Sisters in Service Women Veterans Alliance

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Executive Summary

Sisters in Service Women Veterans Alliance is a nonprofit in Washington that gives women veterans a welcoming place, a community of women who understand and practical help when life gets hard. Women veterans are the fastest growing group of veterans, and many say they have been overlooked, in the service and after it. Our Women Veteran Navigators and Case Managers and a Women Veteran Peer Specialist offer weekly peer circles, one-on-one navigation, mentoring, and help with housing, food, work, health care and benefits, in a space designed for women, with child care during every group and class. A small emergency fund pays landlords, utility companies and other vendors directly, never cash. There is no charge to women veterans.

Many women veterans do not think of themselves as veterans, or are not recognized as one by others. They may be asked whether they are the spouse of a veteran, or may feel out of place in a veterans' service organization or a waiting room full of men. Some carry the effects of military sexual trauma, combat, loss or the strain of balancing service and family. Women veterans are also more likely to be single parents, and some have faced homelessness or violence at home. Many do not know the services and benefits that exist for women, and many never ask.

With this grant we will serve about 140 women veterans in Year 1, opening in about Month 3, and about 210 in Year 2. About 50 of them will receive emergency help averaging about $800, paid directly to a landlord, utility company or vendor. Our goal is that at least 90% of women who ask for help hear from us within two business days, that at least 70% of women report feeling more connected and supported after six months on a short, standard survey, and that every woman who wants a connection to VA women's health and benefits has one. We do not promise any outcome for any woman.

Our Year 1 budget: about $498,000, growing to about $690,500 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 and health system contracts and local donors add steady support, so grants fall from about 79% of our income in Year 1 to about 58% in Year 5.

We are asking the Her Service Foundation for $85,000 for one Women Veteran Navigator and Case Manager, child care during groups and classes and an emergency support fund paid directly to landlords, utility companies and vendors. Government contracts, other grants and donors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Monica Dawes, the Executive Director, an Air Force veteran and a single mother who rebuilt her life after service. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

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

Our mission. To make sure every woman who served has a community, a voice and the support she has earned.

What we believe. Women who served are veterans, full stop. They deserve to be seen, thanked and served in a way that fits their lives, not as an afterthought. Many women feel safer and more able to be honest in a space of other women. Support works best when it is led by women who have served, is trauma-informed and puts the woman in charge of her own story. We serve women veterans of every era, race, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity, and every discharge status when our funding allows.

How we started. Sisters in Service Women Veterans Alliance began when a group of women veterans began meeting for brunch once a month, after one of them was told at a veterans' event that the women's coffee was for spouses. The group grew from six to more than forty women, who shared rides, child care, job leads and a listening ear. In two years, the group connected more than 90 women to services and helped a number find housing and work. The VA's Women Veterans Program Manager, a community clinic and the county asked whether we could grow into a full program. This proposal asks for support to do that.

What we offer:
- Peer circles. Weekly groups led by a Women Veteran Peer Specialist for women veterans of all eras, and special groups for newly separated women, mothers, women in recovery and women with a service-connected disability. Women decide what to talk about.
- Navigation and case management. A Women Veteran Navigator meets each woman, listens, helps her write a plan in her own words and walks with her through housing, food, income, health care, legal needs, education and work.
- Mentoring. A match with another woman veteran who has been there, for at least six months.
- Child care. Licensed or trained and screened child care during every group, class and workshop, so no woman has to choose between help and her children.
- Connections. Warm handoffs to the VA's women's health services, a VA Women Veterans Program Manager, free VA care for military sexual trauma, community clinics, legal aid, housing, employment and education programs, and referrals to accredited Veterans Service Officers for benefit claims.
- Emergency help. A small fund pays landlords, utility companies and vendors directly for urgent needs, limited in amount and tied to a plan.
- Rides. Ride vouchers paid directly to transportation providers for women who cannot get to an appointment or a group.
- Events. Brunches, hikes, resume workshops, health fairs, family days and service projects.
- Follow-up. Check-ins at 30 and 90 days, and an open door to return.

Who we serve. Women who served in the U.S. armed forces, including National Guard and Reserve, regardless of discharge type when our funding allows, and their children. Our groups and space are designed for women veterans. Veterans of any gender who need a referral may call us and we will help them find the right program. We confirm with an attorney that this design meets civil rights and funding rules. Some government funding has its own eligibility rules, which we confirm for each funding source. We do not charge women veterans for any service.

