to translate into actual use.

Products & Services

Last Mile Connectivity Coalition will run a rural broadband access and digital inclusion program with a Program Director, Digital Inclusion Navigators, a Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist, a Data and Grants Compliance Coordinator and an Executive Director, and will provide outreach, enrollment, device assistance, subscription assistance, anchor site upgrades and digital skills training at no cost to households.

How it works, step by step:
1. Mapping and outreach. We maintain and update a community-level broadband availability and adoption map, drawing on FCC data, the state's broadband map, household surveys and anchor site reports. We use the map to prioritize outreach, to identify anchor site candidates and to report to funders and government agencies.
2. Meeting households. Navigators work at library branches, co-op meetings, community centers, schools, food pantries, health clinics and, for households that cannot travel, at home. We reach households through trusted community partners, not cold calls.
3. Enrollment. A Navigator walks each household through every broadband assistance program it may qualify for. For programs that allow a Navigator to assist with the application, we complete it together. For programs that require the household to apply directly, we explain each step and follow up. We never submit a false application or claim a benefit a household does not qualify for.
4. Device help. For households that qualify for a device loaner or donation, we set up the device, connect it to the household's new or existing service and teach the basics. Devices are transferred through a written loan or donation agreement, never as cash.
5. Subscription assistance. Where a program requires direct payment to the ISP, we coordinate that payment. We also help households enroll in provider-sponsored low-income plans, which the provider pays directly, and state assistance programs. We never give cash to a household.
6. Anchor site upgrades. We assess each anchor site's current speed, equipment and public access setup against a standard we set with the site. Where an upgrade is needed, we procure equipment and coordinate installation with the site's ISP or network provider. Equipment is purchased and installed, not given as cash.
7. Digital skills training. Regular group classes and one-on-one coaching at anchor sites and in a mobile format, on topics households ask for. We track what topics are most requested and adjust every semester.
8. Follow-up. A check-in at 30 and 90 days to see whether the household is connected, whether the plan is still affordable and whether anything went wrong.

What the grant will pay for. Part of one Digital Inclusion Navigator's salary, household device and subscription assistance paid directly to ISPs and retailers and community anchor site equipment and connectivity upgrades. The rest of the budget comes from federal and state contracts, other grants and ISP and utility partners.

No false promises. We tell every household what each program covers, what the income or eligibility rules are and what will happen when a program ends or changes. We do not promise that a specific program will still exist next year, and we encourage households to ask us before they stop a subscription they think is covered.

Why this approach is strong. A household gets a person who speaks their language (in some cases literally), knows every program and stays until the connection is working. An anchor site gets equipment and training it can build on. We do not promise to connect every address, but we promise to know every program available and to help every household that wants to try.

Market Analysis

Who benefits: rural households in our Montana service counties who lack affordable broadband or the devices and skills to use it, the anchor sites that serve them and the schools, clinics and employers that depend on connected communities.

Our primary group is rural households without a broadband subscription. The households most likely to benefit include households below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, older adults, households with school-age children, agricultural and ranching families without office internet, households with a disability and tribal households in our service area. We will give priority to households in areas where service exists but is not subscribed, because subscription drives are the fastest way to increase adoption, and to households that have been waiting the longest for a connection.

We will not service a household located in an area with no service at all from any provider, and we will tell that household what federal and state infrastructure programs may eventually reach them and how to stay informed. We refer households with legal, immigration or benefits questions to legal aid and benefits counselors.

Local data. We will use the most recent data from the FCC National Broadband Map, the state broadband office, the Census Bureau's American Community Survey and our own household survey in our final application. We plan for about 150 households assisted in Year 1, about 5 anchor site upgrades and about 200 training participants, growing to about 610 households, 20 anchor sites and about 860 training participants by Year 5.

Our secondary groups are rural health clinics, which gain better-connected patients who can use telehealth portals; schools, which gain families who can attend virtual meetings and access homework resources; employers, which gain workers who can accept remote positions; and federal and state agencies, which gain a trusted local partner for digital equity plan implementation.

We do not guarantee connectivity to any address, and we do not promise that any government assistance program will be available or funded when a household applies. We tell every household this clearly.

Competitive Landscape

Other ways rural households in our area currently get broadband help, and what makes us different.

