Frontline Street Outreach

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Executive Summary

Frontline Street Outreach is a nonprofit in Washington that provides direct street outreach, basic needs and benefits connection to homeless veterans in the greater Seattle metro area. Trained peer outreach specialists - most of them veterans themselves - go to encampments, under bridges, at day shelters and along service corridors where homeless veterans are known to spend time, provide basic supplies, build trusted relationships over repeated visits and connect veterans to VA benefits, housing programs and health services.

Street outreach for homeless veterans works by showing up repeatedly until a person is ready to engage and then moving quickly when they are. A veteran who will not call a phone number, will not walk into an office and will not trust a stranger in a vest will often open up to another veteran who keeps showing up and does not ask for anything. With this grant we will pay our peer outreach specialists and buy the basic supplies they distribute on every shift. We never give cash to veterans. We call 988 for anyone in crisis and 911 in an emergency. We do not operate housing or provide clinical services.

What we are asking for. Our program has a Year 1 budget of about $258,000. We are asking for $65,000 from a veteran services fund for outreach specialist salaries and basic supplies. The rest comes from other grants and donors listed in the funding section. Every dollar amount in this plan is an estimate.

Company Description

Frontline Street Outreach is a nonprofit organization recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, governed by a volunteer board that includes three homeless veterans who have been housed, a VA social worker and two community members. The board meets monthly, approves the budget and oversees the executive director. A new organization without its own determination letter can use a fiscal sponsor, explained in the funding section.

What we believe. A veteran who is living on the street is not a lost cause. They are a person who has not yet been met where they are by someone they can trust.

What we do:
- Scheduled outreach shifts. Outreach specialists cover eight to ten specific locations in the Seattle metro on a weekly rotating schedule: known encampments, day shelter queues, food distribution sites and locations identified by the VA's homeless veteran program.
- Basic supplies. Every shift distributes hygiene kits, socks, clean water, snacks, hand warmers in winter, sun protection in summer and information cards with the VA's homeless veteran phone line and our organization's number.
- Relationship building. Outreach specialists log every contact, track which veterans they have met and return to the same locations week after week until a trusted relationship is established.
- Benefits connection. Once trust is built, the outreach specialist helps a veteran identify their VA eligibility, connect to the VA's HUD-VASH voucher program, schedule a VA ID appointment and apply for benefits the veteran is entitled to.
- Warm handoffs. When a veteran is ready to engage with the VA or a housing program, the outreach specialist accompanies them to the first appointment rather than giving a referral slip.
- Overdose response. All outreach specialists are trained in naloxone administration and carry naloxone on every shift.

What we do not do. We do not operate housing, provide clinical services, give cash to veterans, make placement decisions or supervise anyone on conditions of release. We call 911 in any medical emergency.

Who we serve. Homeless veterans of any era in the greater Seattle metro area, with priority for the most isolated and those who have declined other services.

Our board has at least five members, including at least one person who has used our services or lives in the community we serve, and only a minority of board members may be related to each other or paid by the organization.

We keep a written conflict of interest policy, a whistleblower policy and a record retention policy, and the board reviews them every year.

Problem & Opportunity

The most isolated homeless veterans in Seattle are not reached by the programs that exist.

1. Shelter refusal. A significant portion of homeless veterans will not enter a shelter, will not call a phone number and will not walk into a VA office. The reasons vary: PTSD symptoms triggered by enclosed spaces and strangers, prior bad experiences with institutions, active substance use, warrant concerns or simple disconnection from any system after years on the street.
2. Gaps between programs. The VA's homeless veteran services, local shelters, HUD-VASH housing voucher programs and VA medical care all exist, but they require a veteran to initiate contact and follow through. The most isolated veterans do not.
3. Benefits not accessed. Many homeless veterans are entitled to VA disability benefits, healthcare and housing assistance they have never applied for. Without help navigating the VA system, they never receive what they are owed.
4. Overdose and hypothermia risk. Homeless veterans in Seattle face acute risk of overdose death and cold-weather hypothermia. Naloxone access and warm supplies save lives in the short term while trust is being built.

Why it matters now. The Seattle metro has one of the largest concentrations of homeless veterans in the western United States. A 2024 King County point-in-time count identified approximately 850 homeless veterans. The VA's Housing First programs have housed thousands of veterans nationally but consistently find a residual population of highly isolated individuals who need active outreach before they can be connected.

How we know the need is real. We reviewed King County point-in-time count data, interviewed VA homeless veteran program staff about veterans who have declined services and talked with day shelter directors about the veterans who come for food but refuse case management. In our first quarter of operations, outreach specialists made 340 contacts with 94 unique individuals, 28 of whom were engaged in a VA benefits or housing process within 90 days. The detail is in the appendix.

Products & Services

What the funded project will do. With this grant we will pay outreach specialist salaries and the supplies they distribute on every shift.

