Steadfast Home Veterans Alliance

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Executive Summary

Steadfast Home Veterans Alliance is a nonprofit in Texas that gives homeless veterans a safe place to live, a plan and the support they need to move into a home of their own. We lease and run a twelve-bed transitional house where single veterans can stay for up to 24 months while a case manager, a veteran peer and trained house staff help them get stable: identification and benefits in order, health care and treatment where they want it, work or training, savings, and a lease in their own name. House staff are on site every night and on weekends, so the house is safe for the people who live there.

Our county has veterans who have served the country and now sleep in cars, in shelters, in the woods or on a friend's couch. Emergency shelters are meant for a night or a few weeks. Permanent housing can take months to find, and some veterans need more than a key before they are ready to hold a lease, keep a job or manage a health problem. Transitional housing fills that gap: a stable bed, regular meals, a quiet place to sleep and people who know what military service and its aftermath can feel like. We also know that transitional housing is not the right fit for every veteran. Some are better served by moving straight into their own apartment, and when that is the right path we refer the veteran to a program that does it.

With this grant we will welcome about 16 veterans in Year 1, opening in about Month 4, and about 24 in Year 2, as the house runs at full capacity. Our goal is that at least 70% of veterans who leave the program move into permanent housing, and that at least 80% of those still have their housing six months later. We will pay move-on costs such as a security deposit and first month of rent directly to a landlord, never as cash to a veteran. Every veteran is connected to VA health care and benefits, and we refer to accredited Veterans Service Officers for benefit claims.

Our Year 1 budget: about $668,000, growing to about $812,500 by Year 5. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 10 paid staff in Year 1 and 12 by Year 5. Government contracts and local donors add steady support, so grants fall from about 70% of our income in Year 1 to about 48% in Year 5.

We are asking the Freedom Road Housing Foundation for $100,000 for one Veteran Case Manager, a move-on assistance fund, food and household supplies and resident transportation and basic needs. Government contracts, other grants and donors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Marcus Bell, the Executive Director and an Army veteran. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Steadfast Home Veterans Alliance is a nonprofit organization in Texas. 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 give every homeless veteran in our community a safe bed, a path forward and a home of their own.

What we believe. People who served deserve a safe place to live while they get back on their feet. A stable home is the foundation for health, work, family and healing. Veterans are the experts on their own lives, and the best help comes from people who understand military life and treat each person with respect. We serve women and men, people of every race, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity. Veterans with a past conviction, a lower-than-honorable discharge or a history of substance use are welcome to apply, and we look at each person's situation individually, with safety for every resident in mind.

How we started. Steadfast Home Veterans Alliance began when a group of veterans and two churches opened a church hall as a winter warming shelter. Night after night the same faces came, and the volunteers saw that a cot for a night was not enough. A small team began housing a few veterans at a time in donated rooms and a borrowed duplex. In two years, the group helped 41 veterans move from the street or a shelter into stable housing, and the VA's homeless program, the local Continuum of Care and the county asked whether we could run a full, staffed house. This proposal asks for support to do that.

What we offer:
- A safe, furnished bed. Twelve beds in six bedrooms, with a separate bedroom and bath for women veterans, three meals a day or a full kitchen to cook, laundry, a quiet room and a small yard. The house is an ordinary home on a bus line in a residential neighborhood, not an institution.
- Case management. A Veteran Case Manager meets with each resident each week, writes an individual housing plan and helps with every step: identification, income, benefits, health care, work or school, debts, legal issues and finding a place to live.
- Peer support. A Veteran Peer Support Specialist with lived experience offers friendship, encouragement and practical help, including rides to appointments.
- House staff. Trained Resident Monitors are on site overnight and on weekends, keep the house safe and calm, and are the first people a resident turns to when something goes wrong.
- Move-on help. A move-on assistance fund pays a security deposit and first month of rent directly to the landlord when a veteran is ready for a place of their own, and our case manager helps find a landlord, check the unit and set up the move.
- Aftercare. Regular check-ins for at least six months after a veteran moves out, and a call to us any time trouble starts.

