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Executive Summary
Pathways to Work Center is a nonprofit that helps adults in the east side of our city and the nearby county who are out of work or stuck in low-paying jobs move into careers that can support a family. We provide short training for in-demand jobs, help paying for exams and tools, and job placement with follow-up, with a career coach who works with each person from the first meeting through the first months on the job.
A good job is the most reliable path out of poverty. But many people in our community do not have the skills, certificates or connections that employers are looking for, and many employers cannot find the workers they need. Our program closes that gap: we train people for work that is in demand, help pay for the credentials they need, and stay with them after they start.
In Year 1 we plan to serve about 60 people over the year. Our Year 1 budget is about $133,000, growing to about $303,000 by Year 5 as we grow from one career coach to five. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small amount set aside in savings.
We are asking the Union Grove Fund for $50,000, as part of the $113,000 in grants and contracts we need for Year 1. The other $20,000 in Year 1 comes from employer partnerships and donations, which we plan to grow to about $68,000 a year by Year 5. Grant money pays for career coach and trainer time, credential and exam costs, and the record-keeping funders require.
We will measure how many people we enroll, how many earn a credential, how many get a job, what they are paid, and how many are still working 90 and 180 days later. We will report results to our funders every six months.
Company Description
Pathways to Work Center is a nonprofit organization in Texas. A 501(c)(3) public charity.
Our mission. To help adults earn the skills and credentials they need to move into good jobs and support their families.
How we started and what we have done. We began in 2023 when a local manufacturer and a church started a six-week training for entry-level welders. Since then we have trained about 45 people, with 10 volunteers helping each month.
What we do:
- Meet with each participant to understand their goals, skills and barriers, and make a written career plan.
- Provide training or help people enter training for jobs that are in demand, with credentials employers recognize.
- Help with practical barriers, like transportation, work clothes, tools and exam fees.
- Help people write resumes, practice interviews and find openings with employers who are hiring.
- Stay in touch after a person is hired, to help solve problems before they cost someone a job.
Where we work. A donated classroom at a community center, weekday evenings and Saturdays, plus coaching meetings during the day.
Our partners. A community college that provides instructors, three employers who interview our graduates, and the county workforce board.
Our approach. We start with the jobs employers say they need to fill, and then work backward to the training. We do not train people for jobs that do not exist.
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 adults in the east side of our city and the nearby county want to work or move up but face real barriers: no recent work history, no credential, no car, no child care, or a record. Meanwhile, local employers report that they cannot fill skilled positions. A person can be willing to work and an employer can be willing to hire, and the two never meet.
Facts about our community. According to the state labor department, local employers expect to need many new welders and machinists in the next five years.
Gaps in the help that exists now:
1. Skills. Jobs that pay well often need a certificate or license that costs money and time.
2. Access. Training programs may be far away, expensive or offered only at hours that do not fit a working person's life.
3. Connection. Many job seekers do not know which employers hire, and many employers do not know where to find trained workers.
4. Barriers. Transportation, child care and the cost of tools or uniforms stop many people before they begin.
5. Staying on the job. Many people lose a new job in the first months because of a problem that a little support could have solved.
What we have seen ourselves. Several local employers told us they have had openings for months, while many of the people who come to us have never been told how to get the certification.
Who we serve first. Adults who are unemployed or underemployed, people with limited work history, and people facing barriers such as a record or limited English, in adults over 24 who are unemployed or earn less than a living wage, in the east and south neighborhoods.
Products & Services
How the program works.
1. A clear plan. Each person and their career coach write a plan with a goal, the training needed, and the steps and dates to get there.
2. Training for real jobs. We partner with training providers (community colleges, employers and trade programs) and run short courses ourselves where we can. Credential and program costs are about $18,000 in Year 1.
3. Removing barriers. We pay exam fees, tools and similar costs directly to the provider or vendor.
4. Employer connections. Our coaches work with employers who have openings and help match participants to them.
5. Support after hire. Coaches check in at 30, 90 and 180 days after a person starts work.
How we will measure results. We record each person's start date, training, credential, job placement, wage and whether they are still working at 90 and 180 days. We ask participants and employers twice a year what is working. Many public workforce programs use similar measures, which makes our results easy for funders to compare. Our goals for Year 1: enroll 60 people; help 45 earn a credential; place 35 in jobs; and have at least 25 still working after 90 days and 20 after 180 days.
Market Analysis
Where we work and who we serve.
We serve adults in the east side of our city and the nearby county, especially adults over 24 who are unemployed or earn less than a living wage, in the east and south neighborhoods.
How we know people need this. We had 90 people ask for training last year with only two classes, and three employers have asked us to train more workers.
How many we will reach. In Year 1, about 60 people over the year. Local unemployment, the share of adults without a credential and the number of job openings employers report are common ways to size the need, and the guide for this plan shows where to find them. As we grow from one career coach to five, we expect to serve more people each year.
How people reach us. The workforce board, adult education classes, shelters, probation and local churches.
Competitive Landscape
Other help, and how we work with it.
- The local workforce development board and American Job Centers offer free job search help and training funds. We help our participants use them, and we add one-on-one coaching.
- Community colleges and trade schools provide training and credentials. We partner with them and help students finish.
- Staffing agencies connect people to temporary and permanent work. We focus on career paths, not just the next job.
- Other workforce nonprofits serve different groups. We share referrals and avoid duplicating each other. We are an approved training provider with our local workforce board.
What makes us different: training designed with local employers, a coach who stays with participants after they start work, and no cost to the participant
Marketing & Sales Strategy
How we reach people and build support.
Reaching people:
- Referrals from the workforce board, American Job Centers, schools, shelters, probation, churches and other nonprofits.
- Presentations at libraries, community centers, adult education classes and apartment communities.
- Word of mouth from graduates.
- Partnerships with employers, who often send us candidates.
Employers. We keep a short list of employers we work with regularly. We tell them honestly what we know about each candidate, and we stay in touch to solve problems after the hire. Employers also help shape our training, so that it matches what they need.
Volunteers. Employers, retired tradespeople, college students and church groups.
Raising money beyond grants. Employer partnerships and donations are planned at about $20,000 in Year 1, growing to about $68,000 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 participant moves through the program:
1. A call or referral, then an intake meeting to listen and learn about goals and barriers. 2. A written career plan with a target job and steps. 3. Training or enrollment in a partner program, with help removing barriers. 4. Job search help: resume, interview practice and employer introductions. 5. Follow-up at 30, 90 and 180 days after the start of work. An intake meeting. We listen first. We ask about work history, goals and what is in the way, explain our program and agree on the next two steps. Credentials. We train only for credentials that employers recognize and that are available to our participants. Where possible, we aim to be listed as an approved training provider for public funding, which has its own 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 $5,000 in equipment (laptops for coaches, a classroom set of computers or tools, a printer and office furniture), then about $1,500 to $2,000 a year to replace worn items. Staff. One career coach in Year 1, then two in Year 2, three in Year 3, four in Year 4 and five in Year 5. Coaches carry a limited caseload so each person gets real attention. Office work. Bookkeeping, insurance and reporting cost about $14,000 in Year 1.
Management & Organization
Who leads the organization.
Angela Perry, 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: $58,000 a year.
Career coaches and trainers. Meet with participants, make plans, teach or arrange training, work with employers and follow up after hire. 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 career counseling or HR, strong employer connections and a patient, encouraging style.
Volunteers. Volunteers help with mock interviews, resume reviews, mentoring and rides, and are trained before they work with participants.
Board of Directors. A five-member board including William 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:
- Sign agreements with our first training partners and a starting group of employers.
- Hire and train our first career coach.
- Serve about 60 people over the year.
- Reach our Year 1 goals for credentials earned, job placement and job retention.
- Stay within a balanced budget of about $133,000.
Year 2: two career coaches; budget of about $175,000.
Year 3: three career coaches; budget of about $218,000.
Year 4: four career coaches; budget of about $260,000.
Year 5: five career coaches; budget of about $303,000.
Over the five years: grow to five career coaches, add a second training track, and build a larger employer network. Credential and program costs grow about 5% a year.
How we will check our results. For each participant we record training, credential, job placement, wage and job retention at 90 and 180 days. Twice a year a short survey asks participants and employers what is working. 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 Union Grove Fund for our first career coach's salary, credential and exam fees for 40 participants, and the costs of reporting results, for January through December 2027. Year 1 budget: about $133,000, planned to balance. Year 1 money coming in: - Grants and government contracts: $113,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for). - Employer partnerships and donations: $20,000. Year 1 costs: - Executive Director: $58,000. - Career coaches and trainers: $40,000. - Training and credential costs (exam fees, certifications, tools, training materials): $18,000. - Office costs (bookkeeping, insurance, reporting): $14,000. - That is about $130,000 in costs. The remaining $3,000 or so goes into savings. Equipment we buy once at the start (about $5,000) is paid from startup money, not from the yearly budget. The next five years. Our budget grows from about $133,000 in Year 1 to about $303,000 in Year 5 as we grow to five career coaches. Grants and contracts are planned at $113,000 in Year 1, $145,000 in Year 2, $176,000 in Year 3, $205,000 in Year 4 and $235,000 in Year 5. Employer partnerships and donations grow from $20,000 to $68,000, so grants become a smaller part of our budget over time. Savings. We start with about $16,000 of our own plus $55,000 in startup support, and we add to savings each year. Important for public workforce funds. Many are paid on reimbursement after you have spent the money, and some are based on results such as job placement. They also require careful data. We plan for the wait and keep good records. Help we receive that is not cash. Donated space, equipment, employer instructors and volunteer hours are a real part of what we do and are not counted in the budget above. Free classroom space from a church (about $6,000 a year in rent value), employer instructors donating about 300 hours a year, and donated tools 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 community college or an employer, start with one training track and a small group of participants, and track your 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 employers, training partners and the workforce board.
- Your intake form, career plan template and release-of-information form.
- Your participant numbers from the past year, if you have them (people trained, credentials, placements).
- A list of the credentials and jobs your program targets, and the employers who recognize them.
- 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 $58,000; each career coach $40,000, growing from 1 to 5.
- Training and credential costs about $18,000 in Year 1, rising about 5% a year
- Office costs about $14,000 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.