How outreach works:
1. Scheduled shift. An outreach team of two specialists covers two or three sites per shift. Schedules are designed around known gathering patterns and adjusted from what the team learns.
2. First contact. The specialist approaches slowly, introduces themselves, mentions they are a veteran, offers supplies and asks if there is anything the veteran needs. No intake form, no eligibility screen and no expectation that the veteran will do anything.
3. Repeated contact. The specialist logs the encounter and returns to the same location the following week. Most veterans need four to eight contacts before they will tell the specialist their name.
4. Engagement. Once trust is established, the specialist asks what the veteran needs most: food, ID, benefits, housing or health care. The specialist begins the process for whatever the veteran is ready for.
5. Warm handoff. When the veteran is ready for an appointment - VA ID, HUD-VASH intake, medical care - the specialist accompanies them. Not a referral slip. A walk-in with a familiar person.
6. Overdose response. Any specialist on any shift can administer naloxone if they witness or find an overdose. They call 911 immediately.

What the grant pays for. This request covers a portion of outreach specialist salaries and all basic supply costs.

What we do not promise. We do not promise that any veteran will accept services, be housed or stop using substances. We track contacts, unique individuals met, veterans engaged in a benefits or housing process and veterans housed within 90 days of first contact, and we report honestly.

Safety. Outreach shifts are always two specialists minimum. We have a check-in protocol: each team calls in every 90 minutes. All specialists are trained in de-escalation and naloxone administration. We call 911 for any medical emergency and immediately leave any situation we cannot safely manage.

Market Analysis

Who benefits from this project are homeless veterans in the greater Seattle metro area.

Who we serve. Homeless veterans of any era of any age in the greater Seattle metro, with priority for the most isolated and those who have declined every program offered from a desk.

How many we plan to serve. About 600 unique contacts in Year 1 with about 120 veterans engaged in an active benefits or housing process. By Year 5 we plan to cover 15 sites weekly and engage about 250 veterans annually. We chose those numbers from the outreach team's shift capacity and the 94-individual pilot baseline.

Where we serve. Eight to ten sites across King and Pierce counties: encampments, day shelter queues, food distribution sites and VA-identified locations.

Who else benefits. Day shelters and VA programs that receive warm referrals from people who are ready rather than cold referrals from a list.

We choose how many sites to cover from the outreach team's shift capacity, not from the size of the need.

Competitive Landscape

Other programs serving homeless veterans in Seattle.

1. VA Homeless Veteran Program. Provides HUD-VASH vouchers, case management and healthcare. Requires a veteran to initiate contact. We are the pipeline that gets veterans to them, not a competitor.
2. DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center). Provides shelter and housing for the chronically homeless, veterans among the broader population. We coordinate warm referrals.
3. Veterans' programs at Union Gospel Mission. Provides shelter for veteran men, faith-based model. We coordinate referrals.
4. Seattle and King County outreach teams. Government-funded broad homeless population outreach. We focus on veterans specifically and maintain separate tracking.

What makes us different. We focus exclusively on veterans, use peer outreach specialists who are veterans, make warm handoffs in person and require nothing from the veteran at first contact. We work alongside every other program and refer to all of them.

How we avoid duplication. We have a data sharing agreement with the VA homeless veteran program and meet monthly to coordinate, deduplicate contacts and share warm referral outcomes.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach veterans once the project is funded.

Veterans. Outreach is active. We go to where veterans are. Veterans find us through other veterans who tell them we showed up and did not ask for anything.

VA partnership. The VA homeless veteran program shares location data from their outreach teams and refers veterans who have declined VA contact to us for a peer approach.

Day shelters and food programs. Directors tell us which regulars are veterans and where they go when they leave.

Annual veteran fundraiser. Tied to Veterans Day, raising individual donor support in the military and veteran community.

Funding cultivation. HUD-VA Supportive Housing grants, the VA Grant and Per Diem program, the Community Partnership to End Homelessness and Washington state veteran services grants are our primary prospects.

Operations Plan

How the project will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1. Month 1: confirm VA partnership agreement, finalize site list, confirm supply vendors. Month 2: begin full outreach schedule. Months 3 to 12: maintain weekly schedule, add sites from field learning.

Shift structure. Two specialists, three hours, two to three sites per shift. Four shifts per week in Year 1.

Partners. VA homeless veteran program, DESC, Veterans' programs at Union Gospel Mission, King County behavioral health outreach team and a naloxone supplier. Each has or will have a written agreement.

Money controls. Supplies are purchased monthly by the coordinator with board review. Two people approve every purchase. No cash is ever given to veterans.

Records and reporting. We track contacts per shift, unique individuals, veterans engaged in a process, warm handoffs and veterans housed within 90 days. We report to funders twice a year.

Management & Organization

The executive director manages the organization and the VA relationship. Outreach specialists conduct shifts and manage individual relationships. A part-time program coordinator manages logistics and reporting.

The team. Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance. The numbers in parentheses are how many people we plan to have in Years 1 through 5. A number with a half, such as 2.5, means a hire phased in during the year or one part-time person.
- Executive Director: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (Years 1 to 5), about $68,000 a year.
- Peer Outreach Specialist: 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 5 (Years 1 to 5, with hires phased in through Year 1), about $46,000 a year each.
- Program Coordinator (part-time): 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (Years 1 to 5), about $20,000 a year.
- Program Associate (added as the budget grows): 0, 0, 0, 0, 0.5 (Years 1 to 5), about $38,000 a year each, hired as new grant money arrives.

