Common Ground Veterans Peer Alliance

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Executive Summary

Common Ground Veterans Peer Alliance is a nonprofit in Arizona that connects veterans with other veterans who have been where they are. Our Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialists and trained volunteer mentors offer one-on-one mentoring, weekly peer support groups, an evening warm line and social events for veterans who are leaving the service, struggling after service or simply isolated. A Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator screens, trains and supports every mentor, and a licensed Clinical Consultant reviews cases and trains the team, so peers know where their role ends and when to bring in a professional. There is no charge to veterans.

Many veterans say the hardest part of leaving the service is not a job or a bill. It is losing the people who understood them. They describe feeling invisible in civilian life, and carrying things they do not want to bring to a stranger. Many will not go to a clinic but will talk to another veteran at a table. Peer support is a way to meet veterans where they are, and to connect them to care, benefits, work and housing through a person they trust. Peer support is not treatment. It is a bridge to it, and a companion on the road.

With this grant we will train about 30 volunteer mentors and serve about 150 veterans in Year 1, opening in about Month 3, and about 45 mentors and 230 veterans in Year 2. Our goal is that at least 85% of veterans who ask for a peer hear from us within three business days, that at least 70% of matched veterans report feeling more connected and supported after six months on a short, standard survey and that at least 80% of mentors are still active after a year. We do not promise that peer support will improve any veteran's health or life.

Our Year 1 budget: about $501,000, growing to about $667,500 by Year 5. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 8 paid staff in Year 1 and 11 by Year 5. Government veteran services and peer support contracts and local donors add steady support, so grants fall from about 80% of our income in Year 1 to about 57% in Year 5.

We are asking the Common Ground Veterans Foundation for $75,000 for one Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialist, mentor training and certification fees paid directly to training providers, mentor mileage reimbursed with receipts and outside clinical consultation. Government contracts, other grants and donors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Jesse Romero, the Executive Director, an Army combat veteran and a certified peer support specialist. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Common Ground Veterans Peer Alliance is a nonprofit organization in Arizona. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity (or a program of one, through a fiscal sponsor), governed by a volunteer board of directors. We will provide our IRS determination letter, board list and most recent financial statements with this proposal.

Our mission. To make sure no veteran in our community has to carry the weight alone.

What we believe. Veterans help veterans in ways no one else can. A person who has lived through the same transition, the same loss or the same struggle can offer hope that a stranger cannot. Peer support is mutual, voluntary and strengths-based, and it works best when it is well trained, well supervised and honest about its limits. Veterans are the experts on their own lives. We serve women and men, people of every race, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity, and veterans of every era and discharge status, including veterans who do not use VA care.

How we started. Common Ground Veterans Peer Alliance began when a few veterans began meeting for coffee on Thursday mornings at a diner. Attendance grew from three to more than twenty, and a counselor who was a veteran offered to sit in. In two years, the group informally matched more than 60 veterans with mentors, and several of them told us the coffee had kept them going. The VA's peer support program, the county behavioral health department and a veterans' service organization asked whether we could grow into a trained, supervised program. This proposal asks for support to do that.

What we offer:
- One-on-one peer mentoring. A trained mentor is matched with a veteran based on service, life stage and interests, and meets regularly, at a public place the veteran chooses, by phone or by video, usually for at least six months.
- Peer support groups. Weekly groups for veterans of all eras, and groups for women veterans, newly separated veterans and veterans in recovery or with family stress, led by a Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialist.
- An evening warm line. A peer answers calls and texts on evenings and weekends for a friendly conversation. It is not a crisis line. If a veteran is in crisis, the peer connects the caller right away to the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 then press 1) and stays on the line when the caller wishes.
- Connections. Warm handoffs to VA health care and benefits, counseling, housing, employment, food, legal aid and other services, and help getting to a first appointment.
- Transition mentoring. Mentors for service members who are within a year of leaving the service, so someone is waiting on the other side.
- Social events. Hikes, cookouts, service projects and volunteer days, with families welcome, so isolation is broken in a healthy way.
- Family and caregiver circles. A monthly group for spouses, partners and parents.
- Mentor training and support. A training course of about 30 hours for every volunteer mentor, monthly meetings and ongoing supervision.