Who we serve. Single adult veterans who are homeless, regardless of discharge type when our funding allows. Veterans with children are referred to family housing partners and to Supportive Services for Veteran Families providers. Some government funding has its own eligibility rules, which we confirm for each funding source. We do not charge veterans rent or program fees.

What we do not do. We are not a crisis service, a hospital or a treatment program. We do not provide medical care or mental health treatment, and we refer to providers. We do not prepare or charge for VA benefit claims, which only accredited representatives may do. We do not promise any veteran a bed or a home.

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 property manager, a VA social worker, an attorney, a pastor and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director manages the organization, the Program Manager runs the house and the staff, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from the VA medical center's homeless program, the Continuum of Care, two churches and a local landlord association. We have a letter of intent from a property owner for a house that is a good fit for twelve beds. Before we open, we will confirm that the zoning and occupancy rules in Texas allow the house, pass fire and safety inspections, enroll in the community's Homeless Management Information System and have an attorney review our lease, resident agreement and house rules.

Problem & Opportunity

Veterans are at a higher risk of homelessness than most adults, and the reasons are rarely simple. Some veterans leave the service with a job and a place to live and lose both later after an injury, an illness, a divorce or a layoff. Some carry the effects of combat, military sexual trauma or a traumatic brain injury. Some turn to alcohol or drugs to manage pain or sleep. Some are waiting on a disability decision that can take many months. Women veterans are a growing share of those who are homeless, and many have children or have survived violence, so they need housing that is safe and private.

In our county, a veteran who loses housing today usually faces three bad choices. A night in an emergency shelter is available only some of the time and usually comes with a short time limit. A bed in a program far away takes the veteran away from family, work and doctors. Or the veteran stays in a car or on a couch, where it is hard to get mail, keep medication safe, store papers or sleep. After a few weeks of this, it becomes harder to hold a job, harder to keep appointments and harder to believe things can change.

Even when a veteran is ready to rent, the barriers are real: no deposit, no first month's rent, no credit history, a past eviction or conviction, or no income yet. Landlords are cautious, and the veteran does not have a recent reference. Many people who are housed without any support lose that housing within a year.

The gap we want to fill is the stretch between the street and a lease. A transitional house gives a veteran a stable address, which is often the key that unlocks everything else: a bank account, a job application, a benefits appointment, a place for a child to visit. It gives the veteran time, while staff and peers help to get ID, income, treatment and savings in order, and then pay the first costs of a move to a place of their own.

We want to be clear about what we do not know. Transitional housing is one tool among several, and research on which approach works best for which veteran is mixed. Many communities use Housing First, which places a person directly in a permanent home with services, and it works well for many people. We believe a community needs both. Our role is to serve veterans who want or need a stable, staffed, shared setting for a time, and to refer a veteran to a permanent-housing-first program when that is the better fit. We will track results and share them as totals, whether they are good or not.

We also know the need is larger than one house. The Continuum of Care's most recent count in our county found veterans without a home on a single night, and that count is widely believed to miss people who are staying in cars or with friends. We will use local numbers from the Continuum of Care and the VA in our final application and will not overstate them.

Products & Services

Steadfast Home Veterans Alliance will lease and run a twelve-bed transitional house for single homeless veterans, with a Veteran Case Manager, a Veteran Peer Support Specialist, trained Resident Monitors on site every night and weekend, a Program Manager and an Executive Director. We will pay move-on costs directly to landlords and follow up for at least six months after a veteran moves out.

