CodeForward Youth Technology Pathway

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

CodeForward Youth Technology Pathway is a nonprofit in Washington that gives young people ages 14 to 19 from underrepresented communities a path into technology: a free 10-week coding bootcamp, a paid summer internship and a mentor from the industry for two years.

The technology sector is one of the most powerful parts of the regional economy, yet Black, Latino, Native American and low-income young people are far less likely to work in it. Many have never met an engineer or had a laptop of their own.

With this grant we will serve about 120 young people in Year 1 at 2 sites. We do not promise that any participant will get a job or an internship. We promise real skills, a screened mentor, careful supervision and honest help finding the next step.

Our Year 1 budget is about $211,500, growing to about $267,000 by Year 5 as we add sites, coaches and participants. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 5 staff in Year 1 (an Executive Director, a Program Coordinator and two part-time instructors) and 8 by Year 5.

We are asking the Puget Sound Technology Opportunity Foundation for $60,000 for the Program Coordinator and the internship stipend supplement. Our other income and startup support cover the rest. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this proposal, and we do not promise any result beyond what we describe.

Company Description

CodeForward Youth Technology Pathway is a nonprofit organization in Washington. We are a registered charity with a volunteer board of directors, a written conflict-of-interest policy and a yearly budget the board reviews.

Our mission. To open the technology economy to young people who are rarely invited into it, through skills, paid experience and a mentor who stays.

What we do.
- Run a free 10-week introductory coding bootcamp for young people ages 14 to 19.
- Place graduates in paid summer internships with technology employers.
- Match every participant with a mentor who works in the industry for two years.
- Provide laptops for use during the program and workshops on resumes and interviews.
- Teach digital safety, teamwork and how to ask for help.
- Host a showcase where participants present what they built.

Our values. Respect for every participant, honesty with families and partners, safety first and a place for everyone who wants to belong.

What we do not do. We do not charge families, and we do not promise any participant a job or an internship. Internships follow child labor and wage rules, and employers pay the wages. We do not give legal or immigration advice. We follow the rules of our partner sites and our insurer.

How we got here. A group of engineers, teachers and parents began running Saturday coding workshops in a library. Teens kept coming and many asked what came next. We kept simple records of who came, what they built and what they asked. This proposal asks for support to move from Saturday workshops to a steady program with paid, trained staff and the materials to match.

Problem & Opportunity

The technology sector is among the most powerful parts of our economy, and Black, Latino, Native American and low-income young people are far less likely to work in it.

Cost. Coding camps and courses can cost more than a family can pay. Laptops and software add to the bill.

Access. Many schools offer few computer science classes, and young people who do not know an engineer do not see a path in.

Safety and trust. Parents want to know that mentors are screened, that internships are safe and fair and that their teen will be supervised.

Missed benefits. Young people who never get a first chance miss the skills, the contacts and the confidence that lead to good jobs.

What we hear.
- A teen says she has built games for years and never met anyone who does this for a living.
- A teacher says her best students have no computer at home.
- An engineer says she would mentor if someone made it simple.
- A mother says her son's grades improved once he found something he loved.

We do not claim that a program can solve every challenge. We believe that a skill, a paid first experience and a mentor who stays can change a young person's path.

Products & Services

CodeForward Youth Technology Pathway gives young people ages 14 to 19 from underrepresented communities a safe, welcoming place to learn to code and enter the technology field.

How the program works.
1. Sites. We partner with two community colleges and libraries that provide labs, and we bring instructors, laptops and mentors.
2. Bootcamp. A 10-week introduction to coding with two evening sessions a week, in small groups of about twelve.
3. Projects. Each participant builds and presents a project, such as a game, an app or a website.
4. Internships. Graduates apply for paid summer internships with partner employers, with a stipend supplement for those who need it.
5. Mentors. Each participant is matched with an industry mentor for two years, with monthly meetings.
6. Career skills. Workshops teach resumes, interviews and professional behavior.
7. Showcase. Families and employers attend a showcase at the end of each bootcamp.

What a typical session looks like. Participants arrive and check in with a staff member, settle in together, work on the day's activity in small groups and finish with a short talk about what went well. Staff praise effort, correct mistakes kindly and make sure no one is left out.

Staff. Our instructors are working developers and teachers who pass a background check, complete our training and are paid for their time.

Access and fairness. Programs are free. Programs are free. We welcome every young person, whatever their experience, and offer laptops, rides and meals.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Young people ages 14 to 19 from underrepresented and low-income communities who live near our partner sites and want to learn technology. Eligibility is based on school lunch status or income guidelines our board sets, and no young person is turned away for lack of experience.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every young person who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. In our Saturday workshops we served full rooms and kept a waiting list. Schools and employers told us that many more teens are interested than we can serve. For Year 1 we plan to serve about 120 participants at 2 sites. By Year 5, with more staff and sites, we plan to serve about 240.

Where participants come from.
- Schools, teachers and counselors.
- Libraries and community centers.
- Employer partners and industry groups.
- Participants who tell a friend.

Who else benefits. Families gain a clear path to a career. Employers gain a stronger and more varied pool of talent. Schools gain partners who support computer science.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a young person with a first working program. We keep our early counts modest and honest so we can do the work well.

Competitive Landscape

What young people can find today, and how we are different.

1. School computer science classes. Valuable and limited by size and budget. We partner with schools.

2. Private coding camps. Strong programs at a cost many families cannot pay. We offer a free alternative.

3. Online courses. Flexible, with little guidance. We add mentors and a cohort.

4. Community college classes. Excellent, and many teens do not know to apply. We help them get started.

5. Employer internship programs. Competitive and often closed to those without connections. We prepare participants.

What makes us different.
- Free to every participant.
- Industry mentors for two years.
- A paid summer internship path.
- Laptops, rides and meals provided.
- Small groups and a showcase for families and employers.

Why this gap matters. Existing programs do good work, and most serve people who can already pay or who live close to them. The people we serve are the ones left over: they live in the wrong neighborhood, have the wrong schedule or have no one to ask. We are built to reach them.

We have spoken with employers, schools and other youth technology programs to make sure we are filling a gap and not duplicating services. Their letters of support are in the attachments.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How young people and partners will find us.

Reaching young people.
- Schools. We will work with teachers and counselors to share a one-page sign-up form in English and Spanish.
- Libraries and colleges. We will post flyers and hold open workshops.
- Families. We will hold a short information night before each bootcamp.
- Employers. We will present at industry groups and invite staff to mentor.
- Word of mouth. Many participants will find us through a friend.
- A simple website and a phone line with a text option.

Reaching staff and sponsors.
- Invite developers, designers and teachers through employers, colleges and professional groups.
- Offer an orientation, a background check and training in safety, privacy and respectful practice.
- Give partners a short report each quarter with counts of participants and what they said.

How we decide who joins. We use a simple sign-up form and enroll participants in the order received, with priority for those with the greatest need and for people new to the program. We keep a waiting list when the program is full.

What we watch. Sign-ups, attendance, projects finished, internships completed and how many participants return for a second season.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (July and August): Hire the staff, buy equipment and materials, finalize the waiver, consent form and privacy policy with our attorney and sign site agreements.
- Month 3 (September): Begin the first 10-week bootcamp at two sites.
- Months 4 to 10: Run three bootcamps, place graduates in internships and match mentors.
- Months 11 and 12: Hold a showcase, survey participants and employers, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Bootcamps are held in college labs and libraries, provided at no or low cost. Laptops are stored in locked carts.

Safety and privacy.
- Mentors meet participants in public or in view of others, and mentoring meetings are logged.
- Internships follow child labor, wage and safety rules, and employers sign a safety agreement.
- Every staff member and volunteer passes a background check and completes safety training.
- Staff work in pairs or in view of others whenever participants are minors or in a vulnerable situation.
- We keep an emergency plan at every site, and participants complete an emergency contact form.
- We keep records private, share them only with a participant's permission or as the law requires and follow a written policy.

Equipment. We buy about $14,000 of equipment once at the start: laptops for the program lab (12) ($9,000), classroom kits and learning materials ($2,000), projector ($1,500), locking storage carts ($1,500). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. The Program Coordinator, paid $46,000 a year, manages sites, internships and mentors. Two part-time instructors, each paid $18,000 a year, teach the bootcamps. We add an instructor as we add sites.

Management & Organization

Simone Okafor, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting. I came to this work as a software engineer who was often the only person who looked like me in the room. I will complete the training we require of our mentors so I understand the program from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Staff. The Program Coordinator manages sites, internships and mentors, and part-time instructors teach the bootcamps. Each passes a background check. These positions are part of our grant request.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes a software engineer, a high school teacher, a parent, a banker who serves as treasurer, an attorney and a former participant. The board meets every other month, approves our budget and reviews our safety plan. No board member is paid, and members with a conflict of interest step out of related decisions.

Advisory partners. A college computer science chair, a technology employer's community lead and a school counselor give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $54,000 a year; program Coordinator, paid $46,000 a year; part-time Instructor, paid $18,000 a year.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals, how we will measure them and when we plan to reach them.

Year 1 outcomes (July 2027 through June 2028):
- Serve about 120 participants at 2 sites.
- Run at least two full seasons and a summer session.
- Have at least 85 percent of participants attend most sessions.
- Have at least 80 percent of participants return for a second season.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 90 percent of families who answer our short survey.

What we count and how.
- Participants enrolled, sessions and games attended, from our records.
- Skills learned and goals met, from the coach's checklist.
- Equipment issued and returned, from our log.
- Participant and family feedback, from a short, confidential form.
We report what we find, including what did not work, and use it to improve.

Growth over five years.
- Year 2: About 150 participants at 2 sites.
- Year 3: About 180 participants at 3 sites.
- Year 4: About 210 participants at 3 sites.
- Year 5: About 240 participants at 4 sites.

Learning along the way. At the end of each quarter, the director and the board review the numbers and decide whether we are on track. If we are behind, we will adjust our outreach, our sites or our schedule before asking for more money.

After the grant. By Year 5, grants make up about 50 percent of our budget, down from about 67 percent in Year 1, as partners and donors give more. We will keep building those relationships every year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $60,000 from the Puget Sound Technology Opportunity Foundation for the Program Coordinator and the internship stipend supplement, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Coordinator salary, $46,000.
- Other: Internship stipend supplement to reach a living wage for interns who need it, $14,000 (other funds add $10,000).

Other money in the program. This request is about 42% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $211,500, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $8,700 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $141,500; technology Employer Partners $35,000; city Workforce Youth Funding $25,000; individual Donors $10,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $54,000; program Coordinator $46,000; part-time Instructor $18,000; internship Stipend Supplement about $28,000; mentor Recruitment and Training about $6,000; software Licenses and Lab Costs about $6,000; program Evaluation about $6,000; transportation and Meals about $8,000; administration and Insurance about $10,000; about $5,600 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $22,500 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $9,000 for laptops for the program lab (12); $2,000 for classroom kits and learning materials; $1,500 for projector; $1,500 for locking storage carts; $2,500 for attorney review of the consent form, internship agreement and privacy policy; $1,800 for banners, bilingual flyers and a simple website; $1,700 for background checks and mentor training for the first group; $2,500 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($22,500), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $50,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $72,500. We start with $8,000 from our founding board and $67,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a technology company, $75,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $211,500 in Year 1 to about $267,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $141,500, $129,500, $137,000, $125,500 and $133,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: technology Employer Partners from $35,000 to $63,000; city Workforce Youth Funding from $25,000 to $45,000; individual Donors from $10,000 to $26,000. Our surplus is planned at about $8,700 in Year 1, about $9,200 in Year 2, about $10,900 in Year 3, about $11,500 in Year 4 and about $12,900 in Year 5. We grow from 2 sites to 4 by Year 5, adding a part-time coach for each new site.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $64,000, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $8,460 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per participant. In Year 1, our total costs are about $1,690 per participant served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more participant served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $1,059 per participant.

After the grant. City workforce youth funding, corporate sponsors and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Participants and families share their stories, and businesses can sponsor a team or a season by name. We will look for partnerships with schools and the city that want a safe, free coding option for every child.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- An injury. Certified coaches, proper equipment, groups matched by age and skill, a written emergency plan and insurance.
- A site is no longer available. We keep agreements with more than one site and a plan for bad weather.
- A coach leaves. We keep a list of trained backup coaches and share lesson plans.
- Low attendance. We adjust sites, times and rides based on family feedback.
- A privacy problem. We follow a written policy, use secure systems and train every staff member and volunteer.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow partner and donor support each year.

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 neighborhood, a handful of participants and a small team, 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.
- Signed letters of support from partner schools, agencies and sites.
- Your site agreements and your insurance certificate.
- Your consent, waiver and privacy policy.
- Your safety plan and background check policy.
- Your program outline and schedule.
- Quotes for equipment and materials.
- 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):
- Grant Revenue: $141,500 in Year 1, growing to $133,000 in Year 5.
- Technology Employer Partners: $35,000 in Year 1, growing to $63,000 in Year 5.
- City Workforce Youth Funding: $25,000 in Year 1, growing to $45,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donors: $10,000 in Year 1, growing to $26,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive Director $54,000; program Coordinator $46,000; part-time Instructor $18,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: internship Stipend Supplement $28,000; mentor Recruitment and Training $6,000; software Licenses and Lab Costs $6,000; program Evaluation $6,000; transportation and Meals $8,000; administration and Insurance $10,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $14,000 at the start, then $3,000 to $4,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $22,500, paid once from $75,000 in startup money.
- Participants served: about 120 in Year 1, growing to about 240 in Year 5. Sites: 2 in Year 1, growing to 4 by Year 5. Three 10-week bootcamps run each year, with internships in the summer.
- About 4% 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