- Federal and state agencies. They fund programs, publish websites and send mailers. They rarely have local staff who can meet a household at home in a rural county or follow up when enrollment does not complete. We are the local implementation partner they need.
- Internet service providers. Some run their own low-income programs and outreach. They reach households that are easy to reach and often do not have the trust of communities that have been underserved for years. We work with them and help households enroll in their programs.
- Libraries. Our county libraries are anchor sites and community partners. They do not have staff whose main role is broadband enrollment and follow-up. We support them.
- Other digital equity nonprofits. Some exist in nearby urban areas and serve rural areas by mail or phone. We are based in the county we serve, and our Navigators live in these communities.
- Tribal programs. Tribal health and education programs serve tribal members well and have their own priorities. We work as a partner alongside them, not as a replacement.
- Doing nothing. This is what most unconnected households do, not because they do not want broadband but because they have given up asking for it. Rebuilding trust requires a consistent, reliable presence.

What makes us different.
- Navigators who live in the counties they serve and are trusted by the communities.
- Every program checked for every household, every time.
- Follow-up at 30 and 90 days.
- Anchor site upgrades that create a community hub, not just a connection for one household.
- A community broadband map that feeds into federal and state planning, not just our own reporting.
- Honest results, including the addresses and areas we could not help and why.

What we do not claim. We are new. Our track record is a planning grant and a mapping project. The state broadband office, regional planning agencies and national digital equity organizations have far more experience. We plan to learn from them, share our data and ask for advice.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach households, anchor sites, partners and supporters once the project is funded.

Households. We will work through trusted community intermediaries: rural libraries, rural health clinics, rural electric and telephone cooperatives, farm bureaus, tribal health and education programs, churches, food pantries, schools and county extension offices. We will attend county fairs, co-op annual meetings, school events and community days. We will ask every household we help to refer a neighbor. Materials will be in plain language at a reading level that works for our community, and we will provide Spanish-language materials in the areas of our service region where they are needed.

Anchor sites. We will prioritize libraries, health clinics and community centers that already have a relationship with underserved households, that can host training events and that have a staff member willing to be a point of contact. We will not upgrade a site that cannot commit to public access hours and a basic level of staff support.

ISP and utility partners. We will build relationships with every internet service provider serving our counties, including the rural electric cooperative's broadband subsidiary, fixed wireless providers and satellite providers. We will tell each one about our program, ask them to refer households to us and ask them to participate in our community mapping effort. We will not recommend a provider to a household based on a payment or a referral fee.

Government partners. We will work closely with the state broadband office, the state's digital equity coordinator, the county commissions and tribal government offices, and we will use our data to support their planning and reporting. We will help households and anchor sites apply for every government program they qualify for.

Funders. We will report results to funders twice a year and in a short annual report, using FCC and Census benchmarks where they exist and our own map data. We will invite funders to ride along with a Navigator, with the household's permission.

Donors and community. We will invite local businesses, cooperatives, foundations and civic groups to sponsor a Navigator's time, a device for a household or a training event.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 2: Attorney review of ISP agreements, device loan rules, data-sharing agreements and privacy policies, sign the lease, hire the Program Director, two Digital Inclusion Navigators, the Community Engagement Specialist and the Data and Compliance Coordinator, finalize anchor site agreements and set up the broadband map and secure data system.
- Month 3: Staff training on every broadband assistance program, device setup, digital skills coaching, data collection, privacy rules and the mapping tool. Confirm anchor site assessments. Begin household outreach.
- Months 4 to 8: First Navigator home visits and library sessions. First device placements and ISP enrollment completions. First anchor site upgrades. First training classes begin.
- Months 9 to 12: 30-day and 90-day follow-up begins. Review of enrollment rates, anchor site speeds and training participation, a year-end report to funders and state broadband office and planning for Year 2.

Space. A small leased office on a main street in the county seat, used for staff work, equipment storage and small meetings. The Navigators work mostly in the community. Office rent and utilities are about $24,000 a year in Year 1, with a build-out and a deposit of $10,500.

Equipment. We buy about $23,000 of equipment once at the start: survey and diagnostic tablets, hotspots and Wi-Fi testing equipment ($10,000), staff laptops, a projector and office devices ($6,000), office furniture and a secure equipment room ($3,000) and locking cabinets and a device loan closet ($4,000). After Year 1, we set aside about $4,000 to $5,000 a year to replace and add equipment.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director, a Broadband Program Director, two Digital Inclusion Navigators, a Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist, a Data and Grants Compliance Coordinator and a part-time Program Coordinator. A third Navigator joins in Year 3, a second Community Engagement Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth Navigator in Year 5.

