Roadwise Teen Driver Education Fund

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Executive Summary

Roadwise Teen Driver Education Fund is a nonprofit in Colorado that helps teens from families with limited income complete a state-approved driver education course. We pay tuition directly to licensed, insured driving schools, hold safe driving workshops for teens and parents and help families understand the licensing steps. A driver's license can mean a teen can get to a job, school, a medical appointment or a family member's home.

Driver education can cost more than many families can pay, and some teens never get a license because of the cost. In places with little public transit, not having a license can limit a teen's work and school choices. At the same time, young drivers are at higher risk on the road, and good training matters.

With this grant we will help about 70 teens complete driver education in Year 1, at an average tuition of about $915 paid to licensed driving schools. We will also hold about eight safe driving workshops for about 280 teens and parents. We do not teach driving ourselves, we do not promise that any teen will pass the test and we never give cash to families.

Our Year 1 budget is about $217,000, growing to about $239,000 by Year 5. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 3 paid staff, supported by volunteers.

We are asking the Mile High Safety Foundation for $82,000 for our Program Manager and for driver education tuition paid to licensed driving schools. School districts, insurers, employers and donors also give, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

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

Company Description

Roadwise Teen Driver Education Fund is a small, independent nonprofit in Colorado, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve teens and families in our city and the counties around it, with partner high schools and driving schools.

Our mission. To help every teen who wants a license get safe, quality driver education.

What we believe. A license is a step toward independence, and safe driving is a skill that should be learned well. We pay only licensed, insured schools that follow the state's rules, we require parents to be part of the process and we treat families with respect. We keep records private.

What we offer:
- Tuition assistance. Payments made directly to licensed driving schools for the classroom and behind-the-wheel parts of a state-approved course.
- Safe driving workshops. Free sessions for teens and parents on distracted driving, impaired driving, seat belts and rules of the road, run with local safety partners.
- Navigation. Help understanding permit and license steps, scheduling and what documents are needed.
- Parent-teen driving agreement. A simple written agreement about phones, passengers, curfew and seat belts.

Who we serve. Teens aged 15 to 18 from households with income below a limit the board sets each year, who are in school or working.

What we do not do. We do not teach driving, give cash, pay for a license test fee, guarantee that a teen will pass or get a license or pay for a school that is not licensed and insured.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Manager reviews applications, works with driving schools and manages payments. A part-time intake coordinator takes calls and applications.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from two high schools, a school district, three driving schools, an insurance agent and a safety coalition, an application form and an agreement with driving schools under review by an attorney. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Getting a license is a goal for many teens, but driver education can be costly. A full course with classroom and behind-the-wheel lessons can cost several hundred dollars or more. Families with limited income may be unable to pay, and some teens wait years or never get licensed. Without a license, a teen may not be able to take a job, get to a school or help the family.

Some teens drive without a license or lessons, which is unsafe for them and others. Others learn from a relative who may not know current rules.

Schools have cut many driver education programs. Public transit is limited in many areas.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are raising money for tuition, making fair decisions about who receives help, working with driving schools that give fair prices and making sure teens finish the course.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Driver education is an established way to prepare teens to drive safely, and a license can open doors. We will use the most recent local numbers on teen drivers, licensing and crashes in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many teens will apply, so our plan uses a first-year goal and will report what really happens. We do not promise that a teen will become a safe driver, only that we will help with proper training.

Products & Services

Roadwise Teen Driver Education Fund will pay for good driver education and help teens and parents drive safely.

How it works, step by step:
1. Apply. A teen and parent apply online or by phone, with proof of household income, school or work status and a learner's permit when required.
2. Review. The intake coordinator checks the application against the rules and explains the program, including the parent-teen agreement.
3. Choose a school. The family picks a partner driving school, and the Program Manager confirms the school's license and insurance.
4. Agreement. The parent and teen sign the program agreement and the driving school's enrollment form.
5. Pay the school. We pay tuition directly to the driving school, up to a set limit, when the teen starts.
6. Workshop. The teen and a parent attend a safe driving workshop during the course.
7. Finish. The school tells us when the teen completes the course, and we follow up on the next steps for the license.
8. Report. We track completions and ask families for feedback, and we report totals without naming a teen.

