Charlin has a great outreach idea for her nonprofit life-skills organization
Charlin has a great outreach idea for her nonprofit life-skills organization. Weekday evening attendance has dropped about 30 percent since late August, which she strongly suspects is due to children returning to school. She wants to buy a charter bus that was abandoned at a nearby factory and outfit it with desks, then drive it into neighborhoods, bringing the classroom to students rather than expecting the students to make their way to her organization.
Her supervisor, Juan, sees the potential behind her idea, but thinks it will consume more of the organization’s budget than Charlin realizes. Still, she has permission to devise a plan, including a detailed start-up and maintenance budget. The only problem is she doesn't know much about budgets. Where to start?
Organizations that focus on adult education often tend to be nonprofit, such as Chicago’s Cara Foundation, yet large for-profits need to budget, too. Goals differ, but the end result is the same—budgets are used to meet financial goals that advance the organization.
Juan believes Charlin’s idea to buy a charter bus abandoned nearby to use as a mobile classroom is terrific, but wants her to be resourceful in planning the project. When he told Charlin that she could have 750 dollars in startup funds, it was clear she was disappointed. Juan is sure that’s all she’d need if she just thinks creatively and explores the multiple sources available.
• Choose a project.
• imagine that you are Charlin, seeking funding for her mobile classroom idea.
• Follow the Example proposal structure provided in the attachment link. Develop a proposal addressing Charlin’s mobile classroom. You are not required to include appendices, but your proposal must have these elements.
Proposal Structure
The following sections of the proposal are where you will establish the importance of the alternative funding:
• Proposal Abstract or Summary.
• Introduction of the Organization Seeking Funding.
• Problem or Needs Statement.
• Project Objectives.
In the following sections of the proposal, you will evaluate options for resource allocation:
• Design.
• Evaluation.
In the following sections of the proposal, you will analyze expenditures to justify alternative funding and resource allocation:
• Future Funding.
• Project Budget.
In the following sections of the proposal, you will address human resource allocation to justify proposed staffing levels and timelines within an adult education environment:
• Staffing.
• Timeline.
Sample Solution
Proposal for Mobile Classroom
Proposal Abstract or Summary
This proposal outlines a plan to purchase and renovate a charter bus to be used as a mobile classroom for a nonprofit life-skills organization. The mobile classroom will provide educational and life-skills training to students in underserved communities, with a focus on students who are unable to attend traditional classes due to transportation issues or other barriers.
Full Answer Section
Introduction of the Organization Seeking Funding The [Organization Name] is a nonprofit organization that provides life-skills training and educational programs to adults in underserved communities. The organization's mission is to help adults develop the skills and knowledge they need to achieve their personal and professional goals. Problem or Needs Statement Weekday evening attendance at [Organization Name] has dropped about 30% since late August, which is strongly suspected to be due to children returning to school. This suggests that many students are unable to attend classes due to transportation issues or other barriers. Project Objectives The objectives of the mobile classroom project are to:- Increase access to educational and life-skills training for students in underserved communities.
- Reduce the barriers that prevent students from attending traditional classes.
- Improve the educational outcomes of students in underserved communities.
- The number of students served by the program.
- The satisfaction of students with the program.
- The improvement in students' skills and knowledge.
- A list of potential funding sources
- A detailed budget breakdown
- Resumes of the proposed instructors
- A sample lesson plan
- Community partnerships: Charlin could partner with other local organizations, such as schools, libraries, and community centers, to identify students who would benefit from the mobile classroom program. She could also partner with these organizations to host mobile classroom sessions at their facilities.
- Volunteer support: Charlin could recruit volunteers to help with the mobile classroom program, such as driving the bus, setting up and cleaning up at each site, and providing additional support to students.
- Fundraising: Charlin could develop a fundraising plan to generate additional funding for the mobile classroom program. This could include hosting fundraising events, soliciting donations from individuals and businesses, and writing grant proposals.