Governance and money controls. The board reviews financials monthly. An outside accountant prepares the yearly tax return. Every grant is in its own budget line.

Feedback and complaints. Veterans can give feedback to any specialist. Specialists log it anonymously. Themes are reported to the board quarterly. No veteran loses services for speaking up.

Milestones Narrative

Goals for each of the first five years. These are goals, not promises.
- Before the grant starts: confirm VA partnership agreement, finalize site list and supply vendor accounts.
- Year 1: four shifts per week at eight to ten sites, about 600 unique contacts, about 120 engaged in a benefits or housing process. Budget about $258,000.
- Year 2: add a fourth outreach specialist and a fifth weekly shift. Budget about $308,000.
- Year 3: launch a peer mentor program where housed veteran graduates support current outreach clients. Budget about $350,000.
- Year 4: expand to 15 sites weekly. Budget about $395,000.
- Year 5: engage about 250 veterans annually and publish a plain results report. Budget about $435,000.

How we will measure results: contacts per shift, unique individuals met, veterans engaged in an active process, warm handoffs, veterans housed within 90 days and naloxone administered. We report to funders twice a year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $65,000 from a veteran services fund for outreach specialist salaries and basic supplies, for January through December 2027.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Outreach Specialist salaries (part), $50,000 (other funds cover the remaining $88,000 of the three specialists' combined salary).
- Other: Basic supplies - hygiene kits, socks, water, snacks, hand warmers, sun protection and naloxone - $15,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 29% of Year 1 grant income. Other grants and donors pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $258,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $5,800 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $226,000; Individual Donors and Veteran Fundraiser $32,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $68,000; peer outreach specialist $115,000; program coordinator (part-time) $20,000; basic supplies $15,000; outreach vehicle fuel and maintenance $8,000; naloxone and de-escalation training $4,000; veteran fundraiser costs $8,000; office and reporting $12,000; program supplies, participant support and contingency $500.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $14,200 are paid once from startup funds: $4,800 for a used outreach vehicle equipped with a supply lockbox, $3,600 for an encrypted contact tracking system and laptops, $2,800 for naloxone training and de-escalation training for all specialists, $1,600 for banners and a website, and $1,400 for first-season supply stock.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($14,200), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $2,800) and a cash cushion of about $62,600, which is about 3 months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $80,000. We start with $22,000 of our own savings and $58,000 from a HUD-VA startup grant and board contributions, $80,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $258,000 in Year 1 to about $435,000 in Year 5. Grant revenue is planned at $226,000, $222,000, $252,000, $280,000 and $274,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows as sponsors and donors join. The program plans to end each year with a surplus, about $5,800, $26,100, $14,400, $4,400 and $15,200 in Years 1 to 5, which we put into savings. Some years are larger because new grant money arrives before the added staff are hired. The lowest year-end cash in the plan is about $68,800.

After the grant. HUD-VASH and VA Grant and Per Diem funding become the primary federal revenue streams in Years 2 and 3.

Risks:
- Staff safety is the most critical operational risk. We enforce the two-person shift rule without exception and maintain the 90-minute check-in protocol.
- Veteran trust is fragile. We train all specialists on confidentiality and remove any specialist who breaches it.
- A major grant may end. We grow individual donors and the veteran fundraiser each year.
- Encampment clearings displace veteran contacts. We monitor city and county clearance plans and adjust site lists quickly when needed.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants and passes the money to your program, usually for a fee of around 5% to 10% of the grant. Starting with two specialists and four shifts per week and tracking results carefully makes larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this proposal:

- Your IRS determination letter showing 501(c)(3) status, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your board list and board minutes approving the application.
- Your most recent budget and financial statements.
- A list of other funders and what each has given or been asked to give.
- VA homeless veteran program partnership agreement.
- Naloxone training certificates for all outreach specialists.
- De-escalation training certificates.
- Outreach shift safety protocol and check-in procedure.
- Data sharing agreement with the VA homeless veteran program.
- Pilot data: 94 unique individuals, 28 engaged in VA process within 90 days.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers:
- Grant Revenue: $226,000 in Year 1, planned to reach $274,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donors and Veteran Fundraiser: $32,000 in Year 1, growing to $161,000 in Year 5.
- Outreach Specialists: 3 full-time at $46,000 each per year.
- Basic supplies: $15,000 per year for hygiene kits, socks, water, snacks, hand warmers, sun protection and naloxone for about 1,200 contacts.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate.

Plain words used in this proposal:
- HUD-VASH: Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, the federal program providing rental vouchers and case management for homeless veterans.
- Naloxone: a medication that reverses opioid overdose, also known as Narcan.
- Point-in-time count: an annual single-night count of homeless people in a community.
- Warm handoff: accompanying a person to a first appointment rather than handing them a referral slip.
- 501(c)(3): the tax status that lets a nonprofit receive tax-deductible gifts and many grants.

Startup Costs