Why this approach is strong. Paying schools directly keeps money in training. A workshop and a parent agreement build safe habits from the start.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: teens aged 15 to 18 from households with limited income, in our city and the counties around it.

Our primary group is teens who are in school or working and who cannot afford driver education. Our secondary group is parents and guardians who attend workshops. We will use the most recent local numbers on teens, licensing and household income in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to help about 70 teens complete driver education in Year 1, at an average tuition of about $915, and hold about eight workshops for about 280 teens and parents. We keep about 70 teens a year through Year 5 as tuition prices rise about 6% a year, and we grow workshops to about 12 a year. Our Year 1 budget is about $217,000 and our Year 5 budget is about $239,000.

Demand data. Letters of support from two high schools, a school district, three driving schools and a safety coalition, and requests from counselors, show a clear need. We do not count on any one source.

We do not serve everyone. We refer teens who are not ready to drive, or who need other help, to the right program, and we do not pay for schools outside our partner list.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for teens and families, and what makes us different.

- School driver education. Some schools still offer it. We help where it is gone or full.
- Private driving schools. They offer training for those who can pay. We pay them for teens who cannot.
- Parents teaching teens. It is common and may fill part of the need. We add professional lessons and a parent-teen agreement.
- Other scholarship funds. Some exist for specific groups. We work with them and serve those they do not reach.
- Employers and insurers who offer discounts. They reward safe drivers but do not pay for training. We work with them on workshops and sponsorships.
- Driving without a license. Some teens do. We aim to give a safe, legal option.

What makes us different.
- Tuition paid directly to licensed schools, never as cash.
- Safe driving workshops for teens and parents.
- A written parent-teen agreement.
- Help with the licensing steps.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger scholarship programs have more funding and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one teen and one family at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

High schools and counselors. We will meet counselors, teachers and principals, give them a one-page flyer and application and ask them to refer teens who need help.

Driving schools. We will meet licensed driving schools, explain the payment process and ask for fair prices and a fair refund policy.

Safety partners. We will work with police and fire safety educators, insurers and the safety coalition to run workshops and share information.

Families. Flyers in English and Spanish go to libraries, churches and community centers, and a simple website lets families apply.

Employers and donors. We will ask employers who hire teens, insurers and individuals to sponsor a teen's course or a workshop.

Cost to the family. Free for teens who qualify. We never charge families or ask them to pay for the tuition we cover.

Follow-up. We will call a family a month after a teen starts to hear how the course is going, and we will ask schools to tell us if a teen is falling behind so that we can help with rides or reminders.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (summer): Sign agreements with driving schools and schools, buy equipment, finalize the application and agreement and train staff and volunteers.
- Month 3 (late summer): Open applications and begin the first enrollments.
- Months 4 to 11: Review applications each month, pay driving schools, hold workshops and follow up with families.
- Month 12: Survey families and schools, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Our small office is shared space in a community building. Workshops meet in a school auditorium or library meeting room.

Equipment. We buy about $7,500 of equipment once at the start: three laptops and a secure case-tracking system ($3,600), a projector, screen and a portable sound system ($2,100) and a printer, scanner and locking file storage ($1,800). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Manager, paid $42,000 a year, reviews applications, works with driving schools and manages payments. A part-time intake coordinator, paid $24,000 a year, takes calls and applications.

Controls. We pay only licensed, insured driving schools, by check or electronic payment, after a teen starts, and never give cash to families. We confirm each school's license and insurance every year and track any complaints. Staff may not accept gifts from schools.

Privacy and safety. Records are kept in a secure system and shared only as needed to enroll a teen. Workshops are led by trained safety educators, and no adult is alone with a teen.

Quality and learning. After each course we ask the teen, parent and school about the experience, check completion and update our partner list.

Costs. Driver education tuition is about $64,000 in Year 1, workshops about $5,000, outreach and partner visits about $4,000, background checks and insurance about $6,000 and administration about $9,000.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Anthony Morales, Executive Director. Twelve years of nonprofit work, including seven years running a youth safety program. He oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Manager (from Year 1). Reviews applications, manages driving school partnerships and payments and plans workshops.

Intake coordinator (part-time, from Year 1). Takes calls and applications and explains the program.

