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Executive Summary
Rising Together Women's Center is a nonprofit that helps women in the south side of our city and the nearby county, especially single mothers, build stable, independent lives for themselves and their children. We provide a weekly women's group with child care, one-on-one coaching and help with money and work skills, with a program facilitator who walks with each woman from her first meeting to her next big step.
A single mother does the work of two parents, often on one paycheck. One car repair, one sick child or one lost shift can undo months of progress. Many of the women we meet are smart, determined and tired, and what they lack is not drive but time, child care, money and someone in their corner. Our program gives them practical tools, a community of other mothers, and a plan they build for themselves.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 60 women over the year, in four groups of 15. Our Year 1 budget is about $128,000, growing to about $298,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one program facilitator to five. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Hartwell Foundation for $50,000, as part of the $112,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $16,000 in Year 1 comes from corporate partnerships and donations, which we plan to grow to about $54,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for program facilitator time, child care so mothers can take part, and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many women we serve, how many complete our program, how many increase their income, build savings or start school, training or a business, and how many say they feel more confident and supported. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Rising Together Women's Center is a nonprofit organization in Colorado. A 501(c)(3) public charity
Our mission. To help single mothers build stable, independent lives for themselves and their children.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2023 when two single mothers started meeting other moms at a church every Thursday, with child care and dinner. Since then about 40 women have joined, with 12 volunteers helping each month.
What we do:
- Offer a small group program for women that mixes practical skills with peer support, so no one has to do this alone.
- Work one-on-one with each woman to set goals for work, school, money, housing and her children.
- Help with child care costs, paid directly to the provider, so mothers can attend classes, interviews and work.
- Teach the basics of budgeting, credit, saving and, for women who want it, starting a small business.
- Connect women to housing help, health care, legal aid, job training and other services through partners.
Where we work. A donated church hall, Thursday evenings 6 to 8 p.m., with dinner and child care.
Our partners. A church that donates space, two schools that refer parents, a child care center that gives us reduced rates, and a workforce center.
Our approach. We treat every woman as the expert on her own life. We offer tools and support, and she decides what to do with them.
How we are run. A volunteer Board of Directors (a small group of community members who oversee the organization) meets regularly, approves the budget, reviews the finances and oversees the Executive Director.
Problem & Opportunity
Why this program is needed.
Many women in the south side of our city and the nearby county are raising children on their own with limited income. They often face the same pile of problems at once: child care that costs as much as rent, jobs with unpredictable hours, little or no savings and few people to ask for help. When something goes wrong, there is no cushion.
Facts about our community. According to the U.S. According to the Census, a large share of families with children in our county are headed by a single parent, and many of them live below the poverty line.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Child care. It is one of the biggest costs in a single parent's budget, and it is often the reason a woman cannot take a class or accept a job.
2. Time and money. Most programs meet during working hours and ask for time and transportation that a working mother does not have.
3. Skills and confidence. Many women have been told for years what they cannot do, and they need both skills and belief in themselves.
4. Savings. Without even a small cushion, a car repair can become a crisis.
5. Community. Many single mothers feel isolated, and a circle of women in the same situation makes a real difference.
What we have seen ourselves. Several mothers told us they turned down a better job because they could not find child care for the hours it required.
Who we serve first. Single mothers with limited income, women starting over after a hard time, and young mothers who have not finished school, in single mothers with children under 12 who live in the south and east neighborhoods and earn under a living wage.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. A small group that meets regularly. Women meet in groups of about 10 to 15 for a set number of weeks. Sessions mix practical topics (money, work, school, health, parenting) with time to share and support each other. Meals and child care are provided.
2. One-on-one coaching. Each woman works with a program facilitator to write a goal plan with a few clear steps and dates, and checks in regularly.
3. Child care support. About $18,000 in Year 1 pays child care providers directly so mothers can attend sessions, classes and interviews. We pay the provider, keep a record, and never hand out cash.
4. Money and work skills. Short workshops on budgeting, credit, saving, resumes and interviews, and an introduction to starting a small business for women who want it.
5. Connections and follow-up. We connect women to housing, health care, legal help, job training and more, and keep in touch after the group ends.
How we will measure results. We record each woman's start date, goals, sessions attended and what she reached, such as a job, a raise, a savings goal, enrolling in school or starting a business. At the start and end, women answer a few short questions about their confidence and stability, and we follow up after six months. Our goals for Year 1: serve 60 women; have 40 complete the program; have 25 increase their income, enroll in school or training or start a business; and have 80% say they feel more confident and supported.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve women in the south side of our city and the nearby county, especially single mothers with children under 12 who live in the south and east neighborhoods and earn under a living wage.
How we know people need this. Our first group had 12 spots and 31 women asked to join. We now have a waiting list of 25.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 60 women over the year, in four groups of 15. The number of single-parent households in our county and the share living in poverty are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one program facilitator to five, we expect to serve more women each year.
How women reach us. Two elementary schools, a child care center, the health department and local churches.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- Public agencies offer benefits and some job help, but often through long applications and offices that are hard to reach. We help women use them and add personal support.
- Workforce programs help with jobs. We partner with them, and add child care support and a peer community.
- Other women's and family programs offer parts of what we do. We share referrals and avoid duplication. We share referrals with the local family resource center.
- Churches and community groups often support single mothers. We partner with them and share resources.
- Online programs and books can teach skills, but they do not give women a community. That is what we add.
What makes us different: child care and a meal at every session, evening meetings and a community of women who stay in touch after the group ends
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from schools, child care centers, health clinics, workforce centers, churches and other nonprofits.
- Flyers and word of mouth in the places mothers already go: schools, laundromats, libraries and grocery stores.
- Graduates who invite friends, who are our most trusted messengers.
- Social media and a simple sign-up form, kept short and easy on a phone.
Employers and partners. Local employers help with hiring days, mentoring and donated supplies. We invite them to meet our participants and learn what flexible work can mean for a family.
Volunteers. Church groups, women's professional groups, college students and past participants.
Raising money beyond grants. Corporate partnerships and donations are planned at about $16,000 in Year 1, growing to about $54,000 by Year 5, through a yearly giving campaign, business and community partners, a community event and online giving. Raising more of our own money means we depend less on any one grant or contract.
Operations Plan
How the program runs.
How a woman moves through the program:
1. A call, text or form, then a friendly first meeting to talk about goals.
2. A written goal plan with two or three clear steps.
3. Group sessions with meals and child care, and one-on-one check-ins.
4. Help with child care costs, jobs, school, housing and other needs.
5. A graduation celebration, then follow-up at three and six months.
A first meeting. We start with a conversation, not a form. We ask about her goals and her children, explain the program and agree on the next step.
Child care. Child care providers we pay are licensed or legally exempt in our state, and we check this before we pay. At group sessions, child care is provided by trained staff or volunteers who have passed background checks, following our state's rules.
Privacy. Participant information is kept private. We share it only with signed permission or when the law requires it, and funders get totals, never names.
Equipment. In Year 1 we buy about $4,000 in equipment (laptops, a printer, a projector, and supplies for group sessions), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items.
Staff. One program facilitator in Year 1, then two in Year 2, three in Year 3, four in Year 4 and five in Year 5. Facilitators keep group sizes small so each woman gets real attention.
Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $11,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Grace Martinez, Executive Director.
The Executive Director leads the organization, raises money and manages grants and contracts, builds partnerships, oversees the finances and reports to the Board. Planned salary: $56,000 a year.
Program facilitators and case managers. Lead group sessions, coach women one-on-one, connect them to services and keep records. One position in Year 1, growing to five by Year 5, at a planned salary of $40,000 each. Qualifications we look for: experience in social work, education or community organizing, a warm and respectful manner and strong skills in leading groups.
Volunteers. Volunteers help with child care during sessions, mentoring, resume reviews, rides and meals. They are screened and trained before they work with participants.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including Sandra Reyes, who brings nonprofit finance experience.
Money management. Grant and contract money is tracked separately so we can show each funder exactly how their money was spent. An outside accountant reviews our books every year.
Milestones Narrative
Our goals and how we will measure them.
Year 1:
- Hire and train our first program facilitator and recruit volunteers.
- Set up child care arrangements and a first group.
- Serve about 60 women over the year, in four groups of 15.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for completion, income, savings and confidence.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $128,000.
Year 2: two program facilitators; budget of about $170,000.
Year 3: three program facilitators; budget of about $213,000.
Year 4: four program facilitators; budget of about $255,000.
Year 5: five program facilitators; budget of about $298,000.
Over the five years: grow to five program facilitators, add groups in more neighborhoods and add a small business track. Child care support costs grow about 6% a year as more women take part.
How we will check our results. For each woman we record goals, sessions attended and results. We ask a few short questions at the start, end and after six months. Staff and the Board review results and share them with funders.
Funding Request
What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $50,000 from the Hartwell Foundation for our first program facilitator's salary, child care support for mothers in our groups, and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $128,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $112,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Corporate partnerships and donations: $16,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $56,000. - Program facilitators and case managers: $40,000. - Child care support (paid directly to child care providers so mothers can attend classes and work): $18,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $11,000. - That is about $125,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $4,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $128,000 in Year 1 to about $298,000 in Year 5 as we grow to five program facilitators. Grants and contracts are planned at $112,000 in Year 1, $146,000 in Year 2, $180,000 in Year 3, $212,000 in Year 4 and $244,000 in Year 5. Corporate partnerships and donations grow from $16,000 to $54,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $16,000 of our own plus $58,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for grants. Many funders pay in installments or after a report, and some pay only for results. We plan for that wait, keep careful records and never promise more than we can deliver. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, volunteer hours, donated meals and supplies, and employer partners are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free use of a church hall (about $5,000 a year in rent value), about 1,500 volunteer hours a year, and donated dinners If we are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status. One way is a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that agrees to receive grants for you and pass them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Many funders accept this. Another way is to start smaller: partner with a church or community center, start with one small group of women and a few volunteers, and track results carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants and contracts easier to win.
Appendix Notes
Documents to attach with this proposal:
- Your IRS 501(c)(3) letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current budget.
- A list of your Board members and what they do.
- Letters of support from schools, child care centers, employers or other partners.
- Your child safety, child care and volunteer screening policies.
- Your participant numbers from the past year, if you have them (women served, goals reached).
- Your group curriculum outline or session topics.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff. If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.
The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Staff pay: Executive Director $56,000; each program facilitator $40,000, growing from 1 to 5.
- Child care support about $18,000 in Year 1, rising about 6% a year
- Office costs about $11,000 in Year 1, rising about 4% a year.
- Grants and contracts set so each year's budget balances with a small amount saved.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your organization's real budget.