How it works, step by step:
1. Referral and screening. Veterans are referred by the VA's homeless program, coordinated entry through the Continuum of Care, shelters, jails and prisons (as part of release planning), the courts, churches and veterans' organizations, or they can call us themselves. A short, respectful intake confirms that the veteran served, is homeless and wants a place in the house, and looks at safety for the veteran and the other residents. We verify service with the veteran's discharge papers or the VA.
2. Move-in. Each veteran gets a furnished bed, a welcome kit with bedding and hygiene supplies, a clear written resident agreement and a tour of the house and the neighborhood. We explain the rules, the grievance process and what to do in an emergency.
3. A plan in the first two weeks. The Case Manager sits down with the veteran and writes a plan in the veteran's own words: goals for housing, income, health, family, work or school and legal issues, with steps and dates.
4. Support every week. Weekly meetings with the Case Manager, regular meetings with the Peer Support Specialist, a house meeting each week and help with appointments, rides, phones and paperwork. Warm handoffs to VA health care, mental health and substance use treatment, employment programs, legal aid and benefits help.
5. Savings and readiness. Veterans with income are helped to make a budget, build savings and repair credit. Workshops cover renting, tenant rights and managing a household.
6. Move-on. When a veteran is ready, the Case Manager helps find a landlord and a unit that meets housing quality and rent reasonableness standards, and the move-on fund pays a security deposit and first month of rent directly to the landlord. We help with the move and a household kit.
7. Aftercare. Regular check-ins for at least six months after move-out, with quick help if a problem begins.

What the grant will pay for. Part of one Veteran Case Manager's salary, the move-on assistance fund, food and household supplies and resident transportation and basic needs. The rest of the budget comes from government contracts, other grants and donors.

Rules and respect. The house has a short list of written rules: no violence or threats, no weapons in the house, no alcohol or illegal drugs in the house, and respect for the privacy and safety of others. A veteran who breaks a rule is not automatically sent away. Staff talk with the veteran, make a plan and look at what is needed to keep everyone safe. Staff will not exit a veteran into homelessness without a plan, except where there is an immediate danger to others.

A veteran who is ready for more independence can leave earlier. A veteran who needs more time can stay up to 24 months, and we review progress with the veteran every month.

What makes this approach strong. A stable bed and people who care come first. Everything else is built on that.

Market Analysis

Who benefits: single adult veterans in our Texas county who are homeless, and the community that no longer has to see them on the street.

Our primary group is veterans who have no safe place to stay and who want a stable, staffed setting while they work on housing, income and health. We expect most residents to be men between 35 and 64, with a growing share of women, veterans over 55 who are on fixed incomes, and veterans who have been in jail or prison, in a hospital or in a treatment program and have nowhere to go on release. Many will have a service-connected disability, a pending VA claim or a chronic health problem.

We will not serve veterans who need a level of medical or psychiatric care that a house cannot provide, and we will help those veterans find the right place. Some residency restrictions under Texas law, our insurance or our neighborhood agreement may limit who we can house for certain offenses, and we confirm them with our attorney before we open. When we cannot house a veteran, we explain why in writing and help the veteran find another option.

Estimates of the number of homeless veterans in our county vary with the method of counting, and the point-in-time count is known to miss many. We will use the Continuum of Care's most recent count and the VA's data in our final application. We plan for about 16 veterans to enter in Year 1, about 24 in Year 2 and about 32 by Year 5.

Our secondary groups are landlords, who gain a reliable, supported tenant and a single contact when a problem comes up; the VA and the Continuum of Care, which gain a partner and a bed in a system that is often full; and the neighbors, who gain a well-run house instead of a source of worry. We hold a neighbor meeting before we open and keep a phone number that neighbors can call at any hour.

Demand for transitional beds is steady, and we expect a waiting list within months of opening. We do not guarantee a bed to anyone. We keep a fair, written way of choosing among veterans, based on need and fit for the program, and we do not accept referrals on the basis of payment.

Competitive Landscape

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

- Emergency shelters. They are needed, but stays are short, beds are limited and there is little individual case management. We work closely with them and take referrals from them.
- Other transitional programs for veterans. The VA funds community providers, through its Grant and Per Diem program, to run transitional housing, and there are a few beds in our region. Most are far away or full. We will not duplicate them, we will coordinate with them through the Continuum of Care and we will refer veterans to them when they are a better fit.
- Housing First and rapid rehousing programs. Supportive Services for Veteran Families and HUD-VASH vouchers put veterans directly in permanent housing, with services. They work well, and we refer veterans to them. Our program is for veterans who prefer a staffed setting for a time, who do not yet have a voucher or a landlord, or who are waiting for one.
- Sober living and treatment programs. They serve people in recovery and may charge fees. We do not provide treatment, and we refer veterans who need it.
- Churches and informal help. A church may host a veteran for a few nights, and we are grateful for it. We offer a longer, staffed program and can add case management behind that help.