Volunteers. About 15 volunteers, including safety educators and retired teachers, who help with workshops, reminders and rides to the first lesson when a family has no way to get there.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including a driving school owner, a school counselor and an insurance agent, who meet every quarter. An attorney reviews our agreements and privacy policy.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $54,000, Program Manager $42,000 and part-time intake coordinator $24,000. 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: Help about 70 teens complete driver education and hold about eight safe driving workshops. A balanced budget of about $217,000, with a small surplus of about $7,500. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 2: Help about 70 teens and add a parent night on supporting new drivers. A balanced budget of about $222,000, with a small surplus of about $7,400. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 3: Help about 70 teens and expand workshops to more schools. A balanced budget of about $227,500, with a small surplus of about $7,600. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 4: Help about 70 teens and offer a refresher workshop for teens who got a license through our program. A balanced budget of about $233,000, with a small surplus of about $7,300. About 3 paid staff.
- Year 5: Help about 70 teens, hold about 12 workshops and share our application and agreement with other programs. A balanced budget of about $239,000, with a small surplus of about $7,400. About 3 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Teens who completed driver education.
- Workshops held and teens and parents attending.
- Teens who report getting a license.
- Time from application to enrollment.
- School and family feedback.
- Cost per teen.

How we review results. The Program Manager reviews numbers every month. Twice a year, staff and the board review all results and share them with funders and partners. If a driving school has complaints or low completion, we meet with the school and may remove it from the list. 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: $82,000 from the Mile High Safety Foundation for a Program Manager and driver education tuition paid to licensed driving schools, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Manager salary, $42,000.
- Other: Driver education tuition paid directly to licensed driving schools, $40,000 (other funds add $14,000).

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

Year 1 budget: about $217,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $7,500 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $159,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), school district and safety partner support $24,000, insurers, employers and individual donations $34,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $54,000; program manager $42,000; intake coordinator $24,000; driver education tuition (paid to licensed driving schools) about $64,000; parent and teen safety workshops about $5,000; outreach and partner visits about $4,000; background checks and insurance about $6,000; administration about $9,000; about $2,500 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $13,500 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $3,600 for three laptops and a secure case-tracking system; $2,100 for projector, screen and a portable sound system for workshops; $1,800 for printer, scanner and locking file storage; $1,200 for workshop handouts and first welcome packets; $2,400 for attorney review of the driving school agreement and privacy policy; $1,400 for banners, flyers in two languages and a simple website; $1,000 for background checks and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($13,500), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $52,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $52,000. In all, that comes to $65,500. We start with $11,000 of our own savings and $57,000 in startup support from a local safety foundation and our board, $68,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $217,000 in Year 1 to about $239,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $159,000, $152,000, $145,500, $139,000 and $133,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: school district and safety partner support from $24,000 to $48,000 and insurers, employers and individual donations from $34,000 to $58,000. We keep helping about 70 teens a year as tuition rises, and add workshops 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 $63,000, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $6,510 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. School districts, insurers, employers and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Teens and families share their stories, and sponsors can underwrite a teen's course by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A driving school closes or loses its license. We check licenses each year and keep a list of back-up schools.
- Tuition rises. We cap our share per teen and ask schools for fair prices.
- Teens do not finish. We follow up with the school and family and help with rides.
- A privacy problem. We follow a written policy and train staff.
- 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: two driving schools, 30 teens and one workshop a quarter, 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 schools, driving schools and safety partners.
- Your driving school agreement and license verification process.
- Your application, eligibility scale and parent-teen agreement in English and Spanish.
- Your privacy policy.
- Your workshop outline.
- 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: $159,000 in Year 1, then $152,000, $145,500, $139,000 and $133,000.
- School District and Safety Partner Support: $24,000 in Year 1, growing to $48,000.
- Insurers, Employers and Individual Donations: $34,000 in Year 1, growing to $58,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $54,000, program manager $42,000, intake coordinator (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: driver education tuition (paid to licensed driving schools) $64,000, parent and teen safety workshops $5,000, outreach and partner visits $4,000, background checks and insurance $6,000, administration $9,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year.
- Equipment: $7,500 at the start, then $1,000 to $2,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $13,500, paid once from $68,000 in startup money.
- Teens helped: about 70 a year. Average tuition paid to driving schools is about $915 in Year 1 and rises about 6% a year.
- About 3% 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