Who we serve. Any person who served in the U.S. armed forces, including National Guard and Reserve, regardless of discharge type when our funding allows, and their families. Some government funding has its own eligibility rules, which we confirm for each funding source. We do not charge veterans for any service.

What peers are not. Peers are not clinicians. They do not diagnose, treat, give medical or legal advice, handle medication or take the place of professional care. We do not provide mental health treatment, and we refer to licensed providers. We do not prepare or charge for VA benefit claims, which only accredited representatives may do.

How we are run. A seven-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. The board includes two veterans, a licensed clinical social worker, a VA peer support representative, a county behavioral health representative, an attorney and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director manages the organization, the Program Director runs the program and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from the VA medical center's peer support program, the county behavioral health department, a community college, two veterans' organizations and a church. We have a letter of intent for a small space with a group room and private meeting room on a bus line. Before we begin, we will confirm Arizona's rules for peer support specialist certification, have an attorney review our peer scope, volunteer and mentor policies, confidentiality and privacy policies and confirm any requirements for funding and billing.

Problem & Opportunity

Veterans are more likely than other adults to feel isolated after leaving the service, and the risks that follow are serious. Many veterans carry the effects of trauma, loss, injury or moral injury, and many struggle in the first years after separation with work, family, money and identity. Veterans die by suicide at a higher rate than other adults, and the risk is highest for younger veterans and in the first year after leaving the service. Many veterans never connect with any formal service.

The reasons are familiar. Many veterans do not trust large systems, or believe that asking for help is a weakness or will affect a job, a clearance, a firearm or a family. Some do not know what benefits and care exist. Some have had a poor experience with a clinic or a claim. Some live far from a VA facility. Some are not eligible for VA care. And many would rather talk to someone who has been there than to a stranger with a clipboard.

Peer support fills that gap. Veterans who have faced similar struggles can build trust fast, share what worked and help a veteran take a first step, whether that is a counseling appointment, a benefits application or a coffee. Peer support specialists are an established part of the VA's mental health services and of many state systems. At the same time, peer support done badly can do harm. A mentor who is not trained may give advice that is outside their role, may share a veteran's private information, may become a crutch, may be harmed by what they hear or may miss a warning sign. A mentor without supervision can burn out.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Studies of peer support show that it can improve engagement in care, hope and a sense of belonging, and the evidence for specific outcomes such as symptom reduction or fewer suicides is still developing. We do not know that every veteran we serve will be better off because of a mentor, and we say so to every veteran who asks. We will measure what we can, such as connection, referrals and mentor retention, and share results honestly. We will use local numbers from the VA, the county and the state in our final application and will not overstate them.

Our community has good services, including the VA's peer program and several informal groups, and many veterans fall between them: veterans who are not eligible, who live far away, who do not want a clinical setting or who would like a peer match outside the VA. We aim to be a safe, well-run front door, and a bridge to professional help.

Products & Services

Common Ground Veterans Peer Alliance will run a veterans peer mentoring and support center with a Program Director, Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialists, a Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator, a part-time licensed Clinical Consultant and an Executive Director, and will offer one-on-one mentoring, peer groups, a warm line, transition mentoring, social events and family circles at no cost to veterans.

How it works, step by step:
1. First contact. A veteran, family member, clinician or partner calls, texts or uses our website. We return every message within three business days, and the same day when the request is urgent. Anyone in crisis is connected right away to the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 then press 1), or 911 when there is immediate danger.
2. A welcome conversation. A Peer Support Specialist talks with the veteran about what the veteran wants: a mentor, a group, a social event or help with a specific need. There is no assessment and no diagnosis. We explain what peer support is, what it is not, privacy and how to stop at any time.
3. Matching. We match the veteran with a mentor based on the veteran's wishes, such as era, branch, gender, life situation and interests, and we offer a choice of mentors where we can. The first meeting is in a public place, by phone or by video, with a Peer Support Specialist present if the veteran wishes.
4. Mentoring. Regular meetings, usually every week or two, for at least six months. Mentors listen, share their own experience when it helps, help set small goals, go with the veteran to a first appointment and celebrate progress.
5. Groups and events. Veterans may join a peer group or social event at any time, with or without a mentor.
6. Warm handoffs. When a veteran wants or needs more than peer support, such as counseling, health care or benefits help, the mentor and Peer Support Specialist make a warm handoff and follow up.
7. Supervision. Every mentor meets with a Peer Support Specialist or the Coordinator every month. The Clinical Consultant holds monthly case reviews and is available for urgent questions. Mentors never have to handle a hard situation alone.
8. Check-ins and ending well. We check in with each match every month, collect a short survey at six months and help matches end or move on with care.

What the grant will pay for. Part of one Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialist's salary, mentor training and certification fees paid directly to training providers, mentor mileage reimbursed with receipts and outside clinical consultation. The rest of the budget comes from government contracts, other grants and donors.

Mentors are volunteers. Volunteer mentors are not paid. They are reimbursed for mileage and approved costs with receipts, never given cash for their time, and we do not let volunteers take money from a veteran. Our Peer Support Specialists are paid staff.

Why this approach is strong. A veteran gets someone who has been there, a mentor who is trained and supervised, a way to reach professional help and a community. We do not promise that peer support solves every problem, but we know that having someone who understands can be the difference between staying home and taking a first step.

Market Analysis

Who benefits: veterans and military family members in our Arizona service area who are isolated or struggling, and the clinics, employers, churches and neighbors who care about them.

Our primary group is veterans of every era who want a peer: veterans who are newly out of the service, veterans who feel isolated, veterans in recovery, veterans with a disability, older veterans who live alone, women veterans, rural veterans and veterans who do not use VA care. We also serve spouses, partners and parents of veterans through family circles. We expect many veterans to come through a referral from a clinic, a court, a church or a friend, and many to come on their own after hearing from another veteran.

We will not serve a person who needs emergency help at the moment of the visit, and we will help them reach the right place by calling 911 or the Veterans Crisis Line. We refer veterans who need clinical treatment, and we stay in touch while the referral is made.

Local data. We will use the most recent numbers from the VA, the county and the state in our final application and will not overstate them. Our own experience shows demand: in two years of Thursday coffee and informal matches, more than 60 veterans were matched and a waiting list formed for mentors. We plan for about 150 veterans in Year 1 and about 230 in Year 2, growing to about 470 by Year 5 as we add Peer Support Specialists and mentors, with about 30 mentors trained in Year 1 and about 90 in Year 5.

Our secondary groups are volunteer mentors, who gain a way to serve with training and support; clinics and the VA, which gain a bridge to veterans who do not seek care; the courts, which gain a referral option for veterans in veterans treatment court; and employers, who gain more stable employees.

We do not guarantee a mentor to anyone, and when we are full we say so, offer a place on a short waiting list, invite the veteran to a group or the warm line in the meantime and refer to other peer programs. We do not accept payment in exchange for referrals.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices veterans have in our area, and what makes us different.

- The VA's peer support program. VA peer specialists work within the VA's mental health care, and are valuable. They serve veterans who are enrolled in VA care and focus on the VA setting. We work closely with them, take referrals from them and refer veterans to them.
- Vet Centers. They provide counseling and outreach for combat veterans and others, with staff who are veterans. We work with them and refer to them.
- Veterans' service organizations. The American Legion, VFW and others offer fellowship, which is valuable. They may not offer trained, supervised mentoring. We partner with them.
- Peer programs run by other nonprofits. Some national groups offer peer mentoring and online groups. We work with them, and they may not offer a local, in-person match.
- Counseling and mental health clinics. They provide treatment. We do not compete with them. We help veterans get to them and stay.
- Informal groups. Many veterans find help in coffee meetings and social media groups. We are grateful for them, and they may lack training, supervision and safety rules.

What makes us different.
- Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialists leading the program, with trained volunteer mentors.
- A clear scope: peers support, they do not treat.
- Training and supervision for every mentor, with a licensed Clinical Consultant.
- An evening warm line and weekend events.
- Veteran matching by choice, not assignment.
- A bridge to professional care through warm handoffs.
- Honest results. We measure and share our results, whether they are good or not.

