Second Mission Veterans Workforce Alliance

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Executive Summary

Second Mission Veterans Workforce Alliance is a nonprofit in Tennessee that helps veterans and transitioning service members turn military experience into a civilian career. Our team of veteran Career Coaches, an Employer Partnership Manager and a Veteran Peer Mentor Coordinator works with each person from the first meeting until the person is settled in a job, a training program or a business. We translate military skills into plain civilian terms, build a resume and a job search plan, pay for a certification or training that opens a door (paid directly to the training provider, never as cash), and match each veteran with a mentor who has made the same move. There is no charge to veterans.

Leaving the service is one of the biggest changes in a person's life. A veteran may go from leading a team in a high-stakes setting to being asked what "experience" they have on an application that does not understand what they did. Many are underemployed, taking a job well below their skills. Some leave with a disability, a family to support and a car payment, and cannot afford a few months without pay to retrain. Others do not know that their training could lead to a license, a credential or an apprenticeship. Employers want reliable, disciplined workers, but many do not know how to find or read a veteran's record.

With this grant we will serve about 110 veterans and transitioning service members in Year 1, opening in about Month 3, and about 150 in Year 2. About 45 of them will start a training or certification program in Year 1. Our goal is that at least 65% of participants who finish our program are employed, in school or in an apprenticeship within 90 days, and that at least 75% of those who are employed are still working six months later. We do not promise any veteran a job.

Our Year 1 budget: about $535,000, growing to about $771,000 by Year 5. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 7 paid staff in Year 1 and 10 by Year 5. Government workforce contracts and employer sponsors add steady support, so grants fall from about 78% of our income in Year 1 to about 58% in Year 5.

We are asking the Salute to Work Foundation for $85,000 for one Veteran Career Coach, training and certification fees paid directly to providers and supportive services paid directly to vendors. Government contracts, other grants and employer sponsors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Tyrone Hayes, the Executive Director, a Marine Corps veteran and a former hiring manager. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Second Mission Veterans Workforce Alliance is a nonprofit organization in Tennessee. 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 help every veteran in our community turn the skills they earned in service into a career with a future.

What we believe. Veterans bring discipline, leadership, adaptability and technical skill, and employers who understand that value hire and keep them. A good job is more than a paycheck: it is a place to belong, a way to support a family and a path forward. Veterans are the experts on their own lives, and the best help comes from people who have made the same move. We serve women and men, people of every race, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity, veterans of every era and discharge status when our funding allows, and veterans with a disability, a record or a gap in work history.

How we started. Second Mission Veterans Workforce Alliance began when a Marine veteran who hired for a regional manufacturer started meeting veterans at a coffee shop on Saturday mornings to look over resumes. Word spread. A group of veterans, a community college counselor and a few local employers joined, and over two years the group helped more than 90 veterans with resumes and interviews, and a number moved into jobs and apprenticeships. Employers asked for more candidates and veterans asked for more training help. The local American Job Center and the VA asked whether we could grow into a full program. This proposal asks for support to do that.

What we offer:
- Career coaching. A Veteran Career Coach meets with each participant, listens to goals, writes a career plan and stays with the person through the job search, interviews and the first months of work.
- Skills translation. We help veterans describe their military training and leadership in civilian terms, use resources such as the Department of Defense's credentialing tools to find civilian certifications that match their training and look at licensing rules in Tennessee.
- Training and certification. We pay for certifications and short-term training, such as commercial driver's license (CDL) training, information technology certifications, welding, HVAC, medical assistant and project management, paid directly to the training provider after the veteran and the Career Coach agree it is the right step. We help veterans use their own education benefits first, such as the GI Bill, and refer them to school certifying officials and accredited Veterans Service Officers for benefit questions.
- Employer partnerships. An Employer Partnership Manager recruits employers, trains hiring managers to read a military record, arranges interviews, hiring events and job shadowing, and helps with on-the-job training and apprenticeship.
- Mentoring. A Veteran Peer Mentor Coordinator matches participants with mentors who have made the same transition.
- Support to get to work. Work clothes, tools, transportation and child care, paid directly to vendors, never as cash.
- Transitioning service members. We work with the installation's transition office and, where it applies, with the Department of Defense SkillBridge program, which lets eligible service members train with an employer during their last months of service.
- Follow-up. Check-ins at 30 days, 90 days, six months and 12 months after a job starts.