What makes us different.
- A veteran-led team, including a Veteran Peer Support Specialist, and a founder who has lived in a shelter.
- A house, not a facility: a home on a bus line, with a yard, a full kitchen and a quiet room, and house staff who are on site every night.
- A clear exit path. From the first week, every veteran has a plan that points toward a home of their own, and a move-on fund pays the up-front costs directly to the landlord.
- Honest referral. We will tell a veteran when another program fits better, and we help get the veteran there.
- Strong local ties. Letters from the VA's homeless program, the Continuum of Care, two churches and a landlord association.

What we do not claim. We are new. Our track record is small, built on volunteers and donated funds, and the leading providers 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, landlords and supporters we need once the project is funded.

Veterans. Most of our residents will come through referral, not advertising. We will work with the VA medical center's homeless program, the Continuum of Care's coordinated entry, shelters, the county jail's and state prison's release planners, the veterans court, churches, food pantries, veterans' service organizations and libraries. We will attend Stand Down events and veteran resource fairs. We will keep a toll-free number, a simple website and a printed card that fits in a wallet. Veterans who have lived in the house will be our best messengers, and we will ask each of them, with their permission, to share what helped.

Landlords. A move-on program works only if landlords say yes. We will recruit landlords through the local apartment association, property managers, faith communities and veterans' groups, offering one point of contact, timely rent payments directly to them and a quick response to a concern. We will look for landlords who offer fair terms and who follow fair housing law.

Neighbors. Before we open, we will meet with neighbors, answer their questions and give them a phone number that is answered at any hour. We will keep the house and yard neat, and we will invite neighbors to an open house after we open.

Funders and partners. We will report results as totals, never with a veteran's name, to funders, the Continuum of Care and the VA, twice a year and in a short annual report. We will invite funders to visit with notice, while respecting the privacy of residents.

Donors and community. We will invite individuals, churches, businesses, civic clubs and veterans' organizations to sponsor a bed, stock the pantry, furnish a room or fund a move-on for one veteran. Gifts are tracked separately and acknowledged with thanks. We will ask a local employer or two to offer interviews to residents who are ready for work, and we will never promise a veteran a job.

Our message is simple and true: a veteran needs a safe bed, a plan and people who will stay beside them. We do not use photographs or stories of residents without clear, written, informed permission, and we do not use a veteran's story in a way that would identify the person.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 3: Attorney review of the lease, resident agreement and house rules, sign the house lease, confirm zoning and occupancy, pass fire and safety inspections, hire the Program Manager, two Veteran Case Managers, four Resident Monitors and the Peer Support Specialist, enroll in the Homeless Management Information System and set up the secure records system.
- Month 4: Staff training on trauma-informed care, de-escalation, naloxone and first aid, crisis response, fair housing and the data system. Furnish the house. Neighbor meeting. Open to the first veterans.
- Months 5 to 8: Fill the house gradually, with first move-ins, house meetings and peer support. First weekly plans and first benefit appointments.
- Months 9 to 12: First move-ons begin. Aftercare check-ins begin. Review of results, length of stay and costs, a year-end report to funders and the Continuum of Care, and planning for Year 2.

Space. A leased single-family house with six bedrooms and twelve beds, a separate bedroom and bath for women veterans, a full kitchen, laundry, a quiet room, a private office for case management and a small yard. House lease is about $66,000 a year and utilities, internet and phones about $20,000 in Year 1. Safety upgrades, an accessible bathroom, paint and flooring are a one-time cost of $9,000, with a deposit and first month of rent of $11,000.

Equipment. We buy about $28,000 of equipment once at the start: furniture and bedroom furnishings ($14,000), kitchen appliances, washer and dryer ($6,000), laptops, tablets and phones ($4,500), and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, extinguishers, door locks, entry cameras and first aid and naloxone supplies ($3,500). After Year 1, we set aside about $3,000 to $4,000 a year to replace and add equipment. An opening stock of bedding, linens, kitchenware and hygiene and cleaning supplies is a one-time cost of $6,000.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director, a Transitional Housing Program Manager, two Veteran Case Managers, four House Resident Monitors, a Veteran Peer Support Specialist and a part-time Program Coordinator and Data Specialist. A fifth Resident Monitor joins in Year 4 and a third Case Manager in Year 5. Each Case Manager carries about 6 to 8 residents at a time and about 8 to 12 veterans in aftercare.

House safety. A Resident Monitor is awake and on site at all times when residents are in the house at night and on weekends. Monitors are trained in de-escalation, first aid and CPR, naloxone and crisis response. The house has working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, an escape plan that is practiced and fire inspections as required. Medications are kept by each resident, and staff do not give medical advice or dispense medication. Naloxone is kept in the house. Weapons are not allowed in the house.

Rules and fairness. Residents sign a plain-language agreement and receive a copy. A resident has the right to be treated with respect, to privacy, to a grievance process with an answer in writing and to written notice before being asked to leave, except where there is an immediate danger to others. Staff will not discharge a veteran into homelessness without a plan and a referral.

Fair housing. We follow federal, state and local fair housing and anti-discrimination laws, and we make reasonable accommodations for disability, including for service animals and emotional support animals.

Move-on rules and controls. Move-on assistance is tied to the housing plan, limited in amount, and paid directly to a landlord, never as cash to a veteran. The unit must meet housing quality and rent reasonableness standards and the landlord must sign an agreement and a W-9. Each payment is approved by the Executive Director or a designee and recorded, and the board reviews a list of all payments each quarter. The move-on fund is about $30,000 a year in Year 1.

Crisis and safety. If a veteran is in immediate danger, staff call 911. Veterans who are in crisis or thinking of harming themselves are connected right away to the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 then press 1) or text 838255, and staff stay with the person until help is on the way. Staff follow a written safety plan for incidents and for home and field visits.

Privacy. Veterans' information is kept in a locked cabinet and a secure, password-protected system, and shared only with the veteran's written permission, except where the law or our funders require it. Federal rules require some data to be entered into the community's Homeless Management Information System, and we explain this to each veteran. Veterans who are survivors of domestic violence are served in ways that protect their location, as the law requires. We report results to funders only as totals.

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 and help them get to appointments.

Insurance and records. We carry general liability, property, professional, non-owned auto liability and abuse and molestation coverage, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $18,000 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.

Marcus Bell, Executive Director. An Army veteran who spent eleven months without a home after leaving the service and has worked in veteran outreach for more than ten years. 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.)

Transitional Housing Program Manager (full time, hired in Months 1 to 3). Runs the house day to day, supervises the Resident Monitors and Case Managers and handles safety, inspections and neighbor relations. We will seek a person with experience in shelter or supportive housing and a clear commitment to dignity.

Veteran Case Managers (two in Years 1 to 4, three in Year 5). Meet with each veteran, write the housing plan and help with every step, including move-on and aftercare. We will seek social workers or case managers with experience in homeless services, and we will hire veterans where we can.

House Resident Monitors (four in Years 1 to 3, five from Year 4). Provide on-site coverage overnight and on weekends, keep the house safe and calm and are trained in de-escalation, first aid, CPR and naloxone.

Veteran Peer Support Specialist. A veteran with lived experience of homelessness who offers friendship, encouragement and practical help. The role does not provide clinical care.

Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time). Keeps the records, enters data in the Homeless Management Information System, tracks results and prepares reports.

Board of directors. Seven volunteers who meet every quarter: two veterans, a property manager, a VA social worker, an attorney, a pastor and a certified public accountant. The board approves the budget and policies, reviews payments and results each quarter and does not receive pay.

Advisory group. A group of current and former residents, a landlord and a neighbor meets quarterly to tell us what is working and what is not. Their advice shapes the house rules and the program.

Outside professionals. An attorney reviews our lease, resident agreement, house rules and policies. An outside accountant reviews our books every year. A clinical consultant, such as a licensed social worker or psychologist, advises staff on crisis response and trauma-informed care.

Staff safety and screening. Every staff member and volunteer passes a criminal background check, and staff are trained before they work with veterans. Volunteers are never alone with a resident and do not have access to records.