What we do not claim. We are new. Our track record is small, built on volunteers, and the VA and national programs have decades of experience. We plan to learn from them, share results openly and ask for advice from our partners.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the veterans, mentors, partners and supporters we need once the project is funded.

Veterans. Most veterans will find us through a person they trust. We will work with the VA medical center and Vet Center, community clinics, American Legion and VFW posts, veterans' service organizations, the veterans treatment court, community colleges, employers, churches, barber shops, gyms and libraries. We will attend Stand Down events and veterans' resource fairs. We will keep a toll-free number, a text line, a simple website and a printed card that fits in a wallet, with the Veterans Crisis Line number on the back. Veterans who have been mentored, with their written permission, will be our best messengers.

Mentors. We will recruit mentors through veterans' organizations, employers, community colleges, churches and our own mentees. Every applicant completes an application, a background check, references, an interview and our training before being matched. We look for veterans who have been through hard times and are stable, and we are honest about the time and emotional cost.

Referral partners. We will build relationships with the VA, clinics, the county behavioral health department, hospitals, the courts, law enforcement, first responders, employers and faith leaders. We will offer short trainings on how to talk to a veteran about peer support and how to reach us and the Veterans Crisis Line. We will not pay or reward anyone for referrals.

Government and payers. We will work with the county, the state and the VA to find contracts and grants that can pay for peer support, and, where Arizona allows, to bill for certified peer support services. These sources are competitive and slow, so the plan counts on them only as shown in the funding section.

Funders. We will report results as totals, never with a veteran's name, to funders and government partners twice a year and in a short annual report. We will invite funders to attend a group or event with the permission of the participants.

Donors and community. We will invite individuals, businesses, churches, civic clubs and veterans' organizations to sponsor a mentor's training, a social event or the warm line. Gifts are tracked separately and acknowledged with thanks.

How we talk about peer support and mental health. We use plain, respectful words. We do not use stories or photographs of veterans without clear, written, informed permission, and we never describe methods of self-harm in our materials. We follow safe messaging guidelines for suicide prevention in everything we publish, and every public message includes the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255).

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 2: Attorney review of peer scope, volunteer and mentor policies, confidentiality and privacy policies, sign the lease, hire the Program Director, three Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialists, the Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator and the part-time Clinical Consultant, choose a secure data system and set up the warm line.
- Month 3: Staff training in peer support, crisis response, boundaries, confidentiality, mandatory reporting, trauma-informed practice and the data system. Open to veterans and begin recruiting the first mentors.
- Months 4 to 8: First mentor training course, first matches, first groups and first social events. Warm line opens evenings and weekends.
- Months 9 to 12: Second mentor course, six-month surveys begin. Review of results, wait times and costs, a year-end report to funders and planning for Year 2.

Space. A small leased space on a bus line, with a group room, a quiet room, a private meeting room and a reception area. Rent and utilities are about $28,000 a year in Year 1, and peer group space and event costs about $18,000. Paint, flooring and a private, sound-insulated meeting room are a one-time cost of $3,500, with a deposit and first month of rent of $4,500.

Equipment. We buy about $10,000 of equipment once at the start: laptops, phones and warm line equipment ($6,000), furniture for a peer group room, a quiet room and private meeting space ($3,000) and locking cabinets for confidential records ($1,000). After Year 1, we set aside about $2,000 to $3,000 a year to replace and add equipment.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director, a Peer Support Program Director, three Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialists, a Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator, a part-time licensed Clinical Consultant and a part-time Program Coordinator and Data Specialist. A fourth Peer Support Specialist joins in Year 3, a second Coordinator in Year 4 and a fifth Peer Support Specialist in Year 5.

Mentor screening and training. Every volunteer mentor completes an application, passes a criminal background check, provides references and is interviewed. We look for stability, good listening and a commitment of at least six months. Training is about 30 hours and covers the role and its limits, active listening, boundaries, confidentiality, mandatory reporting, recognizing signs of crisis and what to do, safe messaging and self-care, cultural humility and when and how to refer. Training and certification fees are paid directly to the training providers, about $24,000 a year in Year 1, and we pay for state certification for our Peer Support Specialists where Arizona offers it.