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 service members who are within a year of leaving the service. Some government funding has its own eligibility rules, which we confirm for each funding source. We do not charge veterans for any service.

What we do not do. We do not charge veterans or take a fee from any worker. We do not promise any veteran a job, a wage or a certificate. We do not prepare or charge for VA benefit claims, which only accredited representatives may do. We do not give tax or legal advice. We do not provide mental health treatment, and we refer veterans to providers.

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 human resources director, a community college counselor, an American Job Center manager, 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 local American Job Center, a community college, the VA's employment program, a regional manufacturer and a trucking company, a trade association and two veterans' organizations. We have a letter of intent for a small office on a bus line. Before we begin, we will have an attorney review our employer agreements, supportive service rules and privacy policies and confirm any requirements of Tennessee for training and placement programs.

Problem & Opportunity

Veterans leave the service with valuable skills and often still struggle to find work that matches them. Many are underemployed or in jobs far below their training. Younger veterans may have a short civilian work history, older veterans may be out of touch with how hiring works today and veterans with a disability may need a workplace that is ready for them. Some veterans leave on short notice, with no job and no savings. Women veterans, veterans of color, veterans with a less-than-honorable discharge, veterans who were in jail or prison and veterans who live far from a city often face the longest search.

The barriers are real and well known. Military job titles and training are hard for civilians to read. A veteran may be qualified to do a job, but a license, a certificate or a state requirement stands in the way. A weeks-long course can cost thousands of dollars, and a veteran with a family cannot afford to stop earning. Transportation, work clothes and tools can stop a start date. Many veterans do not know about benefits that could help, such as the GI Bill and the VA's vocational rehabilitation program, or have not been told how to use them. And many do not trust that a stranger will understand them.

On the employer side, many businesses want to hire veterans but do not know how to find them, how to read a military record or how to support a new hire. Some have bad experiences with a hire who left after a few weeks, because the job was not a match.

When a veteran cannot find a good job, the costs follow: debt, strain on families, lost homes, health problems and a sense of having no purpose. The costs fall on veterans, their families, employers who cannot fill jobs and the whole community.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Studies of workforce programs show that coaching, employer connections and short-term training can help, and results vary with the local job market, the quality of training and the person. We do not know that every veteran we serve will find a job. We will measure our own results and share them honestly. We will use local numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state workforce agency and the VA in our final application and will not overstate them.

Our community has employers who need workers in trucking, manufacturing, health care, skilled trades and information technology, and veterans who could fill those jobs with the right credential. We aim to be the bridge.

Products & Services

Second Mission Veterans Workforce Alliance will open a veterans workforce center with a Workforce Program Director, veteran Career Coaches, an Employer Partnership Manager, a Veteran Peer Mentor Coordinator and an Executive Director, and will offer coaching, training and certification funding, employer connections, mentoring and follow-up at no cost to veterans.

How it works, step by step:
1. First contact. A veteran or transitioning service member calls, visits or uses our website. We return every message within one business day. Veterans who are in crisis are connected right away to the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 then press 1), or 911 when there is immediate danger.
2. Intake and goals. A short, respectful conversation about the person's skills, interests, income needs, health and family situation, and what the person wants. We look at whether our program is the right fit, and if not we refer to a better one.
3. A career plan in the first two weeks. The Career Coach and the veteran write a plan with steps and dates: a skills translation, a resume, a target job or credential, a training plan if needed and a job search plan.
4. Training that leads somewhere. If a certification or short course is the best step, we check the employer demand, the cost, the quality of the provider and whether other funding, such as the GI Bill or the state workforce agency, can pay first. The veteran, the coach and the Employer Partnership Manager agree on the choice before we pay, and we pay the training provider directly.
5. Job readiness. Resume and LinkedIn help, interview practice, salary and benefits questions, workplace norms and how to talk about a disability, a gap or a record. Mock interviews with employer partners.
6. Employer matches. The Employer Partnership Manager introduces job-ready veterans to employers with real openings, arranges interviews, hiring events and job shadowing, and supports apprenticeships and on-the-job training.
7. Mentoring. Each veteran is matched with a mentor from the same field, where possible.
8. Support to start work. Work clothes, tools, transportation and child care are paid directly to vendors for the first weeks of a job when they stand in the way of a start date.
9. Follow-up. Check-ins at 30 days, 90 days, six months and 12 months, with quick help if a problem begins, such as a conflict at work or a car that breaks down.

