Warrior Wellness Peer Support Program

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Executive Summary

Warrior Wellness Peer Support Program is a nonprofit in Arizona that offers free peer support to veterans and their families through weekly groups, one-on-one peer mentoring and community events, all led by trained and certified veteran peer specialists. Peers connect veterans with the VA, clinics and licensed providers whenever they want clinical care.

Many veterans carry isolation and stress that they do not bring to a clinic, and appointments can take weeks. A trained peer who has been there can open a door that an institution cannot.

With this grant we will serve about 80 veterans in Year 1 at 2 sites. We are not a treatment program and do not diagnose or treat any condition. Our crisis plan names 911 and the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988, then press 1). We promise safe groups, trained and supervised peers and honest information about our limits.

Our Year 1 budget is about $206,500, growing to about $280,500 by Year 5 as we add sites, coaches and participants. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 6 staff in Year 1 (an Executive Director, a Program Manager and three part-time peer specialists) and 9 by Year 5.

We are asking the Desert Veterans Wellness Foundation for $55,000 for the Program Manager and peer specialist training. Our other income and startup support cover the rest. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this proposal, and we do not promise any result beyond what we describe.

Company Description

Warrior Wellness Peer Support Program is a nonprofit organization in Arizona. We are a registered charity with a volunteer board of directors, a written conflict-of-interest policy and a yearly budget the board reviews.

Our mission. No veteran should have to carry what they brought home alone, and no veteran should have to ask a stranger for help first.

What we do.
- Run free weekly peer support groups led by trained veteran peer specialists.
- Offer one-on-one peer mentoring and a phone line staffed by peers.
- Hold outdoor and community events that bring veterans and families together.
- Train and certify veterans as peer support specialists.
- Connect veterans to the VA, community clinics and licensed providers when they want clinical care.
- Provide transportation and meals so cost never keeps anyone away.

Our values. Respect for every participant, honesty with families and partners, safety first and a place for everyone who wants to belong.

What we do not do. We are not a treatment program and peer specialists do not diagnose or treat any condition. If a veteran is in crisis, our staff follow a written plan that includes 911 and the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988, then press 1). We explain the limits of confidentiality, including mandatory reporting, to every participant. We do not promise any outcome. We follow the rules of our partner sites and our insurer.

How we got here. A group of veterans began meeting for coffee on Saturday mornings at a diner. More came every week, and many said they would never have gone to a clinic. We kept simple records of attendance and listened to what they asked for. This proposal asks for support to move from Saturday meetings to a steady program with paid, trained staff and the materials to match.

Problem & Opportunity

Many veterans struggle with isolation, stress and the weight of what they experienced, and many are reluctant to seek help from institutions.

Cost. Private therapy can be expensive, and veterans without VA eligibility or reliable transportation may have no other option.

Access. VA and clinic appointments can take weeks, and many veterans do not feel understood by civilian providers.

Safety and trust. Families and funders want to know that peer specialists are trained, supervised and clear about their limits, and that a veteran in crisis will get help quickly.

Missed benefits. Veterans who never find a place to talk may withdraw from family and work, and the risk of crisis grows.

What we hear.
- A veteran says he has not told his wife what he saw.
- A wife says her husband only opens up around other veterans.
- A VA counselor says peer groups bring in veterans she would never see.
- A peer specialist says the first minute is just knowing someone has been there.

We do not claim that a program can solve every challenge. We believe that a trained peer who has been there can open a door that a clinic cannot.

Products & Services

Warrior Wellness Peer Support Program gives veterans and their families a safe, welcoming place to find peer support and connect to help.

How the program works.
1. Sites. We partner with two community centers and a veterans' hall that provide rooms.
2. Groups. Weekly peer support groups of about ten veterans led by a trained peer specialist and a co-facilitator.
3. One-on-one. Veterans may request a peer mentor and a call or visit each week.
4. Events. We hold monthly outdoor and community events open to veterans and families.
5. Peer training. We train and certify veterans as peer support specialists.
6. Referrals. Peers help veterans connect with the VA, clinics and licensed providers.
7. Crisis plan. Every peer specialist is trained on our written crisis plan, which includes 911 and the Veterans Crisis Line.

What a typical session looks like. Participants arrive and check in with a staff member, settle in together, work on the day's activity in small groups and finish with a short talk about what went well. Staff praise effort, correct mistakes kindly and make sure no one is left out.

Staff. Our peer specialists are veterans who complete a certified training, pass a background check, receive monthly clinical supervision and are paid for their time.

Access and fairness. Programs are free. Services are free. We welcome every veteran regardless of discharge status, branch or era, and family members are welcome at events.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Veterans of any era and their families who live near our partner sites and want peer support. Eligibility is based on veteran or family status, and no veteran is turned away for any reason.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every young person who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. In our Saturday meetings we served full rooms and kept a waiting list. The VA and veteran organizations told us that many more veterans want peer support than we can serve. For Year 1 we plan to serve about 80 participants at 2 sites. By Year 5, with more staff and sites, we plan to serve about 240.

Where participants come from.
- The VA and community clinics.
- Veteran service organizations and churches.
- Employers and colleges with veteran programs.
- Veterans who tell a friend.

Who else benefits. Families gain a more connected veteran. The VA and clinics gain a partner that reaches veterans they do not. The community gains stronger neighborhoods.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a veteran who spoke up and found a friend. We keep our early counts modest and honest so we can do the work well.

Competitive Landscape

What young people can find today, and how we are different.

1. The VA. Offers excellent care, with wait times and distance. We partner and bring veterans in.

2. Community mental health clinics. Essential for treatment and often not culturally familiar. We refer.

3. Veteran service organizations. Provide fellowship and benefits help. We add trained peer support.

4. Faith groups. Caring, without training in veteran issues. We offer a trained partner.

5. Online forums. Easy to reach and lacking supervision and safety.

What makes us different.
- Free to every veteran.
- Led by trained veteran peers with clinical supervision.
- A written crisis plan with 988 press 1 and 911.
- Events that include families.
- A path into the VA and community clinics.

Why this gap matters. Existing programs do good work, and most serve people who can already pay or who live close to them. The people we serve are the ones left over: they live in the wrong neighborhood, have the wrong schedule or have no one to ask. We are built to reach them.

We have spoken with the VA, veteran organizations, clinics and other peer support programs to make sure we are filling a gap and not duplicating services. Their letters of support are in the attachments.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How young people and partners will find us.

Reaching young people.
- The VA and clinics. We will give staff a short referral form and a named contact.
- Veteran organizations and churches. We will present at meetings and share schedules.
- Employers and colleges. We will offer a talk and a flyer.
- Community events. We will table at veteran stand-downs and fairs.
- Word of mouth. Veterans tell friends.
- A simple website and a phone line staffed by peers.

Reaching staff and sponsors.
- Recruit peer specialists through veteran organizations, the VA and training programs.
- Offer an orientation, a background check and training in safety, privacy and respectful practice.
- Give partners a short report each quarter with counts of participants and what they said.

How we decide who joins. We use a simple sign-up form and enroll participants in the order received, with priority for those with the greatest need and for people new to the program. We keep a waiting list when the program is full.

What we watch. Sign-ups, attendance, peer sessions held, referrals made and how many participants return for a second season.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (July and August): Hire the staff, buy equipment and materials, finalize the waiver, consent form and privacy policy with our attorney and sign site agreements.
- Month 3 (September): Begin weekly groups at two sites.
- Months 4 to 10: Hold weekly groups, one-on-one mentoring and monthly events with supervision each month.
- Months 11 and 12: Survey participants and partners, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Groups meet in community centers and a veterans' hall, provided at no cost.

Safety and privacy.
- Peer specialists follow a written crisis plan that includes 911 and the Veterans Crisis Line (988, then press 1) and tell their supervisor the same day.
- We explain the limits of confidentiality at the first meeting.
- Every staff member and volunteer passes a background check and completes safety training.
- Staff work in pairs or in view of others whenever participants are minors or in a vulnerable situation.
- We keep an emergency plan at every site, and participants complete an emergency contact form.
- We keep records private, share them only with a participant's permission or as the law requires and follow a written policy.

Equipment. We buy about $6,000 of equipment once at the start: laptops and projector for training and groups ($3,000), group room furnishings and event supplies ($2,000), phones and a secure call line ($1,000). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. The Program Manager, paid $46,000 a year, supervises peers and partners. Three part-time peer specialists, each paid $20,000 a year, lead groups and mentoring. We add peer specialists as we add sites.

Management & Organization

Raymond Ortiz, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting. I came to this work as a veteran who found my way back through a group of other veterans. I will complete the peer specialist training so I understand the program from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Staff. The Program Manager supervises peer specialists and partners, and part-time peer specialists lead groups. Each passes a background check. These positions are part of our grant request.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes a veteran, a licensed counselor, a veteran's spouse, a banker who serves as treasurer, an attorney and a VA social worker. The board meets every other month, approves our budget and reviews our safety plan. No board member is paid, and members with a conflict of interest step out of related decisions.

Advisory partners. A VA mental health staff member, a licensed clinician and a veteran service officer give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $52,000 a year; program Manager, paid $46,000 a year; peer Support Specialist (part-time), paid $20,000 a year.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals, how we will measure them and when we plan to reach them.

Year 1 outcomes (July 2027 through June 2028):
- Serve about 80 participants at 2 sites.
- Run at least two full seasons and a summer session.
- Have at least 85 percent of participants attend most sessions.
- Have at least 80 percent of participants return for a second season.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 90 percent of families who answer our short survey.

What we count and how.
- Participants enrolled, sessions and games attended, from our records.
- Skills learned and goals met, from the coach's checklist.
- Equipment issued and returned, from our log.
- Participant and family feedback, from a short, confidential form.
We report what we find, including what did not work, and use it to improve.

Growth over five years.
- Year 2: About 120 participants at 2 sites.
- Year 3: About 160 participants at 3 sites.
- Year 4: About 200 participants at 3 sites.
- Year 5: About 240 participants at 4 sites.

Learning along the way. At the end of each quarter, the director and the board review the numbers and decide whether we are on track. If we are behind, we will adjust our outreach, our sites or our schedule before asking for more money.

After the grant. By Year 5, grants make up about 54 percent of our budget, down from about 69 percent in Year 1, as partners and donors give more. We will keep building those relationships every year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $55,000 from the Desert Veterans Wellness Foundation for the Program Manager and peer specialist training, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Manager salary, $46,000.
- Other: Peer specialist training and certification, $9,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 39% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $206,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $8,300 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $142,500; state Veteran Wellness Funding $36,000; veteran Service Organization Partners $18,000; individual Donors $10,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $52,000; program Manager $46,000; peer Support Specialist (part-time) $20,000; peer Specialist Training and Certification about $8,000; group Materials and Activities about $5,000; clinical Supervision about $8,000; transportation about $5,000; events about $4,000; administration and Insurance about $9,000; about $2,800 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $15,800 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $3,000 for laptops and projector for training and groups; $2,000 for group room furnishings and event supplies; $1,000 for phones and a secure call line; $2,500 for attorney review of the consent form, confidentiality policy and crisis plan; $1,800 for banners, flyers and a simple website; $3,000 for peer specialist certification and background checks for the first team; $2,500 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($15,800), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $49,300, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $65,500. We start with $6,000 from our founding board and $62,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a veterans' organization, $68,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $206,500 in Year 1 to about $280,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $142,500, $129,000, $137,000, $144,500 and $152,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: state Veteran Wellness Funding from $36,000 to $60,000; veteran Service Organization Partners from $18,000 to $42,000; individual Donors from $10,000 to $26,000. Our surplus is planned at about $8,300 in Year 1, about $8,800 in Year 2, about $10,600 in Year 3, about $11,900 in Year 4 and about $13,500 in Year 5. We grow from 2 sites to 4 by Year 5, adding a part-time coach for each new site.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $63,200, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $8,260 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per veteran. In Year 1, our total costs are about $2,478 per veteran served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more veteran served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $1,113 per veteran.

After the grant. State veteran wellness funding, corporate sponsors and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Participants and families share their stories, and businesses can sponsor a team or a season by name. We will look for partnerships with schools and the city that want a safe, free peer support option for every child.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- An injury. Certified coaches, proper equipment, groups matched by age and skill, a written emergency plan and insurance.
- A site is no longer available. We keep agreements with more than one site and a plan for bad weather.
- A coach leaves. We keep a list of trained backup coaches and share lesson plans.
- Low attendance. We adjust sites, times and rides based on family feedback.
- A privacy problem. We follow a written policy, use secure systems and train every staff member and volunteer.
- 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: one neighborhood, a handful of veterans and a small team, 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 partner schools, agencies and sites.
- Your site agreements and your insurance certificate.
- Your consent, waiver and privacy policy.
- Your safety plan and background check policy.
- Your program outline and schedule.
- Quotes for equipment and materials.
- 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: $142,500 in Year 1, growing to $152,500 in Year 5.
- State Veteran Wellness Funding: $36,000 in Year 1, growing to $60,000 in Year 5.
- Veteran Service Organization Partners: $18,000 in Year 1, growing to $42,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donors: $10,000 in Year 1, growing to $26,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive Director $52,000; program Manager $46,000; peer Support Specialist (part-time) $20,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: peer Specialist Training and Certification $8,000; group Materials and Activities $5,000; clinical Supervision $8,000; transportation $5,000; events $4,000; administration and Insurance $9,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $6,000 at the start, then $1,500 to $2,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $15,800, paid once from $68,000 in startup money.
- Participants served: about 80 in Year 1, growing to about 240 in Year 5. Sites: 2 in Year 1, growing to 4 by Year 5. Groups meet weekly all year, with monthly events.
- About 4% 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