Boundaries and safety. Mentors are never alone with a veteran at the first meeting, and meetings take place in public places, our space, by phone or by video. Mentors do not lend or accept money, do not enter into romantic or business relationships with a mentee, do not drive a veteran who has been drinking, do not keep a veteran's firearms, medications or valuables and do not offer medical, legal or financial advice. Mentors report concerns to a Peer Support Specialist the same day. A match that is not working can end at any time, with support.

Peers are not clinicians. Peers do not diagnose, treat or handle medication. When a veteran may need treatment, a Peer Support Specialist helps arrange it. The Clinical Consultant, under contract at about $8,000 a year plus a part-time position, reviews cases, trains the team and is available for urgent questions.

Crisis plan. Every staff member and mentor is trained in our written crisis plan. If a veteran is at immediate risk, the mentor stays with the person, we call 911 and the mentor connects the person to the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255). A Peer Support Specialist is on call every day. After any crisis, the Clinical Consultant helps the mentor and reviews what happened and what to change. We offer lethal means safety information, which helps people reduce access to things that could be used in a crisis, and we offer it with respect and without judgment.

Confidentiality and its limits. What a veteran tells a mentor is private. We explain, in plain language, the limited times when we must or may share information: when a person is in immediate danger of harming self or others, when we have reason to suspect abuse or neglect of a child, an older adult or a person with a disability, when a court orders it and when a veteran has given written permission. Records are kept in a locked cabinet and a secure, password-protected system, and we report results to funders only as totals.

Mentor wellbeing. Mentors can be affected by what they hear. We offer monthly support meetings, supervision, a limit on the number of matches each mentor takes and referrals to counseling for mentors.

Fairness. We follow federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws and make reasonable accommodations for disability.

VA benefits claims. Only people accredited by the VA may prepare, present and prosecute claims for VA benefits, and they may not charge fees for initial claims. We do not prepare or charge for VA claims. We refer veterans to accredited Veterans Service Officers.

Insurance and records. We carry general liability, professional liability, volunteer accident, property and non-owned auto liability insurance, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $10,000 a year in Year 1. Grant money is tracked separately so we can show each funder how their money was spent, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Jesse Romero, Executive Director. An Army combat veteran and a certified peer support specialist with more than ten years of experience in veteran peer programs. He leads fundraising, partnerships, finance and hiring, reports to the board and is the main contact for funders. (Replace this paragraph with your own director's background.)

Peer Support Program Director (full time, hired in Months 1 to 2). Runs the program day to day, supervises the Peer Support Specialists, manages crisis response and relationships with the VA and clinics. We will seek a person with experience in peer support or social services and a clear commitment to the scope of peer work.

Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialists (three in Years 1 and 2, four in Years 3 and 4, five in Year 5). Veterans with lived experience of recovery or hard times, who hold or are earning state certification. They lead groups, match and supervise mentors, answer the warm line and help veterans connect to care.

Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4). Recruits, screens, trains and supports volunteer mentors, runs the training course and tracks matches.

Clinical Consultant (part-time, licensed). A licensed clinical social worker or psychologist who reviews cases, trains staff and mentors, advises on crisis and refers to treatment. The consultant does not provide treatment to veterans in this role.

Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time). Keeps the records, manages the data system, tracks results and prepares reports.

Board of directors. Seven volunteers who meet every quarter: two veterans, a licensed clinical social worker, a VA peer support representative, a county behavioral health representative, an attorney and a certified public accountant. The board approves the budget and policies, reviews results and incidents each quarter and does not receive pay.

Veteran advisory group. Veterans and mentors meet quarterly and tell us what is working and what is not. Their advice shapes our groups, training and rules.

Outside professionals. An attorney reviews our peer scope, volunteer and privacy policies. An outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Staff screening and training. Every staff member and volunteer passes a criminal background check. Volunteers do not have access to records beyond what their role needs.

