Green Futures Golf Program

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Executive Summary

Green Futures Golf Program is a nonprofit in North Carolina that provides free golf instruction, equipment and green fees to young people ages 8 to 16 from underserved communities. Golf builds patience, honesty and etiquette, and it connects young people to a game they can play for life and to people who can help them along.

Almost no golf courses are found in low-income neighborhoods, and the cost of clubs, green fees and lessons keeps most children away. A set of loaner clubs, a patient instructor and a Saturday on a real course can open a new world.

With this grant we will serve about 80 young people in Year 1 at 2 courses. We do not promise that any participant will earn a scholarship or play professionally. We promise good teaching, safe play and a welcome on the first tee.

Our Year 1 budget is about $139,000, growing to about $178,500 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 3 staff in Year 1 (an Executive Director, a part-time Program Coordinator and a part-time instructor) and 6 by Year 5.

We are asking the Carolina Youth Golf Foundation for $46,000 for an instructor stipend, loaner club sets and green fees. 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

Green Futures Golf Program is a nonprofit organization in North Carolina. 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 give young people from underserved communities a chance to learn golf and the patience, honesty and etiquette that come with it.

What we do.
- Run free ten-week golf programs on Saturdays at two partner courses.
- Lend a set of clubs to every participant for the program.
- Pay green fees and range balls for every session.
- Teach the full swing, short game, putting, rules and etiquette.
- Introduce participants to people who work in golf and in business.
- Train and pay part-time instructors who are PGA professionals.

Our values. Respect for every participant, honesty with families, safety before winning and a place for every young person who wants to belong.

What we do not do. We do not charge families, and we do not promise any participant a scholarship, a college roster spot or a professional career. We do not give medical advice. We follow the rules of our partner sites and our insurer.

How we got here. A group of golf professionals and parents began offering free Saturday clinics at a local course for neighborhood children. Interest grew and many families asked for a regular program. We kept simple records of who came and what skills they learned. This proposal asks for support to move from Saturday clinics to a steady program with paid, trained coaches and the equipment to match.

Problem & Opportunity

Golf teaches patience, honesty and etiquette, and almost no golf courses are found in low-income neighborhoods.

Cost. A set of clubs, green fees and lessons can cost hundreds of dollars a season. Many families cannot pay, and clubs are costly to replace as children grow.

Access. Most courses are far from underserved neighborhoods and have no programs for beginners. Many young people have never set foot on one.

Safety and trust. Parents want to know that instructors are trained, children will be safe around clubs and the group will be welcoming to beginners.

Missed benefits. Young people who never try golf miss a sport they can play for life and the connections, such as caddie jobs and college programs, that come with it.

What we hear.
- A father says his daughter swings a stick in the yard and asks when she can play on a real course.
- A course manager says he has never seen a neighborhood child walk up to the first tee.
- A teacher says a student who tried golf learned to wait his turn.
- A pro says the hardest part is getting a first club in a child's hands.

We do not claim that a sports program can solve every challenge. We believe that a set of clubs, a patient instructor and a Saturday on the course can open a young person's world.

Products & Services

Green Futures Golf Program gives youth ages 8 to 16 from underserved communities a safe, welcoming place to learn the game of golf.

How the program works.
1. Sites. We partner with two courses that provide range time, a practice area and a few holes for each session.
2. Sessions. Ten Saturday sessions in each program, ninety minutes each.
3. Clubs. Every participant borrows a set of clubs sized for them.
4. Skills. Instructors teach grip, stance, swing, chipping and putting in small groups of no more than eight.
5. Rules and etiquette. Participants learn the rules, how to keep pace and how to treat others on the course.
6. On the course. In the last sessions, participants play a few holes with an instructor.
7. Showcase. A family day ends each program with a short scramble.

What a typical session looks like. Participants arrive and check in with a coach, warm up together, work on skills in small groups, play a short game or drill and finish with a talk about what went well. Coaches praise effort, correct mistakes kindly and make sure no one sits out.

Coaches. Our instructors are PGA professionals or hold an equivalent teaching certification, pass a background check, complete our training and are paid a stipend.

Access and fairness. Programs are free. We welcome every young person, whatever their experience, and we keep groups small so each participant gets attention.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Youth ages 8 to 16 from underserved communities who live near our partner courses and want to try golf. Eligibility is based on school lunch status or income guidelines our board sets, and no young person is turned away for lack of skill.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every young person who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. In our Saturday clinics we served full ranges and kept a waiting list. Schools, a parks department and course managers told us that many more young people want to try than we can serve. For Year 1 we plan to serve about 80 young people at 2 courses. By Year 5, with more coaches and sites, we plan to serve about 200.

Where participants come from.
- Schools, counselors and coaches.
- Parks and recreation staff.
- Churches and neighborhood centers.
- Families who tell a friend.

Who else benefits. Families gain a safe, free activity. Courses gain new players and future members. Schools gain students with a new interest.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a young person standing on a first tee. 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. Junior golf associations. Strong programs with fees and travel. We offer a free alternative and send players on when they are ready.

2. Course lessons. Excellent and costly.

3. School golf teams. Few schools have teams, and spots are limited.

4. Recreation department clinics. Short and limited.

5. Driving ranges and mini golf. Fun, without teaching the game.

What makes us different.
- Free to every participant.
- Loaner clubs sized for each child.
- Green fees and range balls included.
- Instructors who are PGA professionals.
- Lessons in etiquette, honesty and patience.

