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Executive Summary
Heartland Communities Partnership is a nonprofit that helps small towns and rural communities in our four rural counties grow stronger. We provide help with grants, small project funds and leadership training for small towns, working with local people so projects fit what each community wants.
Rural communities have strengths that cities lack, like close ties, local pride and a connection to the land. But many face fewer jobs, fewer services and aging infrastructure, and small towns often do not have the staff to apply for grants or manage big projects. Our program gives rural communities the help they need to turn their own ideas into real improvements.
In Year 1 we plan to serve six small towns and about 300 residents. Our Year 1 budget is about $133,000, growing to about $263,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one rural development program staff member to four. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Union Grove Fund for $50,000, as part of the $120,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $13,000 in Year 1 comes from donations, which we plan to grow to about $43,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for rural development program staff, direct project costs and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many communities and residents take part, how many projects we complete, how many dollars in outside funding we help communities win, and what local leaders and residents tell us about what has changed. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Heartland Communities Partnership is a nonprofit organization in Iowa. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To help small towns and rural communities turn their own ideas into lasting improvements.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2022 when a county extension agent and a retired banker started helping small towns apply for grants. Since then we have helped five towns win about $400,000 in outside funds.
What we do:
- Help small towns and rural groups plan projects they care about, such as a main street, a clinic, a park, broadband or a food hub.
- Help rural groups find and apply for grants and government programs.
- Provide small project funds and technical help to get projects off the ground.
- Train local leaders in planning, fundraising and managing projects.
- Connect rural communities to each other and to state and federal agencies.
Where we work. Six small towns in our four-county area, with an office at the county extension building.
Our partners. Our county government, the regional planning council, the extension office and two community foundations.
Our approach. Rural communities know what they need. We go to them, listen, and help them do the work, rather than bringing in outside plans.
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 small towns in our four rural counties have lost jobs, young people and services over the years. Local governments and groups are often run by volunteers or a few part-time staff, with no one to write grants or manage projects. Money for rural areas often goes unused because small communities cannot meet the application and reporting requirements.
Facts about our community. According to the FCC's maps, many households in our county do not have access to broadband at modern speeds.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Capacity. Small towns often have no grant writer or project manager.
2. Money. Matching funds are hard for small towns to raise, and many programs require them.
3. Infrastructure. Broadband, water, roads and buildings are often aging.
4. Distance. Services and agencies are far away.
5. Young people. Many leave for jobs elsewhere, so communities need local opportunities.
What we have seen ourselves. Several mayors told us they have grant money available but no staff to write the application.
Who we serve first. Small towns and rural communities with limited resources and local groups ready to take on projects, in small towns under 3,000 people in our four-county area with an active local group.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. Listening and planning. We meet with local leaders and residents to choose projects and write a short plan together.
2. Help with grants and programs. We help rural groups find and apply for grants and government programs, including those from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development, state agencies and foundations.
3. Small project funds. About $22,000 in Year 1 pays for small projects, materials and matching funds, with clear rules.
4. Leadership training. We teach local leaders how to plan, raise money and manage projects, so they can keep going without us.
5. Connection. We link communities to each other, so they can share ideas and tools.
How we will measure results. We count communities and residents involved, projects completed, and outside funds we help communities win. We ask local leaders each year what has changed. Our goals for Year 1: work with six towns; complete eight small projects; help towns win $300,000 in outside funds; and train 25 local leaders.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve rural communities in our four rural counties, especially small towns under 3,000 people in our four-county area with an active local group.
How we know people need this. Five towns asked for our help in our first six months, and we had to turn down three.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, six small towns and about 300 residents. Population and income trends, the share of residents without broadband and the number of small towns without a grant writer are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one program staff member to four, we expect to reach more communities each year.
How communities reach us. The county commission, the extension office, the regional planning council and other towns.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- County and regional governments offer some planning help. We work with them and add hands-on support. We are a partner of the regional planning council.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development and similar agencies provide funding and programs. We help communities use them.
- Regional development districts and councils of government offer planning and grant help to member communities. We partner with them.
- Cooperative extension offices offer education and technical help. We work with them.
- Foundations that fund rural areas provide money. We help communities apply.