Staff pay in this plan includes payroll taxes and workers' compensation. Salaries are Executive Director $60,000, Program Director $54,000, Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialist $42,000, Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator $44,000, part-time Clinical Consultant $36,000 and part-time Program Coordinator $26,000. 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: Open the center by about Month 3, train about 30 volunteer mentors, serve about 150 veterans, answer at least 85% of requests within three business days and keep at least 80% of mentors active at 12 months. A balanced budget of about $501,000, with a small surplus of about $12,000. 8 paid staff.
- Year 2: Train about 45 mentors and serve about 230 veterans. Apply for government peer support contracts. Begin six-month connection surveys. A balanced budget of about $509,000, with a small surplus of about $11,600. 8 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a fourth Peer Support Specialist, train about 60 mentors and serve about 300 veterans. Contracts cover more of our budget. A balanced budget of about $561,000, with a small surplus of about $12,400. 9 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a second Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator, train about 75 mentors and serve about 380 veterans. A balanced budget of about $615,000, with a small surplus of about $13,000. 10 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a fifth Peer Support Specialist, train about 90 mentors and serve about 470 veterans, with government contracts covering about 28% of our budget. A balanced budget of about $667,500, with a small surplus of about $13,300. 11 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Veterans served, by era of service, gender, age and whether they use VA care.
- Days from first contact to a welcome conversation and to a match.
- Matches made, length of matches and reasons matches end.
- Connection and support, using a short, standard survey at enrollment and at six months.
- Referrals and warm handoffs made and completed, including to counseling and the VA.
- Mentors trained, active at 12 months and satisfied with training and supervision.
- Warm line contacts, in totals, and crisis connections made, reported in totals.
- Cost per veteran served and per mentor trained.
- Veteran satisfaction and whether veterans felt respected, collected anonymously.

How we review results. The Program Director and Peer Support Specialists review caseloads and safety every week, and the whole team reviews outcomes monthly. Each semester, staff, mentors, the veteran advisory group and our partners review results together and we change what is not working. Twice a year the board reviews results and we share them with funders and the VA as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens, including when we fall short.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $75,000 from the Common Ground Veterans Foundation for one Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialist, mentor training and certification fees paid directly to training providers, mentor mileage reimbursed with receipts and outside clinical consultation, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialist salary, $42,000 (other funds add $84,000).
- Other: Mentor training and certification fees (paid directly to training providers), $20,000 (other funds add $4,000).
- Other: Mentor mileage and transportation (reimbursed with receipts), $5,000 (other funds add $5,000).
- Contractual: Outside clinical consultation and case reviews, $8,000.

Other money in the program. Government veteran services and peer support contracts, other grants and local donors pay the other $93,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director's salary ($60,000), the Program Director ($54,000), the Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator ($44,000), the part-time Clinical Consultant ($36,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($26,000), peer group space and event costs ($18,000), office rent and utilities ($28,000), warm line, phones and secure data system ($12,000), outreach and community events ($10,000), insurance ($10,000), evaluation and reporting ($7,000) and administration and accounting ($14,000).

Year 1 budget: about $501,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $12,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $401,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), government veteran services and peer support contracts $60,000 and donations and local sponsors $40,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $60,000; Peer Support Program Director $54,000; three Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialists $126,000; Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator $44,000; Clinical Consultant $36,000; Program Coordinator and Data Specialist $26,000; mentor training, certification and refresher fees about $24,000; outside clinical consultation and case reviews about $8,000; peer group space and event costs about $18,000; office rent and utilities about $28,000; warm line, phones and secure data system about $12,000; outreach and community events about $10,000; insurance about $10,000; mentor mileage and transportation about $10,000; evaluation and reporting about $7,000; administration and accounting about $14,000; and about $4,000 a year for the wear on equipment.

How we planned the program. About $346,000 of the Year 1 budget is pay, because peer support is a people service and each Peer Support Specialist can support only a limited number of mentors, groups and veterans. We plan for about 150 veterans and 30 mentors in Year 1 because the center opens in about Month 3, and about 230 veterans and 45 mentors in Year 2. Volunteers are not paid, and their training, mileage and supervision are real costs, shown above.