Why this gap matters. Existing programs do good work, and most serve families who can already pay or who live close to them. The young 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 course managers, junior golf programs and other youth 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 counselors and coaches to share a one-page sign-up form in English and Spanish.
- Courses and parks. We will post flyers and hold an open range day.
- Families. We will hold a short information night before each program.
- Churches and neighborhood centers. We will talk with leaders who know families.
- Word of mouth. Many participants will find us through a friend.
- A simple website and a phone line with a text option.

Reaching coaches and sponsors.
- Invite PGA professionals, teachers and club members through courses and golf associations.
- Offer an orientation, a background check and training in safety and in working with young people.
- Give partners a short report each quarter with counts of participants and what families said.

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

What we watch. Sign-ups, attendance, skills learned, rounds played 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 coaches and coordinator, buy equipment, finalize the waiver, consent form and privacy policy with our attorney and sign site agreements.
- Month 3 (September): Begin the first ten-week program at one course.
- Months 4 to 10: Run fall and spring programs on Saturdays at both courses.
- Months 11 and 12: Survey participants and families, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. Programs are held at two partner courses, provided at low or no cost. We store clubs in locked cases.

Safety and privacy.
- Participants hit only when the area is clear and an instructor signals, and swing areas are marked.
- Every coach and volunteer passes a background check and completes safety training.
- Two adults are present at every session, and no adult is ever alone with a young person.
- We keep an emergency plan and a first aid kit at every site, and families complete an emergency contact form.
- We keep records private, share them only with a family's permission and follow a written policy.

Equipment. We buy about $10,000 of equipment once at the start: loaner club sets sized for ages 8 to 16 (20) ($7,000), practice nets and hitting mats ($2,000), training aids and putting mats ($1,000). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. A part-time Program Coordinator, paid $24,000 a year, handles schedules and sign-ups. A part-time PGA instructor, paid a stipend of $28,000 a year, leads sessions. We add an instructor in Year 3.

Management & Organization

Walter Hines, 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 golf professional who saw how few neighborhood children ever played. I will complete the training we require of our instructors so I understand the program from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Coaches. Part-time PGA instructors lead sessions, and each passes a background check and completes our training. These stipends are part of our grant request.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes a golf professional, a 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 course manager, a school athletic director and a junior golf association leader give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $46,000 a year; program Coordinator (part-time), paid $24,000 a year; pGA Instructor (part-time stipend), paid $28,000 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 80 young people at 2 courses.
- 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 110 young people at 2 courses.
- Year 3: About 140 young people at 3 courses.
- Year 4: About 170 young people at 3 courses.
- Year 5: About 200 young people at 4 courses.

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 37 percent of our budget, down from about 60 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: $46,000 from the Carolina Youth Golf Foundation for an instructor stipend, loaner club sets and green fees, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: PGA instructor stipend, Saturday sessions, ten-week programs, $28,000.
- Supplies: Loaner club sets for 20 rotating sets and maintenance, $12,000 (other funds add $3,000).
- Other: Green fees for 80 participants over each ten-week program, $6,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 55% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $139,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $6,000 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $83,000; golf Foundation Grant $30,000; golf Course Partnerships $18,000; individual Donors $8,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $46,000; program Coordinator (part-time) $24,000; pGA Instructor (part-time stipend) $28,000; loaner Club Maintenance and Replacement about $6,000; green Fees and Range Balls about $9,000; transportation about $5,000; instructor Training about $3,000; etiquette and Rules Materials about $2,000; administration and Insurance about $8,000; about $4,000 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $17,300 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $7,000 for loaner club sets sized for ages 8 to 16 (20); $2,000 for practice nets and hitting mats; $1,000 for training aids and putting mats; $2,000 for attorney review of the waiver, consent and privacy policy; $1,800 for banners, bilingual flyers and a simple website; $1,500 for background checks and instructor training for the first season; $2,000 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($17,300), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $32,800, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $50,500. We start with $6,000 from our founding board and $47,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a golf equipment partner, $53,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $139,000 in Year 1 to about $178,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $83,000, $71,000, $89,000, $77,500 and $66,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: golf Foundation Grant from $30,000 to $54,000; golf Course Partnerships from $18,000 to $34,000; individual Donors from $8,000 to $24,000. Our surplus is planned at about $6,000 in Year 1, about $6,100 in Year 2, about $8,000 in Year 3, about $8,300 in Year 4 and about $9,000 in Year 5. We grow from 2 courses 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 $45,400, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $5,560 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per participant. In Year 1, our total costs are about $1,663 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 $848 per participant.

After the grant. Golf foundation 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 golf 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: $83,000 in Year 1, growing to $66,500 in Year 5.
- Golf Foundation Grant: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $54,000 in Year 5.
- Golf Course Partnerships: $18,000 in Year 1, growing to $34,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donors: $8,000 in Year 1, growing to $24,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive Director $46,000; program Coordinator (part-time) $24,000; pGA Instructor (part-time stipend) $28,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: loaner Club Maintenance and Replacement $6,000; green Fees and Range Balls $9,000; transportation $5,000; instructor Training $3,000; etiquette and Rules Materials $2,000; administration and Insurance $8,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $10,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $17,300, paid once from $53,000 in startup money.
- Young people served: about 80 in Year 1, growing to about 200 in Year 5. Sites: 2 in Year 1, growing to 4 by Year 5. Programs run ten Saturdays at a time in fall and spring, ninety minutes each.
- 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