Device and subscription assistance rules and controls. Subscription assistance is paid directly to the ISP or applied to a voucher program managed by the provider; no cash is given to a household. Devices are transferred through a written loan or donation agreement with the household, never as cash. Each item is approved by the Program Director or a designee and recorded, and the board reviews a list of all device and subscription payments each quarter. Household assistance is about $80,000 a year in Year 1 and grows about 10 percent a year.

Anchor site upgrades. Each anchor site signs a written agreement before work begins, committing to public access hours and basic staff support. We assess each site's current speed and equipment against a standard that we publish, procure and install equipment and retest after installation. Equipment is purchased and installed, never given as a cash grant. Site upgrade costs are about $30,000 a year in Year 1. We do not promise that a site will maintain its upgraded speed if the ISP changes its service.

Digital skills training. Training events at anchor sites use plain language and hands-on practice. Topics are chosen by participant request and include email, video calls, telehealth, job applications, government services, online banking and safety online. Participants are never required to share income or other personal information to attend. Training is about $15,000 a year in Year 1.

Broadband mapping. We maintain and update our community broadband map, drawing on household and anchor site data collected with consent. We use the map to support the FCC's challenge process, the state's broadband map and local planning, and we share the data with the state broadband office under a data-sharing agreement. Map data is collected only with household and site consent, is stored in a secure system and is never sold or shared with an ISP without the household's written permission.

Privacy. Household information, including address, income range and program enrollment, is kept in a locked cabinet and a secure, password-protected system and shared only with the household's written permission or as required by government program reporting. We tell every household what we collect and why, and we do not share a household's information with an ISP for marketing purposes.

Program integrity. We never submit a false application or claim a program benefit a household does not qualify for. We never accept a payment from an ISP in exchange for referring households to that provider. We do not have a financial relationship with any device vendor that would create a bias in our recommendations.

Crisis and safety. If a household member is in immediate danger, staff call 911. Anyone in crisis is connected right away to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Staff follow a written safety plan for home visits in remote areas, including check-in protocols and partner notification.

Insurance and records. We carry general liability, professional liability, commercial auto and non-owned auto liability insurance, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $10,000 a year in Year 1. Grant money is tracked separately so we can show each funder how their money was spent, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Darlene Castillo, Executive Director. A former rural school librarian and broadband planning consultant who led broadband mapping and digital equity planning for two county commissions and has deep relationships with the libraries, co-ops and clinics in the service area. She leads fundraising, partnerships, finance and hiring, reports to the board and is the main contact for funders. (Replace this paragraph with your own director's background.)

Broadband Program Director (full time, hired in Months 1 to 2). Runs the program day to day, manages Navigator caseloads and anchor site upgrades and maintains relationships with ISP and state agency partners. We will seek a person with experience in digital inclusion or broadband planning and knowledge of federal assistance programs.

Digital Inclusion Navigators (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Year 3, four from Year 4). Live in or near the communities they serve. Meet households at libraries, clinics, co-ops and at home, walk through enrollment in every program and follow up at 30 and 90 days. We will train every Navigator on every broadband assistance program, device setup, digital skills coaching and our data system.

Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4). Builds and maintains relationships with trusted community partners, recruits households and anchor sites and organizes training events.

Data and Grants Compliance Coordinator. Manages the broadband map, the household and anchor site database, federal and state grant reporting and data-sharing agreements with government agencies.

Program Coordinator (part-time). Keeps records, coordinates schedules and equipment loans and prepares reports.

Board of directors. Seven volunteers who meet every quarter: a rural library director, a rural electric cooperative representative, a county commissioner, a tribal liaison, a broadband planning specialist, an attorney and a certified public accountant. The board approves the budget and policies, reviews device and subscription payments each quarter and does not receive pay.

Community advisory group. Households, anchor site staff and community partners meet quarterly and tell us what is working and what is not. Their advice shapes our outreach, our training topics and our mapping process.

Outside professionals. An attorney reviews our ISP agreements, device loan rules and privacy policies. An outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Staff screening. Every staff member passes a background check appropriate for home visits in rural areas, and staff are trained in our privacy policy and program integrity rules before they meet a household.