What the grant will pay for. Part of one Veteran Career Coach's salary, training and certification fees paid directly to providers and supportive services paid directly to vendors. The rest of the budget comes from government workforce contracts, other grants and employer sponsors.

Fairness and quality. We do not take a fee from any veteran or any worker. We do not send veterans to schools or employers that charge fees for a job, pay below the legal minimum or make claims we cannot confirm. We check training providers and employers before we refer veterans, and we welcome feedback from veterans about any provider or employer.

Why this approach is strong. We combine coaching, training money, employer connections and mentoring in one place, led by people who have made the same move. We pay for training only when it leads to real jobs. We stay with the veteran after the job starts.

Market Analysis

Who benefits: veterans and transitioning service members in our Tennessee area, the employers who need skilled workers and the community.

Our primary group is veterans of every era who are unemployed, underemployed or in a job that does not use their skills, and service members who are within a year of leaving the military. We expect to serve men and women of all ages, with an effort to reach women veterans, veterans under 30 who are newly out of the service, veterans with a service-connected disability, veterans who have been in jail or prison, veterans who are homeless or at risk of it and rural veterans.

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. We refer veterans whose needs are outside our scope, such as those who need a level of health or substance use treatment before they can work, and we stay in touch.

Local data. We will use the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state workforce agency and the VA in our final application and will not overstate them. Our own experience shows demand: in two years of Saturday meetings, more than 90 veterans came for help, and employers asked for more candidates than we could send. We plan for about 110 participants in Year 1 and about 150 in Year 2, growing to about 280 by Year 5 as we add coaches.

Our secondary groups are employers, who gain a pipeline of reliable, trained candidates and a single contact; the American Job Center and the VA's employment programs, which gain a partner with training money and employer ties; community colleges and training schools, which gain a steady source of motivated students; and families, who gain a more stable household.

In-demand fields in our area. We will confirm the exact fields with the state workforce agency and employers, but we expect trucking and logistics, advanced manufacturing, health care support, information technology support, skilled trades such as welding, HVAC and electrical, and construction to offer the most openings for veterans with a short credential.

We do not guarantee a spot in the program or in a training course to anyone. When we are full, we say so, offer a place on a short waiting list and help the veteran begin with the free resources at the American Job Center.

Competitive Landscape

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

- American Job Centers and state employment services. They offer free job search help, and veterans may receive priority of service. Specialists who serve veterans with significant barriers are in short supply, and their time is limited. We work closely with them, take referrals from them and refer to them.
- The VA and the Department of Labor programs. The VA's vocational rehabilitation and employment program helps veterans with a service-connected disability, and other programs serve veterans who are homeless. Eligibility rules apply. We help veterans find and apply, and we refer to accredited representatives for benefit questions.
- Military transition programs. They are a good start, but most are short. We continue where they stop, and we work with the installation's transition office.
- Community colleges and training schools. They offer certificates and degrees. They do not provide the coaching and employer connections we offer, and some charge fees that veterans cannot pay up front. We work with them and, when it is the best step, pay a provider directly.
- National veterans' hiring organizations and job boards. Some are excellent, and we refer veterans to them. They are national, and a veteran may not get local support or a local employer.
- Staffing agencies. Some do well by veterans, and some charge fees or place people in short-term jobs. We screen agencies and never send a veteran to one that charges a worker a fee.

What makes us different.
- Local, hands-on coaching from veterans who have made the move.
- Training money tied to real openings, paid directly to providers and chosen with the veteran and our employer partners.
- An Employer Partnership Manager who knows local hiring managers and helps them hire and keep veterans.
- Mentors from the same field.
- Follow-up for a year, not just until a job starts.
- 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 American Job Center and the national organizations 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, employers and supporters we need once the project is funded.

Veterans. We will meet veterans where they are: the installation's transition office, the American Job Center, the VA medical center and Vet Center, American Legion and VFW posts, veterans' service organizations, community colleges, churches, barber shops, gyms, libraries and food pantries. We will attend job fairs, Stand Down events and veterans' resource fairs, and we will use word of mouth. We will keep a simple website with a veteran job board, a text line and a printed card that fits in a wallet. Veterans who have started a career, with their written permission, will be our best messengers.