Staff pay in this plan includes payroll taxes and workers' compensation. Salaries are Executive Director $66,000, Program Manager $54,000, Veteran Case Manager $46,000, House Resident Monitor $36,000, Veteran Peer Support Specialist $40,000 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 house by about Month 4, welcome about 16 veterans, and move at least 70% of veterans who leave into permanent housing. A balanced budget of about $668,000, with a small surplus of about $16,400. 10 paid staff.
- Year 2: Run the house at full capacity, welcome about 24 veterans and begin 12-month follow-up of veterans who moved out. Apply for VA Grant and Per Diem and other government housing contracts. A balanced budget of about $681,500, with a small surplus of about $15,900. 10 paid staff.
- Year 3: Welcome about 26 veterans as average stays shorten and veterans move on faster. Contracts and local donors cover more of our budget. A balanced budget of about $696,000, with a small surplus of about $15,200. 10 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a fifth Resident Monitor for safer weekend and evening coverage and welcome about 28 veterans, with at least 80% of those who move out still housed at six months. A balanced budget of about $748,500, with a small surplus of about $15,800. 11 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a third Veteran Case Manager and welcome about 32 veterans. Government contracts cover about 40% of our budget. A balanced budget of about $812,500, with a small surplus of about $16,400. 12 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Veterans admitted, by housing status at entry and length of homelessness.
- Length of stay and the reason each veteran leaves.
- Share of leavers who move to permanent housing, and share still housed at 6 and 12 months.
- Income, benefits and employment at entry and at exit.
- Connections to VA health care, treatment and legal help.
- Cost per veteran served and cost per veteran who moves to permanent housing.
- Safety: incidents, 911 calls and use of naloxone, reported in totals.
- Resident satisfaction and whether residents felt respected, collected anonymously.

How we review results. The Executive Director, Program Manager and case managers review the house, caseloads and safety every week, and the whole team reviews outcomes each month. Each semester, staff, the 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, the Continuum of Care 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: $100,000 from the Freedom Road Housing Foundation for one Veteran Case Manager, a move-on assistance fund, food and household supplies and resident transportation and basic needs, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Veteran Case Manager salary, $46,000 (other funds add $46,000).
- Other: Move-on assistance fund (deposits and first month of rent paid directly to landlords), $30,000.
- Supplies: Food and household supplies for residents, $14,000 (other funds add $20,000).
- Other: Resident transportation, phones and basic needs, $10,000 (other funds add $4,000).

Other money in the program. Government contracts, other grants and local donors pay the other $70,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director's salary ($66,000), the Program Manager ($54,000), the four Resident Monitors ($144,000), the Peer Support Specialist ($40,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($26,000), the house lease ($66,000), house utilities, internet and phones ($20,000), repairs, maintenance and safety equipment ($12,000), insurance ($18,000), staff training and clinical consultation ($8,000), data system and evaluation ($6,000) and administration and accounting ($16,000).

Year 1 budget: about $668,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $16,400 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $468,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), VA Grant and Per Diem and government housing contracts $150,000 and donations and local sponsors $50,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $66,000; Transitional Housing Program Manager $54,000; two Veteran Case Managers $92,000; four House Resident Monitors $144,000; Veteran Peer Support Specialist $40,000; Program Coordinator and Data Specialist $26,000; house lease about $66,000; house utilities, internet and phones about $20,000; food and household supplies about $34,000; move-on assistance fund about $30,000; resident transportation and basic needs about $14,000; repairs, maintenance and safety equipment about $12,000; insurance about $18,000; staff training and clinical consultation about $8,000; data system and evaluation about $6,000; administration and accounting about $16,000; and about $8,400 a year for the wear on equipment.

How we planned the house. A twelve-bed house, staffed around the clock, is expensive, and most of the cost is people: about $422,000 of the Year 1 budget is pay. We chose to pay four Resident Monitors so that someone is awake and on site every night and weekend, because safety comes first. We expect about 16 veterans in Year 1 and about 24 in Year 2, which means the cost of a stay is high at first and falls as the house fills and stays shorten.