Staff pay in this plan includes payroll taxes and benefits. Salaries are Executive Director $62,000, Program Director $58,000, Digital Inclusion Navigator $50,000, Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist $46,000, Data and Grants Compliance Coordinator $52,000 and part-time Program Coordinator $26,000. 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: Open in about Month 3, assist about 150 households, upgrade about 5 anchor sites and train about 200 people, with at least 80 percent of assisted households enrolled in a broadband subscription within 60 days. A balanced budget of about $567,500, with a small surplus of about $14,900. 7 paid staff.
- Year 2: Assist about 250 households, upgrade about 8 anchor sites and train about 350 people. Apply for federal and state digital equity implementation grants. Begin 90-day follow-up tracking. A balanced budget of about $583,000, with a small surplus of about $14,700. 7 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a third Navigator, assist about 360 households, upgrade about 12 anchor sites and train about 500 people. Contracts cover more of our budget. A balanced budget of about $697,000, with a small surplus of about $15,500. 9 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a second Community Engagement Specialist and a fourth Navigator, assist about 480 households, upgrade about 16 anchor sites and train about 680 people. A balanced budget of about $766,000, with a small surplus of about $16,200. 10 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a fifth Navigator, assist about 610 households, upgrade about 20 anchor sites and train about 860 people, with federal and state contracts covering about 33% of our budget. A balanced budget of about $836,500, with a small surplus of about $16,800. 11 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Households assisted, by county, income range and household type.
- Households enrolled in a broadband subscription within 60 days, at 90 days and at 12 months.
- Broadband program and affordability programs enrolled per household.
- Devices placed and the share still in use at 90 days.
- Anchor sites upgraded and actual speed before and after upgrade.
- Training participants and topics, and self-reported confidence at 90 days.
- Broadband map addresses added and challenged through the FCC process.
- Cost per household assisted and per household subscribed.
- Household satisfaction and whether they felt helped and respected, collected anonymously.

How we review results. The Program Director and Navigators review household caseloads and enrollment rates every week, and the whole team reviews outcomes monthly. Each semester, staff, the community advisory group and our government and anchor site partners review results together and we change what is not working, including which programs we lead with and how we follow up. Twice a year the board reviews results and we share them with funders and the state broadband office as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens, including the households we could not help and why.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $90,000 from the Connected Communities Fund for one Digital Inclusion Navigator, household device and subscription assistance paid directly to ISPs and retailers and community anchor site equipment and connectivity upgrades, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Digital Inclusion Navigator salary, $50,000.
- Other: Household device and subscription assistance (paid directly to ISPs and retailers, never as cash), $28,000 (other funds add $52,000).
- Other: Community anchor site equipment and connectivity upgrades, $12,000 (other funds add $18,000).

Other money in the program. Federal and state broadband and digital equity contracts, other grants and ISP and utility partners pay the other $70,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director's salary ($62,000), the Program Director ($58,000), the second Navigator ($50,000), the Community Engagement Specialist ($46,000), the Data and Compliance Coordinator ($52,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($26,000), digital skills training ($15,000), office rent and utilities ($24,000), technology and data system ($8,000), outreach and community events ($10,000), insurance ($10,000), staff training ($6,000), evaluation and reporting ($7,000) and administration and accounting ($14,000).

Year 1 budget: about $567,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $14,900 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $422,500 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), federal and state broadband and digital equity contracts $90,000 and ISP, utility and foundation partners $55,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $62,000; Broadband Program Director $58,000; two Digital Inclusion Navigators $100,000; Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist $46,000; Data and Grants Compliance Coordinator $52,000; Program Coordinator $26,000; household device and subscription assistance about $80,000; community anchor site equipment and connectivity upgrades about $30,000; digital inclusion coaching and training events about $15,000; office rent and utilities about $24,000; technology and data system about $8,000; outreach and community events about $10,000; insurance about $10,000; staff training and certifications about $6,000; evaluation and reporting about $7,000; administration and accounting about $14,000; and about $8,200 a year for the wear on equipment.

How we planned assistance. Household device and subscription assistance is about $80,000 in Year 1 for about 150 households, or about $533 per household on average, and grows about 10 percent a year. Not every household needs device or direct subscription assistance: many need only help enrolling in a provider program at no direct cost to us, and the per-household cost falls over time as we learn which neighborhoods and programs fit each other. Anchor site upgrades are about $30,000 in Year 1 for about 5 sites.

About government contracts. The federal government, through BEAD, the Digital Equity Act, E-Rate and other programs, and state governments fund broadband infrastructure, digital equity planning and implementation. These programs are competitive, are awarded for set periods and have strict rules about eligibility, performance measures, data reporting and matching requirements. We plan to apply once we have a track record. The amounts in this plan are our planning estimates, not promises, and agencies can change their budgets, rules and awards. We plan for grants and ISP and utility partners to cover the gap if they do.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $52,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $23,000 for equipment, $5,000 for leasehold improvements, $5,500 for deposits, $1,000 for licenses and permits, $8,000 for legal and professional help, $4,000 for signage, brochures and a website, $5,500 for background checks, training and first insurance.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($52,000), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $20,200) and a cash cushion of about $137,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $209,500. We start with $30,000 of our own savings and $200,000 in startup support from a regional foundation, a rural electric cooperative gift and our board, $230,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $567,500 in Year 1 to about $836,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $422,500, $385,000, $438,000, $439,000, $432,500 in Years 1 to 5. Federal and state contracts grow from $90,000 to $280,000, and ISP and utility and foundation partners grow from $55,000 to $124,000. We add a third Navigator in Year 3, a second Community Engagement Specialist and a fourth Navigator in Year 4 and a fifth Navigator in Year 5. Grants fall from about 74% of our income in Year 1 to about 52% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $186,800, at the end of Year 1. Government and grant payments often arrive after we bill or after we submit documents, so we plan for about $39,725 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is to grow federal and state digital equity implementation contracts as agencies see our enrollment and adoption data, to invite ISPs, utilities, co-ops and foundations to sponsor Navigators and training events and to grow individual donors. Because a connected household can access telehealth, remote work, education and government services that save the community money, success lowers long-term costs for the region and strengthens our case for public funding.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A government assistance program changes or ends. We track program changes monthly, tell households immediately and help them apply for the next available program.
- An ISP raises its prices or changes its low-income plan. We maintain relationships with every provider in the county, can help a household switch and monitor for changes.
- A household cannot afford a subscription after assistance ends. We follow up at 90 days and 12 months, connect households to every available program and document unmet need for policy and planning.
- Anchor site staff change and the upgrade is not maintained. We build the commitment into the site agreement and offer refresher training annually.
- Federal contracts are delayed or not awarded. We plan with a cash cushion, stage hiring so costs follow funding and apply to other funders.
- A government broadband program changes its matching or eligibility rules. We confirm rules before we spend and consult our attorney when rules change.
- A Navigator is unsafe on a home visit in a remote area. We use a written safety plan, check-in protocols and a partner notification system.

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 part-time Navigator working out of a library, helping 30 to 50 households in the first year and tracking results carefully. Strong, honest enrollment data from a small program make larger federal and state 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.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and Program Director.
- Letters of support from your county libraries, the rural health clinic, the rural electric cooperative, the tribal health department, the regional ISP and the state broadband office.
- Your anchor site agreement template and your device loan and donation agreement template.
- Your household assistance and device policies and payment controls.
- Your broadband map methodology and data-sharing agreement with the state broadband office.
- Your program integrity policy, including your no-referral-fee commitment.
- Your privacy policy and your staff home-visit safety plan.
- Your plan for measuring results, including 90-day and 12-month follow-up.
- Results from your planning grant and mapping project, shown as totals.
- Proof of general liability, professional liability and commercial auto insurance, or a quote.
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: $422,500 in Year 1, then $385,000, $438,000, $439,000, $432,500.
- Federal and State Broadband and Digital Equity Contracts: $90,000 in Year 1, growing to $280,000.
- ISP, Utility and Foundation Partners: $55,000 in Year 1, growing to $124,000.
- Households, anchor sites and training: about 150 households, 5 anchor site upgrades and 200 training participants in Year 1 (program opens about Month 3), then 250, 360, 480, 610 households, 8, 12, 16, 20 anchor sites and 350, 500, 680, 860 participants in Years 2 to 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and benefits): Executive Director $62,000, Program Director $58,000, Digital Inclusion Navigator $50,000 (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Year 3, four in Year 4, five in Year 5), Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist $46,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Data and Grants Compliance Coordinator $52,000, Program Coordinator (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Household Device and Subscription Assistance (Paid Directly to ISPs and Retailers) $80,000, Community Anchor Site Equipment and Connectivity Upgrades $30,000, Digital Inclusion Coaching and Training Events $15,000, Office Rent and Utilities $24,000, Technology and Data System $8,000, Outreach and Community Events $10,000, Insurance $10,000, Staff Training and Certifications $6,000, Evaluation and Reporting $7,000, Administration and Accounting $14,000. The other costs grow between 4% and 10% a year.
- Equipment: $23,000 at the start, then $4,000 to $5,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $52,000, paid once from $230,000 in startup money.
- About 7% 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