Employers. The Employer Partnership Manager will visit employers, speak at chambers of commerce, trade associations and human resources groups, and offer a free, no-pressure introduction to veteran talent. We will invite employers to sign a partner agreement that sets out plain expectations: real jobs at fair pay, no fees to veterans and honest information about the work. We do not charge employers a fee for a hire. Employers may sponsor the program, and sponsorship never buys a referral. We do not give tax advice, and employers who are interested in tax credits for hiring veterans should ask their own advisor.

Training providers. We will meet with community colleges and training schools and check price, quality, completion and placement results before we refer a veteran. We will not accept payments or gifts from providers in exchange for referrals.

Government partners. We will work with the American Job Center, the state workforce agency, the VA and the installation's transition office, so veterans can use every benefit they have earned. We will not pay or reward anyone for referrals.

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 see the center with notice, while respecting privacy.

Donors and community. We will invite individuals, businesses, churches, civic clubs and veterans' organizations to sponsor a certification, a toolkit or a veteran's first month of work. Gifts are tracked separately and acknowledged with thanks.

How we talk about veterans. We use plain, respectful words and describe veterans as skilled and ready, not as a problem to solve. We do not use stories or photographs without clear, written, informed permission.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 2: Attorney review of employer agreements, supportive service rules and privacy policies, sign the lease, hire the Workforce Program Director, two Veteran Career Coaches, the Employer Partnership Manager and the Peer Mentor Coordinator, choose a secure data system and set up the center.
- Month 3: Staff training in coaching, skills translation, military culture, trauma-informed practice, crisis response, confidentiality, fair hiring practices and the data system. Sign the first employer partners. Open to veterans.
- Months 4 to 8: First intakes, first career plans, first training enrollments and first employer interviews. Mentor matching begins.
- Months 9 to 12: First job starts reach 90 days. Follow-up check-ins begin. Review of results, wait times and costs, a year-end report to funders and planning for Year 2.

Space. A small leased office on a bus line, with a reception area, a private coaching room, a computer lab and a meeting room for hiring events. Rent and utilities are about $28,000 a year in Year 1. Paint, flooring and a private coaching room are a one-time cost of $3,500, with a deposit and first month of rent of $4,500.

Equipment. We buy about $11,000 of equipment once at the start: laptops, a projector and a laptop loaner pool for trainees ($6,500), office and training room furniture, including a private coaching room ($3,500) 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 Workforce Program Director, two Veteran Career Coaches, an Employer Partnership Manager, a Veteran Peer Mentor Coordinator and a part-time Program Coordinator and Data Specialist. A third Career Coach joins in Year 3, a second Employer Partnership Manager in Year 4 and a fourth Career Coach in Year 5. Each Career Coach carries about 45 to 60 active participants at a time.

Training money rules and controls. Training and certification funds are tied to a written career plan, limited in amount and paid directly to the training provider, never as cash to a veteran. The provider must be approved, licensed where the state requires it and show its price, completion and placement results. We check whether other benefits, such as the GI Bill or state workforce funds, can pay first. Each payment is approved by the Executive Director or a designee and recorded, and the board reviews a list of all payments each quarter. Training and certification fees are about $90,000 a year in Year 1, or about $2,000 for each of about 45 veterans.

Supportive services. Work clothes, tools, transportation and child care are paid directly to vendors, never as cash. They are limited to the first weeks of a new job or training, are tied to the plan and are about $24,000 a year in Year 1.

Employer standards. Employers sign a partner agreement. We do not refer veterans to employers who charge workers fees, pay below the legal minimum, discriminate or make claims about the job that we cannot confirm. We do not take a fee from employers for placing a veteran. We welcome feedback and remove any employer or provider that does not meet our standards.

No promises. We do not promise any veteran a job, a wage, a license or a certificate, and we say so in writing at intake.

Fair hiring and accommodations. We follow federal, state and local equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws, and we make reasonable accommodations for disability. We encourage employers to do the same.

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 office and community 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. Some government funding requires certain information to be reported, and we explain this to each veteran before we collect it. We report results to funders only as totals. We never share a veteran's information with an employer without the veteran's permission.

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 and non-owned auto liability insurance, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $8,000 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.

Tyrone Hayes, Executive Director. A Marine Corps veteran and a former hiring manager at a regional manufacturer, with more than twelve years of experience in workforce development and employer relations. 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.)

Workforce Program Director (full time, hired in Months 1 to 2). Runs the program day to day, supervises the Career Coaches, reviews training requests and results and manages relationships with the American Job Center and training providers. We will seek a person with experience in workforce development and military culture.

Veteran Career Coaches (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4, four in Year 5). Meet with each participant, write the career plan and stay with the person through training, the job search and the first year of work. We will seek certified career coaches or workforce professionals, and we will hire veterans where we can.

Employer Partnership Manager (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4). Recruits and supports employers, arranges interviews, hiring events and apprenticeships and trains hiring managers.

Veteran Peer Mentor Coordinator. Recruits, trains and matches volunteer mentors, runs mentor events and checks in with each pair.

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 human resources director, a community college counselor, an American Job Center manager, an attorney and a certified public accountant. The board approves the budget and policies, reviews payments and results each quarter and does not receive pay.

Veteran and employer advisory group. Veterans who have used the program, and two employers, meet quarterly and tell us what is working and what is not. Their advice shapes the training we fund and the employers we work with.

Outside professionals. An attorney reviews our employer agreements, supportive service rules 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 participants' records.

Staff pay in this plan includes payroll taxes and workers' compensation. Salaries are Executive Director $62,000, Workforce Program Director $54,000, Veteran Career Coach $46,000, Employer Partnership Manager $50,000, Veteran Peer Mentor Coordinator $38,000 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, serve about 110 participants, start about 45 in training or certification, sign at least 15 employer partners and see at least 65% of participants who finish employed, in school or in an apprenticeship within 90 days. A balanced budget of about $535,000, with a small surplus of about $12,800. 7 paid staff.
- Year 2: Serve about 150 participants and start about 51 in training. Apply for state and federal workforce contracts. Begin 12-month follow-up. A balanced budget of about $554,000, with a small surplus of about $12,600. 7 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a third Career Coach and serve about 190 participants, with about 58 in training. Government contracts cover more of our budget. A balanced budget of about $622,500, with a small surplus of about $13,600. 8 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a second Employer Partnership Manager and serve about 230 participants, with about 67 in training. A balanced budget of about $697,500, with a small surplus of about $14,700. 9 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a fourth Career Coach and serve about 280 participants, with about 76 in training, with government contracts covering about 29% of our budget. A balanced budget of about $771,000, with a small surplus of about $15,500. 10 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Participants served, by era of service, gender, disability and whether they are transitioning.
- Days from first contact to career plan.
- Training starts, completions and certifications earned.
- Employment, school or apprenticeship within 90 days, and wages at the start of employment, reported as totals.
- Job retention at 90 days, 6 months and 12 months.
- Employer partners recruited, hires made and employer satisfaction.
- Cost per participant and cost per veteran who is employed at 90 days.
- Participant satisfaction and whether participants felt respected, collected anonymously.

How we review results. The Workforce Program Director and Career Coaches review caseloads and results every week, and the whole team reviews outcomes monthly. Each semester, staff, the advisory group and our partners review results together and we change what is not working, including which training we fund. Twice a year the board reviews results and we share them with funders and the American Job Center 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: $85,000 from the Salute to Work Foundation for one Veteran Career Coach, training and certification fees paid directly to providers and supportive services paid directly to vendors, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Veteran Career Coach salary, $46,000 (other funds add $46,000).
- Other: Training and certification fees (paid directly to training providers), $30,000 (other funds add $60,000).
- Other: Supportive services (work clothes, tools, transportation and child care paid directly to vendors), $9,000 (other funds add $15,000).

Other money in the program. Government workforce contracts, other grants and employer sponsors pay the other $121,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director's salary ($62,000), the Workforce Program Director ($54,000), the Employer Partnership Manager ($50,000), the Peer Mentor Coordinator ($38,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($26,000), office rent and utilities ($28,000), technology, job board and data system ($10,000), employer events, hiring fairs and outreach ($12,000), insurance ($8,000), staff credentials and training ($6,000), evaluation and reporting ($6,000) and administration and accounting ($14,000).

Year 1 budget: about $535,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $12,800 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $415,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), government workforce contracts $80,000 and employer partner sponsorships and donations $40,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $62,000; Workforce Program Director $54,000; two Veteran Career Coachs $92,000; Employer Partnership Manager $50,000; Veteran Peer Mentor Coordinator $38,000; Program Coordinator and Data Specialist $26,000; training and certification fees about $90,000; supportive services about $24,000; office rent and utilities about $28,000; technology, job board and data system about $10,000; employer events, hiring fairs and outreach about $12,000; insurance about $8,000; staff credentials and training about $6,000; evaluation and reporting about $6,000; administration and accounting about $14,000; and about $4,200 a year for the wear on equipment.

How we planned training. Training and certification fees average about $2,000 for each of about 45 veterans in Year 1 ($90,000). The amount grows about 14% a year, to about $152,000 in Year 5, or about 76 veterans. We pay each amount directly to a training provider and only after a veteran has used any benefit, such as the GI Bill, that can pay first.

About government contracts. The state workforce agency, the Department of Labor, the VA and local workforce boards fund programs for veterans, including training, placement and services for veterans who are homeless or face other barriers. These funds are competitive, are awarded for set periods and have strict rules about eligibility, documentation and reporting. We plan to apply once 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 $32,300 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $11,000 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, $3,500 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 $22,500) and a cash cushion of about $130,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $185,000. We start with $25,000 of our own savings and $165,000 in startup support from a veterans' foundation, an employer gift and our board, $190,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $535,000 in Year 1 to about $771,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $415,000, $392,000, $409,500, $428,500, $451,000 in Years 1 to 5. Government workforce contracts grow from $80,000 to $220,000, and employer sponsorships and donations grow from $40,000 to $100,000. We add a third Career Coach in Year 3, a second Employer Partnership Manager in Year 4 and a fourth Career Coach in Year 5. Grants fall from about 78% of our income in Year 1 to about 58% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $156,600, 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 $37,450 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 employers, trade associations, veterans' groups and churches to sponsor training and to grow individual donors. Because a veteran who is employed no longer needs emergency help, success lowers costs for the community and strengthens our case for public funding.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Veterans finish training and cannot find a job. We tie training to employer demand, involve employers before we fund a course and keep following up.
- The job market slows. We shift to fields that are hiring, such as health care and skilled trades, and lengthen our employer outreach.
- A training provider or employer does not live up to its promise. We check providers and employers, collect feedback and stop referring to any that fall short.
- 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 veteran is in crisis. We use a written safety plan, train every staff member and connect to the Veterans Crisis Line and 911.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow contracts and sponsors 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 Career Coach, a few employer partners and a small training fund, serving 30 to 40 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 job descriptions for the Program Director, Career Coaches, Employer Partnership Manager and Peer Mentor Coordinator.
- Letters of support from the American Job Center, a community college, the VA's employment program and employers.
- A list of employer partners and jobs they have committed to, shown as totals.
- Your employer partner agreement, training provider standards and training money rules.
- Your supportive services policy and payment controls.
- Your confidentiality policy, safety plan and crisis plan.
- Your plan for measuring results, including 90-day, six-month and 12-month follow-up.
- Results from your Saturday sessions or 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: $415,000 in Year 1, then $392,000, $409,500, $428,500, $451,000.
- Government Workforce Contracts: $80,000 in Year 1, growing to $220,000.
- Employer Partner Sponsorships and Donations: $40,000 in Year 1, growing to $100,000.
- Participants: about 110 in Year 1 (the center opens about Month 3), 150 in Year 2, 190, 230 and 280 in Years 3 to 5, with about 45 starting training in Year 1 and about 76 in Year 5 at an average of about $2,000 each.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $62,000, Workforce Program Director $54,000, Veteran Career Coach $46,000 (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4, four in Year 5), Employer Partnership Manager $50,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Veteran Peer Mentor Coordinator $38,000, Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Training and Certification Fees (Paid Directly to Providers) $90,000, Supportive Services (Work Clothes, Tools, Transportation and Child Care Paid to Vendors) $24,000, Office Rent and Utilities $28,000, Technology, Job Board and Data System $10,000, Employer Events, Hiring Fairs and Outreach $12,000, Insurance $8,000, Staff Credentials and Training $6,000, Evaluation and Reporting $6,000, Administration and Accounting $14,000. The other costs grow between 4% and 14% a year.
- Equipment: $11,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $32,300, paid once from $190,000 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