About government contracts and billing. The VA, the state, the county and behavioral health agencies fund peer support, and in some states certified peer support services can be billed to Medicaid. These sources are competitive or slow to start, need certification and credentialing and strict documentation and are awarded for set periods. We will confirm Arizona's rules with an attorney. The amounts in this plan are our planning estimates, not promises, and agencies can change their budgets, rules and awards. We plan for grants and donors to cover the gap if they do.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $32,300 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $10,000 for equipment, $3,500 for leasehold improvements, $4,500 for deposits, $800 for licenses and permits, $6,000 for legal and professional help, $3,000 for signage, brochures and a website, $4,500 for background checks, training and first insurance.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($32,300), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $21,100) and a cash cushion of about $121,800, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $175,500. We start with $25,000 of our own savings and $160,000 in startup support from a veterans' foundation, a hospital community benefit gift and our board, $185,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $501,000 in Year 1 to about $667,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $401,000, $372,000, $380,000, $383,000, $382,500 in Years 1 to 5. Government contracts grow from $60,000 to $185,000, and donations and local sponsors grow from $40,000 to $100,000. We add a fourth Peer Support Specialist in Year 3, a second Coordinator in Year 4 and a fifth Peer Support Specialist in Year 5. Grants fall from about 80% of our income in Year 1 to about 57% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $153,900, at the end of Year 1. Government and grant payments often arrive after we bill or after we submit documents, so we plan for about $35,070 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is to grow government contracts and billing as agencies see results, to invite employers, hospitals, churches and veterans' groups to sponsor mentors and groups and to grow individual donors. Because a veteran who stays connected is more likely to get care and stay stable, success lowers costs for the community and strengthens our case for public funding.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A veteran is in crisis. We use a written crisis plan, train every staff member and mentor, keep a Peer Support Specialist on call and connect to the Veterans Crisis Line and 911.
- A mentor crosses a boundary or harms a veteran. We screen and train, supervise monthly, tell veterans how to report a concern and remove any mentor who breaks our rules.
- Mentors burn out or leave. We limit matches, offer support meetings and counseling referrals and recruit steadily.
- A privacy breach. We use a secure records system, train everyone and follow a written breach plan.
- Government contracts or billing are delayed or not awarded. We plan with a cash cushion, stage hiring so costs follow funding and apply to other funders.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow contracts and donors and keep our cost per veteran low.

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 part-time Peer Support Specialist, a weekly group and 10 to 15 trained mentors, serving 40 to 60 veterans in the first year, 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.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and Clinical Consultant, proof of peer support certification and job descriptions for the Program Director, Peer Support Specialists and Coordinator.
- Letters of support from the VA's peer support program, the county behavioral health department, a veterans' organization and a clinic.
- Your mentor application, screening and training outline.
- Your peer scope policy, boundary rules and mentor agreement.
- Your confidentiality policy, crisis plan and mandatory reporting policy.
- Your warm line protocol and Veterans Crisis Line referral steps.
- Your plan for measuring results, including the six-month survey.
- Results from your Thursday coffee group or pilot, shown as totals.
- Proof of liability and volunteer accident insurance, or a quote.
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: $401,000 in Year 1, then $372,000, $380,000, $383,000, $382,500.
- Government Veteran Services and Peer Support Contracts: $60,000 in Year 1, growing to $185,000.
- Donations and Local Sponsors: $40,000 in Year 1, growing to $100,000.
- Veterans and mentors: about 150 veterans served and 30 mentors trained in Year 1 (the center opens about Month 3), then 230, 300, 380, 470 veterans and 45, 60, 75, 90 mentors in Years 2 to 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $60,000, Program Director $54,000, Certified Veteran Peer Support Specialist $42,000 (three in Years 1 and 2, four in Years 3 and 4, five in Year 5), Mentor Training and Volunteer Coordinator $44,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Clinical Consultant (part-time) $36,000, Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Mentor Training, Certification and Refresher Fees (Paid Directly to Providers) $24,000, Outside Clinical Consultation and Case Reviews $8,000, Peer Group Space and Event Costs $18,000, Office Rent and Utilities $28,000, Warm Line, Phones and Secure Data System $12,000, Outreach and Community Events $10,000, Insurance $10,000, Mentor Mileage and Transportation (Reimbursed with Receipts) $10,000, Evaluation and Reporting $7,000, Administration and Accounting $14,000. The other costs grow between 4% and 8% a year.
- Equipment: $10,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $32,300, paid once from $185,000 in startup money.
- About 7% 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