About government contracts. The VA's Grant and Per Diem program, state veterans agencies, HUD and local governments fund transitional housing for veterans. These funds are competitive, are awarded for set periods and have strict rules about eligibility, inspections, documentation and reporting. We plan to apply once the house is open and we have a track record. 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 $71,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $28,000 for equipment, $9,000 for leasehold improvements, $11,000 for deposits, $6,000 for opening supplies and inventory, $1,500 for licenses and permits, $8,000 for legal and professional help, $2,500 for signage, brochures and a website, $5,000 for background checks, training and first insurance.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($71,000), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $18,100) and a cash cushion of about $161,500, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $251,000. We start with $30,000 of our own savings and $225,000 in startup support from a veterans' foundation, a hospital community benefit gift and our board, $255,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $668,000 in Year 1 to about $812,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $468,000, $446,500, $399,000, $388,500, $387,500 in Years 1 to 5. Government contracts grow from $150,000 to $325,000, and donations and local sponsors grow from $50,000 to $100,000. We add a fifth Resident Monitor in Year 4 and a third Case Manager in Year 5. Grants fall from about 70% of our income in Year 1 to about 48% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $208,900, 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 $40,080 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is to grow government contracts as agencies see results, to invite churches, veterans' groups, businesses and landlords to sponsor beds, and to grow individual donors. Because a veteran who moves into a home no longer needs a bed from us, success lowers the long-term cost to the community and strengthens our case for public funding.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A resident is in crisis or someone is hurt. We use a written safety plan, train every staff member and connect to the Veterans Crisis Line and 911.
- Neighbors object or the zoning is not allowed. We confirm zoning and occupancy before we sign the lease, meet with neighbors and keep a phone number that is answered at any hour.
- Rents rise or no units are available for move-on. The Case Manager keeps a wide landlord network, watches rents and considers shared housing and nearby areas where a veteran chooses.
- The house fills slowly or stays are longer than planned. We track length of stay monthly, and we review our plan, staffing and referral relationships.
- Government contracts 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: two to four beds in a donated or leased home, a part-time case manager and a church partner, 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 job descriptions for the Program Manager, Case Managers, Resident Monitors and Peer Support Specialist.
- Letters of support from the VA medical center's homeless program, the Continuum of Care, churches and a landlord association.
- The signed lease or letter of intent for the house, and proof of zoning, occupancy and fire inspection approvals, or the application.
- Your resident agreement, house rules, grievance process and discharge policy.
- Your move-on assistance policy, rent reasonableness and housing quality checklist and landlord agreement.
- Your confidentiality policy, safety plan, crisis plan and naloxone and first aid policy.
- Proof of enrollment in the Homeless Management Information System, or proof of application.
- Results from your pilot, shown as totals.
- Proof of liability 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: $468,000 in Year 1, then $446,500, $399,000, $388,500, $387,500.
- VA Grant and Per Diem, Government Housing Contracts: $150,000 in Year 1, growing to $325,000.
- Donations and Local Sponsors: $50,000 in Year 1, growing to $100,000.
- Veterans served: about 16 in Year 1 (the house opens about Month 4), 24 in Year 2, 26, 28 and 32 in Years 3 to 5, in a twelve-bed house.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $66,000, Program Manager $54,000, Veteran Case Manager $46,000 (two in Years 1 to 4, three in Year 5), House Resident Monitor $36,000 (four in Years 1 to 3, five from Year 4), Veteran Peer Support Specialist $40,000, Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: House Lease $66,000, House Utilities, Internet and Phones $20,000, Food and Household Supplies $34,000, Move-On Assistance Fund (Deposits and First Month Rent Paid to Landlords) $30,000, Resident Transportation and Basic Needs $14,000, Repairs, Maintenance and Safety Equipment $12,000, Insurance $18,000, Staff Training and Clinical Consultation $8,000, Data System and Evaluation $6,000, Administration and Accounting $16,000. The other costs grow between 4% and 12% a year.
- Equipment: $28,000 at the start, then $3,000 to $4,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $71,000, paid once from $255,000 in startup money.
- About 6% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs