Work Together Supported Employment

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Executive Summary

Work Together Supported Employment is a nonprofit in North Dakota that helps adults with disabilities find and keep good jobs in their community. Job coaches work with each person to find out what they want to do, look for jobs with local employers, help with applications and interviews, train on the job and stay in touch after the person is hired. Every job pays at least the minimum wage, and the employer, not our organization, pays the wages.

Many adults with disabilities want to work but have trouble finding a job that fits. Employers may not know how to hire or support a person with a disability, and some worry about cost or fit. When the right match is made and support is available, people with disabilities can be reliable, skilled workers, and employers gain loyal team members.

With this grant we will support about 45 adults in Year 1, help about 30 find paid jobs with about 20 employer partners and provide ongoing coaching. Two job coaches work with people one-to-one. We do not provide medical care or guarantee that anyone will keep a job. We follow each person's choices and rights.

Our Year 1 budget is about $225,500, growing to about $391,500 by Year 5 as we add coaches and employers. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 4 paid staff in Year 1 and 8 by Year 4.

We are asking the Prairie Skies Foundation for $84,000 for two Job Coach salaries and for job-related costs paid to vendors. The state vocational agency pays for outcomes under contract where we are approved, and businesses and donors also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Janelle Pierce, the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Work Together Supported Employment is a small, independent nonprofit in North Dakota, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve adults with intellectual, developmental, physical and mental health disabilities in our region, and the employers who hire them.

Our mission. To open doors to real jobs for people with disabilities, and to help employers succeed.

What we believe. Everyone can work with the right job and the right support. We follow the person's lead, and we never push someone into a job they do not want. We work only toward jobs in the community, with regular wages, and we respect each person's rights and privacy. People with disabilities help lead our work.

What we offer:
- Career discovery. A person-centered plan that looks at skills, interests, supports and goals.
- Job development. Finding and negotiating jobs with local employers, including adjusting a job to fit a person's strengths.
- Job coaching. On-the-job training, from learning the tasks to using public transportation, with support that fades as the person gains skills.
- Ongoing support. Check-ins after the person is hired, help with problems and help with new goals.
- Employer support. Advice on hiring, accommodations and inclusive workplaces.

Who we serve. Adults ages 18 and older with disabilities who want to work, and local employers.

What we do not do. We do not place people in sheltered workshops, pay subminimum wages, make medical decisions, share personal information without written consent or promise that any person will get or keep a job.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven, including people with disabilities and family members, governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Director manages coaches and quality. Job coaches work with people one-to-one. An Employer Relations Specialist joins in Year 2.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from the state vocational agency office, a disability resource center, six employers and two community colleges, contract talks under way with the vocational agency, quotes for equipment and a consent form and privacy policy under review by an attorney. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Many adults with disabilities are out of work, even though many want to work. Barriers include few job openings that fit their strengths, employer worries and a lack of coaching and transportation. Some have been told that work is not for them. Others have worked in settings that pay less than the minimum wage and do not lead to anything.

Employers also face challenges. They may not know how to interview or train a person with a disability, how to arrange accommodations or where to turn for help. A job that is not a good match can lead to turnover, and both sides lose.

State vocational services help many people, but waiting lists can be long and funding limited. Coaching and follow-up support after hiring can be thin.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are recruiting job coaches who are patient and skilled, developing relationships with employers, managing payment that depends on outcomes and balancing each person's pace with funders' deadlines.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Supported employment is a well-established approach to helping people with disabilities succeed in community jobs. We will use the most recent local numbers on disability employment and vocational services in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many people will find and keep jobs, and state payments are not guaranteed, so our plan uses first-year goals and will report what really happens.

Products & Services

Work Together Supported Employment will match people with jobs they want, support them on the job and support employers too.

How it works, step by step:
1. Referral and welcome. A person, family member or agency refers someone, and a job coach meets the person to explain the program and ask what they want.
2. Discovery. The coach and the person build a plan with strengths, interests, supports, hours and transportation.
3. Job search. The coach contacts employers, learns about openings and can negotiate or adjust tasks to match the person's strengths.
4. Apply and interview. The coach helps with applications, practice interviews and, when the person wants, goes along to the interview.
5. Start work. The coach helps the person learn the job, the route, the schedule and the workplace rules, working side by side at first.
6. Fade support. As the person gains skills, the coach steps back but stays in touch with the person and the supervisor.
7. Ongoing check-ins. The coach checks in regularly after the person is hired, helps solve problems and supports new goals, such as a raise or new job.
8. Learn and report. We track results, ask people and employers for feedback and report totals without naming a person.

Why this approach is strong. A good match with a coach beside the person makes a job last. Employers get a trained, supported worker and a partner who answers the phone.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: adults ages 18 and older with disabilities who want to work, and the local employers who may hire them, in our region.

Our primary group is adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and adults with physical or mental health disabilities who want paid community jobs. Our secondary group is employers, families and agencies. We will use the most recent local numbers on people with disabilities, employment and employers in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to support about 45 adults in Year 1, help about 30 find jobs and work with about 20 employers. We grow to about 70 adults, 45 jobs and 30 employers in Year 2, 95, 65 and 40 in Year 3, 120, 80 and 50 in Year 4 and about 140 adults, 95 jobs and 60 employers in Year 5. Our Year 1 budget is about $225,500 and our Year 5 budget is about $391,500.

Demand data. Letters of support from the state vocational agency office, a disability resource center, six employers and two community colleges, and a waiting list from a pilot, show a clear need. We do not count on any one source.

We do not serve everyone. We refer people who need a different kind of service, such as medical or housing help, to the right provider, and we only work with employers who pay regular wages.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for people with disabilities, and what makes us different.

- State vocational rehabilitation. It serves many people. We work with it and provide coaching and follow-up support beyond what it can fund.
- Large disability service providers. Some offer employment services. We focus only on community jobs with regular wages.
- Sheltered workshops. They offer work at low pay. We help people get jobs at regular pay.
- Staffing agencies and job boards. They offer openings but little support. We offer a coach and a good match.
- Family and friends. They help many people find jobs. We offer skills and relationships that families may not have.

What makes us different.
- Person-centered planning and a coach who stays in touch.
- Regular wages and community jobs only.
- Support for employers as well as workers.
- People with disabilities on our board.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger providers have more coaches and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one person and one employer at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Referral sources. We will meet the state vocational agency, disability resource centers, schools with transition programs, mental health clinics and families, and give them a simple referral form.

Self-advocates and families. We will speak at advocacy groups and parent groups and share information in easy-to-read formats.

Employers. We will meet chambers of commerce and individual employers, explain how supported employment works, share stories and ask for a chance to find a match. We will offer a free walk-through to help them see where a worker could fit.

Community colleges and training programs. We will work with them to offer short training that leads to jobs.

Online. A simple website, in plain language, with easy-to-read pages and contact options.

Cost to the person. Free. We never charge people or families. Payments come from the state agency where approved, grants and donors.

Employer recognition. We will thank employers with a window sticker, a yearly breakfast and a short story on our website, so that other employers see what a good fit looks like.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (summer): Sign agreements with the vocational agency and employers, buy equipment, hire and train job coaches and finalize the consent form and privacy policy.
- Month 3 (late summer): Open referrals and begin the first discovery plans.
- Months 4 to 11: Develop jobs, support placements and hold a monthly employer breakfast and a quarterly family night.
- Month 12: Survey people, families and employers, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Our small office is shared space in a community building. Coaches meet people at their homes, workplaces and public places.

Equipment. We buy about $9,000 of equipment once at the start: four laptops and a secure case-notes system ($4,800), tablets and communication aids for coaching visits ($2,200) and a printer, scanner and locking file storage ($2,000). 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 coaches and quality. Job coaches, paid $38,000 a year each, are two in Year 1, growing to five by Year 4. An Employer Relations Specialist, paid $40,000 a year, joins in Year 2.

Rights and safety. Every person decides about their own plan. We follow the law on consent and privacy, explain the limits of confidentiality in plain words and report suspected abuse or neglect as the law requires. Every staff member passes a background check, and a written plan covers emergencies, including calling 911.

Quality and learning. We ask each person how their job is going, ask supervisors for feedback and review every case with the Program Director each quarter.

Costs. Job-related costs paid to vendors, such as uniforms, tools and licenses, are about $8,000 in Year 1, transportation passes and rides about $6,000, training materials about $5,000, evaluation about $5,000 and administration and insurance about $12,000. State payments arrive after outcomes are met, so about $13,530 is owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Janelle Pierce, Executive Director. Sixteen years of disability services and nonprofit work, including nine years as a job coach and supervisor. She oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Director (from Year 1). Manages job coaches, quality and training and works with the vocational agency.

Job coaches (from Year 1). Support people on the job and help with job search. More join as we grow.

Employer Relations Specialist (from Year 2). Builds and keeps relationships with employers.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including two people with disabilities, a family member and an employer, who meet every quarter. An attorney reviews our consent form and agreements.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $56,000, Program Director $48,000, job coach $38,000 and Employer Relations Specialist $40,000. 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: Support about 45 adults, help about 30 find paid jobs and work with about 20 employers. A balanced budget of about $225,500, with a small surplus of about $7,700. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add an Employer Relations Specialist and support about 70 adults, with about 45 in jobs. A balanced budget of about $307,500, with a small surplus of about $9,900. About 6 paid staff.
- Year 3: Support about 95 adults, with about 65 in jobs and about 40 employers. A balanced budget of about $348,500, with a small surplus of about $10,900. About 7 paid staff.
- Year 4: Support about 120 adults, with about 80 in jobs and about 50 employers. A balanced budget of about $389,500, with a small surplus of about $11,700. About 8 paid staff.
- Year 5: Support about 140 adults, with about 95 in jobs and about 60 employers, and share our training with other agencies. A balanced budget of about $391,500, with a small surplus of about $11,600. About 8 paid staff.

What we measure:
- People supported and people who found jobs.
- Hours worked and wages earned, reported by employers and workers.
- Jobs kept at 90 days and one year.
- Employers hiring and employers who hire again.
- Person and employer feedback.
- Cost per job.

How we review results. The Program Director reviews numbers every month. Twice a year, staff and the board review all results and share them with funders, partners and the vocational agency. If a job ends, we meet with the person and the employer to learn what happened and what comes next. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $84,000 from the Prairie Skies Foundation for two Job Coaches and job-related costs paid to vendors, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Two Job Coach salaries, $76,000.
- Other: Job-related costs paid directly to vendors, $8,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 51% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $225,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $7,700 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $163,500 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), state vocational agency payments for outcomes $40,000, businesses and individual donations $22,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $56,000; program director $48,000; job coach $76,000; job-related costs (uniforms, tools and licenses paid to vendors) about $8,000; transportation passes and rides about $6,000; training materials about $5,000; evaluation about $5,000; administration and insurance about $12,000; about $2,900 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $16,500 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $4,800 for four laptops and a secure case-notes system; $2,200 for tablets and communication aids for coaching visits; $2,000 for printer, scanner and locking file storage; $1,500 for opening supply of job-skills workbooks and visual guides; $2,800 for attorney review of employer agreements and privacy policy; $1,500 for banners, easy-read flyers and a simple website; $1,700 for background checks and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($16,500), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $4,000) and a cash cushion of about $54,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $58,000. In all, that comes to $75,000. We start with $12,000 of our own savings and $66,000 in startup support from a local community foundation and our board, $78,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $225,500 in Year 1 to about $391,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $163,500, $213,500, $224,500, $239,500 and $219,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: state vocational agency payments for outcomes from $40,000 to $130,000 and businesses and individual donations from $22,000 to $42,000. We add job coaches and an Employer Relations Specialist as the program grows. Grants fall from about 73% of our income in Year 1 to about 56% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $65,000, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $13,530 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. State vocational payments where approved, businesses and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Workers and employers share their stories, and employers can sponsor a coach or a training by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- State payments are delayed or change. We confirm contract terms, keep a cash reserve and diversify funding.
- An employer lets a person go. The coach looks for another job and learns from the situation.
- A coach leaves. We keep a pool of trained substitutes and cross-train.
- A privacy problem. We follow a written policy and train staff.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow donor and employer 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 job coach, 15 people and about 10 employers, 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 the vocational agency, resource centers and employers.
- Your contract or agreement with the vocational agency, when available.
- Your consent form and privacy policy in plain language.
- Your coaching procedures and person-centered plan template.
- Your background check and training policy.
- Quotes for equipment.
- 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: $163,500 in Year 1, then $213,500, $224,500, $239,500 and $219,500.
- State Vocational Agency Payments for Outcomes: $40,000 in Year 1, growing to $130,000.
- Businesses and Individual Donations: $22,000 in Year 1, growing to $42,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $56,000, program director $48,000, job coach $38,000, employer relations specialist $40,000 (from Year 2).
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: job-related costs (uniforms, tools and licenses paid to vendors) $8,000, transportation passes and rides $6,000, training materials $5,000, evaluation $5,000, administration and insurance $12,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $9,000 at the start, then $1,000 to $2,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $16,500, paid once from $78,000 in startup money.
- People supported: about 45 in Year 1, growing to about 140 in Year 5. State payments for outcomes of about $40,000 in Year 1 depend on contract approval and are not guaranteed.
- About 6% 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