What we do not do. We are not a crisis service, a shelter or a clinic. We do not provide mental health treatment, and we refer to licensed providers. We never require anyone to talk about military sexual trauma, combat or anything else she does not want to share. We do not promise any outcome. We do not prepare or charge for VA benefit claims, which only accredited representatives may do.

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

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from the VA medical center's women veterans program, a community health center, the county human services department, a legal aid organization, a church and two veterans' organizations. We have a letter of intent for a small space near a bus line with a room that can be set up as a child play area. Before we begin, we will confirm Washington's rules for child care during parent programs, have an attorney review our women-only program design, confidentiality, child care, volunteer and privacy policies, and confirm any requirements of our funders.

Problem & Opportunity

Women are the fastest growing group of veterans, and the systems built for veterans were designed for men. Many women veterans report not being recognized as veterans, being asked whose spouse they are or feeling uncomfortable in waiting rooms and meeting halls where they are the only woman. Some avoid veterans' services altogether, and many do not know what they are eligible for.

Women veterans also face distinct challenges. Many have experienced sexual harassment or assault during service, and the effects can last for years. Many are single mothers, balancing child care, work and school. Women veterans are more likely than other women to experience homelessness, and a growing share of homeless veterans are women, often with children. Many have faced violence at home. Some have service-related injuries, chronic pain, or reproductive and gynecological health needs that need informed care. Women veterans are also at a higher risk of suicide than other women, and risk can be higher still after leaving the service.

The barriers are practical, too. Child care is a leading reason that women do not attend a group, an appointment or a class. A woman who is working two jobs cannot make a weekday meeting. A woman with no car cannot get to the VA facility that may be far away. A woman who is one missed paycheck from eviction cannot wait for a slow benefit.

Many women say they would rather talk to another woman who served, and they feel safer and freer in a space of women. At the same time, a space is not enough without good case management, child care, practical help and a bridge to professional care.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. Studies show that women veterans can benefit from peer support, from services designed for women and from help with practical needs, and the evidence on specific outcomes is still growing. We do not know that every woman we serve will be better off because of us, and we say so to every woman who asks. We will measure what we can, such as connection, referrals and housing stability, and share results honestly. We will use local numbers from the VA, the county and the state in our final application and will not overstate them.

Our community has important resources, including the VA's women veterans program and a few women's groups, and many women fall between them. We aim to be a front door that is safe, welcoming and well run, and a bridge to the help that is already there.

Products & Services

Sisters in Service Women Veterans Alliance will open a women veterans community center with a Program Director, Women Veteran Navigators and Case Managers, a Women Veteran Peer Specialist, a Community Outreach and Partner Coordinator and an Executive Director, and will offer peer circles, navigation, mentoring, child care, emergency help and warm handoffs at no cost to women veterans.

How it works, step by step:
1. First contact. A woman veteran or someone who knows her calls, texts, visits or uses our website. We return every message within two business days, and the same day when the need is urgent. Anyone in danger is connected right away to 911, anyone in crisis to the Veterans Crisis Line (dial 988 then press 1), and survivors of violence to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
2. A welcome conversation. A woman meets a Navigator or the Peer Specialist, in the center, by phone or by video, whichever she prefers. We explain what we offer, privacy and our limits. There is no test, and no one is required to prove need or talk about anything she does not want to.
3. A plan in her words. The Navigator helps the woman write a short plan: what she wants, what is urgent and what can wait. Goals might be a safe home, a job, a child care arrangement, a health appointment, a degree or simply friends.
4. Groups and mentoring. She can join a peer circle, ask for a mentor or both. Child care is available at every group and class.
5. Practical help. Help with housing, food, utilities, transportation, legal issues, work and school. When the need is urgent and fits our rules, the emergency fund pays the landlord, utility company or vendor directly, with limits of about $800 on average and no cash to a woman.
6. Warm handoffs. Calls and introductions to the VA Women Veterans Program Manager, VA women's health clinics, care for military sexual trauma (which the VA provides at no charge to eligible veterans), community clinics, counseling, legal aid, domestic violence advocates and accredited Veterans Service Officers.
7. Follow-up. Check-ins at 30 and 90 days, a short survey at six months and an open door to return.

What the grant will pay for. Part of one Women Veteran Navigator and Case Manager's salary, child care during groups and classes and an emergency support fund paid directly to landlords, utility companies and vendors. The rest of the budget comes from government and health system contracts, other grants and donors.

Choice and control. Every woman decides what she shares, what she accepts and when she stops. We never require a woman to talk about military sexual trauma or any other experience, and we never share anything without her permission, except where the law requires.

Why this approach is strong. A woman gets a place that is hers, people who understand, child care that makes it possible to come and a case manager who helps with the practical problems. We do not promise that a community solves every problem, but we know that being seen and supported is where recovery often begins.

Market Analysis

Who benefits: women veterans and their children in our Washington service area, and the employers, schools, clinics and neighbors who depend on them.

Our primary group is women veterans of every era, including National Guard and Reserve. We expect to serve women who are newly out of the service and learning civilian life, single mothers, women who are homeless or at risk of it, women who have survived violence or military sexual trauma, women with a service-connected disability, older women veterans who live alone, rural women and women who have never used VA services. We also serve their children through child care and family events.

We will not serve a woman who needs emergency medical care, shelter or protection at the moment of the visit, and we will help her reach the right place by calling 911 or a crisis service. We refer women whose needs are outside our scope, such as those who need inpatient treatment or a domestic violence shelter, and we stay in touch while the referral is made.

Local data. We will use the most recent numbers from the VA, the Census Bureau, the county and the state in our final application and will not overstate them. Our own experience shows demand: in two years of monthly brunches, more than 90 women were connected to services, and women often told us they had not known there were others like them nearby. We plan for about 140 women in Year 1 and about 210 in Year 2, growing to about 450 by Year 5 as we add Navigators and Peer Specialists.

Our secondary groups are children, who gain stability; the VA and community clinics, which gain a partner for women who might not otherwise come; employers, who gain more stable employees; and veterans' organizations, which gain a partner in welcoming women.

We do not guarantee help to anyone, and when we are full we say so, offer a place on a short waiting list and refer to other programs. We do not accept payment in exchange for referrals.

Competitive Landscape

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

- The VA's women veterans program. The VA has a Women Veterans Program Manager at each medical center, women's health clinics and care for military sexual trauma. We work closely with them, take referrals from them and refer women to them. VA programs are health-focused, and a woman may not feel comfortable or know to ask.
- Veterans' service organizations. They offer fellowship, and some are working hard to welcome women. A woman may still feel out of place. We partner with them and encourage them.
- Women's organizations and domestic violence programs. They provide crucial services to women. Few focus on veterans or understand military life. We refer women to them when that is the right fit.
- Other veteran programs, such as housing and workforce programs. They serve veterans broadly, and some are shaped around men's needs, with no child care. We refer women to them and help them feel safe going.
- Counseling providers. They provide treatment. We do not compete with them, and we help women reach them.
- Informal groups and social media. Many women find each other online, which can be a lifeline. They may lack training, safety rules and practical help.

What makes us different.
- A space and a team of women who served, with a Peer Specialist and trained mentors.
- Child care at every group and class.
- Navigation that covers housing, food, work, health and legal needs in one place.
- A confidential space with safety planning for women who have faced violence.
- Direct payment to vendors and no cash in emergencies.
- Honest results. We measure and share our results, whether they are good or not.

What we do not claim. We are new. Our track record is small, built on volunteers, and the VA and larger 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 women, partners and supporters we need once the project is funded.

Women veterans. Many women do not identify as veterans first, so we will meet them where they already are: community colleges, VA clinics and the VA's women veterans program, WIC offices, schools, libraries, churches, gyms, hair salons, laundromats, child care centers, food banks, domestic violence programs, courts and National Guard and Reserve units. We will attend Stand Down events and women veterans' resource fairs. We will keep a toll-free number, a text line, a simple website and a printed card that fits in a wallet, with the Veterans Crisis Line and the National Domestic Violence Hotline on the back. Women who have used the program, with their written permission, will be our best messengers. We use plain, respectful words and show women of every age and background.

Referral partners. We will build relationships with the VA's women veterans program, community health centers, WIC, schools, the courts, law enforcement, first responders, domestic violence advocates, legal aid, employers and faith leaders. We will offer short trainings on how to talk to a woman veteran, to ask "have you ever served in the military?" and to reach us. We will not pay or reward anyone for referrals.

Government and partners. We will work with the county, the state and the VA to find contracts and grants that can pay for services, including programs for homeless veterans, women veterans and survivors of violence. These sources are competitive and slow, so the plan counts on them only as shown in the funding section.

Volunteers. We will recruit women veterans and community members as mentors, child care helpers and event volunteers. Volunteers pass a background check, are trained in confidentiality and trauma-informed practice and never have access to records. Child care volunteers work only with trained staff present.

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

Donors and community. We will invite individuals, businesses, churches, civic clubs and veterans' organizations to sponsor a brunch, child care for a month or a woman's move-in costs. Gifts are tracked separately and acknowledged with thanks.

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

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 2: Attorney review of the women-only program design, confidentiality, child care, volunteer and privacy policies, sign the lease, hire the Program Director, two Women Veteran Navigators and Case Managers, the Women Veteran Peer Specialist and the Community Outreach and Partner Coordinator, choose a secure data system and set up the space and child play area.
- Month 3: Staff training in trauma-informed care, military sexual trauma awareness, domestic violence safety planning, crisis response, confidentiality, mandatory reporting, child safety and the data system. Open to women veterans.
- Months 4 to 8: First intakes, first plans, first peer circles with child care and first emergency payments. Mentor matching begins.
- Months 9 to 12: First six-month surveys. Review of results, wait times and costs, a year-end report to funders and planning for Year 2.

Space. A small leased space on a bus line, set up like a living room with a gathering area, private meeting rooms and a child-safe play area. The sign is discreet, and the address is shared only with women who ask for it. Rent and utilities are about $28,000 a year in Year 1. Secure entry, privacy improvements and a child play area are a one-time cost of $3,500, with a deposit and first month of rent of $4,500.

Equipment. We buy about $10,000 of equipment once at the start: laptops, phones and secure tablets ($6,000), furniture for a living-room style gathering space, private meeting rooms and a child-safe play area ($3,000) and locking cabinets and child safety gates and supplies ($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 Women Veterans Program Director, two Women Veteran Navigators and Case Managers, a Women Veteran Peer Specialist, a Community Outreach and Partner Coordinator and a part-time Program Coordinator and Data Specialist. A third Navigator joins in Year 3, a second Peer Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth Navigator in Year 5.

Child care. Child care is provided during every group, class and workshop, by trained staff who have passed background checks and are certified in child first aid and CPR, or by a licensed child care provider under contract. Parents stay on site. We follow Washington's rules for child care during parent programs, keep safe ratios, sign-in and sign-out records and a written safety plan, and we confirm with the state whether a license or exemption applies. Child care is about $18,000 a year in Year 1.

Emergency fund rules and controls. Help is tied to a plan, limited in amount (an average of about $800 and normally no more than $2,000 for one woman in a year) and paid directly to the landlord, utility company, provider or vendor, never as cash to a woman. The vendor must provide an invoice and a W-9. We check whether the VA or another program can pay first. Each payment is approved by the Program Director or a designee and recorded, and the board reviews a list of all payments each quarter. The fund is about $40,000 a year in Year 1, or about 50 women, and grows about 12% a year to about 79 women in Year 5. Counseling and legal clinic fees, about $16,000 a year in Year 1, and ride vouchers, about $8,000, are also paid directly to providers.

Trauma-informed practice. Every staff member and volunteer is trained to listen without judgment, give choice and control, avoid retraumatizing and recognize signs of distress. We never require anyone to talk about military sexual trauma or any other experience. Women may bring a friend, leave a room or stop at any time.

Safety and confidentiality. Our space is confidential. We do not share who comes, and we do not confirm that a woman is a participant to anyone without her permission. For women who have experienced violence, we help make a safety plan, keep addresses confidential, never contact an abuser and connect the woman to the National Domestic Violence Hotline or a domestic violence advocate. If a woman is in immediate danger, staff call 911. Anyone who is in crisis or thinking of harming themselves is 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. Mandatory reporting: staff are trained to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child, an older adult or a person with a disability as the law requires, and we explain this in plain language at intake.

Privacy. Information is kept in a locked cabinet and a secure, password-protected system, and shared only with the woman's written permission, except where the law or our funders require it. We report results to funders only as totals.

Fairness. We follow federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws and make reasonable accommodations for disability. We welcome women of every background.

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 women to accredited Veterans Service Officers.

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

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Monica Dawes, Executive Director. An Air Force veteran and a single mother who experienced homelessness after service, with more than ten years of experience in veteran and women's services. She 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.)

Women Veterans Program Director (full time, hired in Months 1 to 2). Runs the program day to day, supervises the staff, approves emergency payments and manages relationships with the VA and clinics. We will seek a woman veteran or a person with experience in women's services and trauma-informed care.

Women Veteran Navigators and Case Managers (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4, four in Year 5). Meet with each woman, write the plan and help with every step, including warm handoffs and follow-up. We will hire women veterans where we can.

Women Veteran Peer Specialist (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4). A woman veteran with lived experience who leads peer circles, matches mentors and offers friendship. The role does not provide clinical care.

Community Outreach and Partner Coordinator. Builds relationships with partners, recruits and trains volunteers and mentors and organizes events.

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: three women veterans, a licensed clinical social worker, a VA women veterans program representative, 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.

Women veterans advisory group. Women who have used the program meet quarterly and tell us what is working and what is not. Their advice shapes our groups, schedule and rules.

Outside professionals. An attorney reviews our program design, child care, confidentiality and privacy policies. A licensed clinician consults on trauma-informed practice and staff support. An outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Staff screening and training. Every staff member and volunteer passes a criminal background check, and child care staff are certified in child first aid and CPR. Volunteers do not have access to records.

Staff pay in this plan includes payroll taxes and workers' compensation. Salaries are Executive Director $62,000, Program Director $54,000, Women Veteran Navigator and Case Manager $46,000, Women Veteran Peer Specialist $42,000, Community Outreach and Partner Coordinator $42,000 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 140 women veterans, give emergency help to about 50 of them, answer at least 90% of requests within two business days and provide child care at every group and class. A balanced budget of about $498,000, with a small surplus of about $12,000. 7 paid staff.
- Year 2: Serve about 210 women and give emergency help to about 56. Apply for government and health system contracts. Begin six-month connection surveys. A balanced budget of about $510,000, with a small surplus of about $11,600. 7 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add a third Navigator and serve about 290 women, with emergency help to about 63. Contracts cover more of our budget. A balanced budget of about $570,500, with a small surplus of about $12,400. 8 paid staff.
- Year 4: Add a second Peer Specialist and serve about 370 women, with emergency help to about 70. A balanced budget of about $628,000, with a small surplus of about $13,300. 9 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a fourth Navigator and serve about 450 women, with emergency help to about 79, with government and health system contracts covering about 27% of our budget. A balanced budget of about $690,500, with a small surplus of about $13,700. 10 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Women served, by era of service, age, whether they have children and whether they use VA care.
- Days from first contact to a welcome conversation and a plan.
- Peer circle attendance, mentor matches and child care hours.
- Connection and support, using a short, standard survey at enrollment and at six months.
- Emergency payments, by type, and the share of women stable in housing at 30 and 90 days.
- Referrals made and completed, including to VA women's health, counseling and legal aid.
- Cost per woman served.
- Satisfaction and whether women felt respected and safe, collected anonymously.

How we review results. The Program Director and Navigators review caseloads, safety and response times 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. Twice a year the board reviews results and we share them with funders and the VA as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens, including when we fall short.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $85,000 from the Her Service Foundation for one Women Veteran Navigator and Case Manager, child care during groups and classes and an emergency support fund paid directly to landlords, utility companies and vendors, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Women Veteran Navigator and Case Manager salary, $46,000 (other funds add $46,000).
- Other: Child care during groups and classes (paid directly to the provider), $18,000.
- Other: Emergency support fund (paid directly to landlords, utility companies and vendors, never as cash), $21,000 (other funds add $19,000).

Other money in the program. Government and health system contracts, other grants and local donors pay the other $65,000 of those lines, plus the Executive Director's salary ($62,000), the Program Director ($54,000), the Peer Specialist ($42,000), the Community Outreach and Partner Coordinator ($42,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($26,000), counseling and legal clinic fees ($16,000), space rent and utilities ($28,000), ride vouchers ($8,000), technology and secure data system ($8,000), outreach and community events ($12,000), insurance ($10,000), staff training ($6,000), evaluation and reporting ($6,000) and administration and accounting ($14,000).

Year 1 budget: about $498,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $12,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $393,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), government and health system contracts $60,000 and donations and local sponsors $45,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director $62,000; Women Veterans Program Director $54,000; two Women Veteran Navigator and Case Managers $92,000; Women Veteran Peer Specialist $42,000; Community Outreach and Partner Coordinator $42,000; Program Coordinator and Data Specialist $26,000; child care during groups and classes about $18,000; emergency support fund about $40,000; counseling and legal clinic fees about $16,000; space rent and utilities about $28,000; ride vouchers about $8,000; technology and secure data system about $8,000; outreach and community events about $12,000; insurance about $10,000; staff training in trauma-informed care about $6,000; evaluation and reporting about $6,000; administration and accounting about $14,000; and about $4,000 a year for the wear on equipment.

How we planned the program. About $318,000 of the Year 1 budget is pay, because navigation and peer support are people services. Child care is a real cost that makes the program possible, about $18,000 in Year 1, and grows about 8% a year. The emergency fund is about $40,000 in Year 1, which pays about $800 on average for about 50 women, and grows about 12% a year, to about $62,900 in Year 5, or about 79 women. We plan for about 140 women in Year 1 because the center opens in about Month 3, and about 210 in Year 2.

About government contracts. The VA, the state, the county, health systems and funders of services for survivors of violence and homeless veterans fund programs for women veterans. These funds are competitive, are awarded for set periods and have strict rules about eligibility, documentation, confidentiality 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 $31,800 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $10,000 for equipment, $3,500 for leasehold improvements, $4,500 for deposits, $800 for licenses and permits, $6,000 for legal and professional help, $3,000 for signage, brochures and a website, $4,000 for background checks, training and first insurance.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($31,800), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $20,900) and a cash cushion of about $121,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $174,000. We start with $25,000 of our own savings and $160,000 in startup support from a women's foundation, a hospital community benefit gift and our board, $185,000 in all, which covers that amount.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $498,000 in Year 1 to about $690,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $393,000, $369,000, $385,500, $392,000, $401,500 in Years 1 to 5. Government and health system contracts grow from $60,000 to $185,000, and donations and local sponsors grow from $45,000 to $104,000. We add a third Navigator in Year 3, a second Peer Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth Navigator in Year 5. Grants fall from about 79% 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 $154,100, 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 $34,860 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is to grow government and health system contracts as partners see results, to invite employers, hospitals, churches, civic clubs and veterans' groups to sponsor groups and child care and to grow individual donors. Because a woman who is connected and stable is less likely to need emergency and crisis services, success lowers costs for the community and strengthens our case for public funding.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A woman is in crisis or danger. We use a written safety plan, train every staff member and connect to 911, the Veterans Crisis Line and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
- A privacy breach or a threat from an abuser. We keep the address and records confidential, never contact an abuser, use a secure system and follow a written safety plan.
- Child care is unsafe or rules change. We use screened, trained staff or licensed providers, follow state rules, keep safe ratios and have an attorney confirm our exemptions.
- Demand is higher than the fund. We give priority to housing and utilities, keep a fair written method, refer to other programs and adjust the average payment.
- 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 woman 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 navigator, a weekly peer circle with child care and a small fund, serving 40 to 60 women 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, Navigators, Peer Specialist and Outreach Coordinator.
- Letters of support from the VA's women veterans program, a community health center, the county and a legal aid organization.
- Your attorney's note on the women-only program design and any child care license or exemption.
- Your child care safety plan, ratios and staff certifications.
- Your emergency fund policy, vendor agreement and payment controls.
- Your confidentiality policy, safety plan, domestic violence plan and crisis plan.
- Your mandatory reporting policy and trauma-informed practice standards.
- Your plan for measuring results, including the six-month survey.
- Results from your monthly brunch group or pilot, shown as totals.
- Proof of liability and abuse and molestation 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: $393,000 in Year 1, then $369,000, $385,500, $392,000, $401,500.
- Government and Health System Contracts: $60,000 in Year 1, growing to $185,000.
- Donations and Local Sponsors: $45,000 in Year 1, growing to $104,000.
- Women served: about 140 in Year 1 (the center opens about Month 3), 210 in Year 2, 290, 370 and 450 in Years 3 to 5, with about 50 receiving emergency help in Year 1 and about 79 in Year 5 at an average of about $800 each.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director $62,000, Program Director $54,000, Women Veteran Navigator and Case Manager $46,000 (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4, four in Year 5), Women Veteran Peer Specialist $42,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Community Outreach and Partner Coordinator $42,000, Program Coordinator and Data Specialist (part-time) $26,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Child Care During Groups and Classes $18,000, Emergency Support Fund (Paid Directly to Landlords, Utilities and Vendors) $40,000, Counseling and Legal Clinic Fees (Paid Directly to Providers) $16,000, Space Rent and Utilities $28,000, Ride Vouchers (Paid Directly to Transportation Providers) $8,000, Technology and Secure Data System $8,000, Outreach and Community Events $12,000, Insurance $10,000, Staff Training in Trauma-Informed Care $6,000, Evaluation and Reporting $6,000, Administration and Accounting $14,000. The other costs grow between 4% and 12% a year.
- Equipment: $10,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $31,800, paid once from $185,000 in startup money.
- About 7% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs