Guide to Starting a Youth Program - Stage 4, part 3

Stage 4 Part 3 Plan Your Programs 'How Much Money Will I Need?' In this section, I'll help you plan your budget and think about partnering. I knew I had to think about this question carefully. The answer would help determine my budget -- and by extension, my fundraising goals. Once again, I talked to people in the field. They told me what they spend money on and how much things cost. Use the Startup Budget Tool as a guide for creating your budget. Finding the Money You Need Here are some of the things I did to fund my program: Used some of my savings Applied for a grant from a community-service club Researched government grant programs Asked board members to donate and to ask for donations from people, foundations and companies they're connected to Created a "sustainability plan," our strategy for staying afloat 'What Partners Will I Work With to Implement My Programs?' It's important to ask this question because partners can help you Save money Raise money Avoid duplicating services and programs Benefit from the other group's experience Make connections Gain clients Gain supporters Recruit volunteers Identify Partners When thinking about with whom to partner with, consider the benefits to your organization and to theirs. How will working together Move partners closer to their goals? Help solve the pressing issues facing youth in your community? Make your organizations attractive to funders? Use the Potential Partners Tool to identify groups with which you might want to work Keys to a Successful Partnership These four elements make a partnership work smoothly: Shared vision for what the partnership will accomplish Regular communication Regular opportunities to assess how the partnership is working A written agreement, often called a memorandum of understanding, which lays out roles and responsibilities Now that you've got an idea with whom you might partner with, let's look at how I completed my theory of change. Completing My Theory of Change My ultimate goal for youth is "success in work and life." One of the things they need first is stable housing. To help them get stable housing, my organization Works with partners, Who refer youth to the program, where They get life skills training and connections to landlords, which results in Youth having skills to be good tenants Measuring Success Many people have told me how important it is to evaluate whether my program actually leads to "success in work and life for homeless and at-risk youth." A professor at a nearby university has agreed to put together a small study to help me do that. Just the Beginning Congratulations! You're on your way to getting your nonprofit off the ground. If you have questions that aren't answered by this video guide, you can Contact NCFY by email or live chat Get more advice on fundraising and other nonprofit management topics by subscribing to our newsletter, following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook. Best of luck!