What makes us different: staff who travel to the towns, small project funds with simple rules and help finishing projects, not just starting them
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from county leaders, extension offices, regional districts, churches and local groups.
- Visits to town meetings, county fairs and community events.
- Word of mouth between small towns, where people know each other.
- A simple phone number and email, and trips to meet people where they are.
Funding. Federal rural development programs, state rural offices, regional commissions and foundations support rural projects, and most require careful applications and reports. Part of our job is helping communities succeed at them.
Volunteers. Retired professionals, farm and trade groups, church groups and college students.
Raising money beyond grants. Donations are planned at about $13,000 in Year 1, growing to about $43,000 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 community moves through the program:
1. A first meeting with local leaders to hear their priorities.
2. A short plan with one or two projects.
3. Help finding and applying for funding, and small project funds.
4. Project work with local volunteers and contractors.
5. A celebration and a plan for the next project.
A first visit. We meet at a town hall or cafe, listen to local leaders describe what matters, and agree on one project to start with.
Rules and records. Work on public or private property needs the owner's permission, permits and proper insurance, and many programs have rules on bidding and reporting. We keep careful records and teach local groups to do the same.
Privacy. Information about residents and groups is kept private. We share it only with permission or when the law requires it, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $6,000 in equipment (laptops, a reliable vehicle allowance for travel, a printer and field supplies), then about $2,000 to $3,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One rural development program staff member in Year 1, then two in Year 2, two in Year 3, three in Year 4 and four in Year 5. Staff spend a lot of time on the road, because we work in small towns, not from an office.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $12,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Brian Williams, Executive Director.
The Executive Director leads the organization, raises money and manages grants and contracts, builds partnerships, oversees the finances and reports to the Board. Planned salary: $56,000 a year.
Rural development program staff. Visit communities, plan projects, help with grants, manage small project funds and keep records. One position in Year 1, growing to four by Year 5, at a planned salary of $40,000 each. Qualifications we look for: grew up or has worked in a rural area, experience in grants or project management and a willingness to travel.
Volunteers. Volunteers help with project work, and retired professionals offer advice on planning, budgets and grants.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Linda Hassan, 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:
- Sign partnerships with our first rural communities and regional partners.
- Hire our first rural development program staff member.
- Reach six small towns and about 300 residents.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for projects started, funds won and leaders trained.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $133,000.
Year 2: two rural development program staff; budget of about $176,000.
Year 3: two rural development program staff; budget of about $178,000.
Year 4: three rural development program staff; budget of about $221,000.
Year 5: four rural development program staff; budget of about $263,000.
Over the five years: grow to four program staff, add communities and a leadership program, and build a regional network. Direct project costs grow about 6% a year.
How we will check our results. We record communities served, projects completed and outside funds won. Each year we ask local leaders what has changed. Staff and the Board review results and share them with funders.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $50,000 from the Union Grove Fund for our first program staff member's salary, small project funds for five towns and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $133,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $120,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Donations: $13,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $56,000. - Rural development program staff: $40,000. - Direct project costs (small projects, materials, matching funds, equipment): $22,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $12,000. - That is about $130,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $6,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $133,000 in Year 1 to about $263,000 in Year 5 as we grow to four rural development program staff. Grants and contracts are planned at $120,000 in Year 1, $157,000 in Year 2, $152,000 in Year 3, $187,000 in Year 4 and $220,000 in Year 5. Donations grow from $13,000 to $43,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $18,000 of our own plus $65,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for government funds. Federal and state rural programs are often paid after you spend, require matching funds and come with strict rules on bidding, labor and reporting. We plan for the wait and keep careful records. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated materials, volunteer hours, local government support and donated space are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free office space from the county (about $4,000 a year in rent value), about 700 volunteer hours a year and donated mileage 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 one or two small towns, start with a single project, and track results carefully. A well-finished first project builds trust. 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 town leaders, county officials and regional partners.
- Your project selection rules and small project fund policies.
- Examples of projects you have helped with, if you have them.
- Your numbers from the past year, if you have them.
- 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 $56,000; each rural development program staff member $40,000, growing from 1 to 4.
- Direct project costs about $22,000 in Year 1, rising about 6% a year
- Office costs about $12,000 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.