Sample Business Plan - Unite for Youth

Executive Summary

Unite for Youth is a nonprofit agency providing mentoring programs for middle and high school youth in the Greater Claremont area. The program will form partnerships with local school districts and the juvenile court system. Unite for Youth's goal is to foster a commitment to young people that will promote pro-social friendships, strong interpersonal skills, and reassert a sense of hope in the future. Only through personal relationships can a sense of individual responsibility be reestablished that will give youth the commitment to follow through on path to adulthood with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Through repeated failures in the classroom and the development of destructive habits, at-risk young people have lost faith in the possibilities that await them if they are successful in putting their lives together. To accomplish this goal, young people must be in a caring, inclusive learning environment that promotes their best effort and reinforces personal respect.

Unite for Youth is a program that is in direct response to the growing number of young people that are either falling through the cracks at school or are already entangled with the juvenile court system. The goal of the program is to identify youths who are going to have a turbulent transition to adulthood and offer positive support system to avoid the pitfalls that can derail their lives. The focus is slightly different at each level but the goal remains the same; empower the young person to make positive changes in his/her life.

Unite for Youth will focus primarily on middle school youths. It is projected that within three years, 50% of the system's students will be in middle school. This age group is particularly problematic and a perfect time for mentoring to be effective.

Unite for Youth's mentoring programs will pair a youth with a mentor for 12 months. During that time the two will participate in weekly planned activities to strengthen the relationship between the two and improve the young person's confidence and hopefulness. Mentors will receive continuous training throughout the year and will participate in monthly meeting to report the young person's progress.

Over time, Unite for Youth will create a learning environment that will be an invaluable resource to young people, aspiring mentors and the community at large.

1.1 Objectives

Unite for Youth is being established to provide mentoring for at-risk middle and high school youth in the Greater Claremont area. The program will create partnerships with the local school districts and the juvenile court system. Unite for Youth matches a caring adult volunteer with a referred youth. Unite for Youth will setup four distinct mentoring programs:

• Trailblazers: Trailblazers is the central program of Unite for Youth. At risk middle school students and their mentors participate in a structured program of support.
• Turnaround: Turnaround focuses on students who are chronically suspended from middle and high schools.
• Higher Ground: Higher Ground engages youth involved in the juvenile court system.
• Lunch Friends: Lunch Friends works with children from local elementary schools.

1.2 Mission

The mission of Unite for Youth is the pursuit of the following principles:

• Commitment: Unite for Youth wants to inspire pro-social friendships, strong interpersonal skills, and instill a sense of hope in the future.
• Responsibility: The focus of Unite for Youth is to empower youth in establishing goals and following through on commitments.
• Possibility: Unite for Youth wants to expand the perspective of young people to make them aware of life's possibilities.
• Support: An individual is dramatically influenced by their support system. Unite for Youth wants to surround young people in a caring, inclusive learning environment.

1.3 Keys to Success

• Establish a strong network of support with the school systems and the juvenile court system.
• Launch a series of fundraising activities that will successfully fund the expanding program.
• Establish an effective training program for mentors that will increase their ability to be successful communicators.
• Establish an effective monitoring system to protect both the youth and the mentor.

Organization Summary

Unite for Youth is a nonprofit agency providing mentoring programs for middle and high school youth in the Greater Claremont area. The program will form partnerships with local school districts and the juvenile court system.

Youth are matched with a caring adult volunteer who is trained to focus on positive reinforcement, trust-building, and the achievement of goals, by engaging youth in one-on-one outing and group adventures in the community. Mentors and youth agree to meet for between 10-15 hours per month for a full year.

Ongoing training will continue with mentors on individual case management throughout the year. In addition, Unite for Youth will have monthly mentor support meetings.

2.1 Start-up Summary

Our start-up expenses come to $8,500, which is mostly stationery, legal costs, and expenses associated with opening our office. We will also need cash to finance the first year of operations. The start-up costs are to be financed by contributions by ten private sponsors. The assumptions are shown in the following table and chart.

Start-up

Requirements
Start-up Expenses
Legal	$500
Stationery etc.	$200
Brochures	$2,000
Consultants	$5,000
Insurance	$300
Rent	$500
Total Start-up Expenses	$8,500
Start-up Assets
Cash Required	$71,500
Other Current Assets	$0
Long-term Assets	$0
Total Assets	$71,500
Total Requirements	$80,000

Start-up Funding

Start-up Expenses to Fund	$8,500
Start-up Assets to Fund	$71,500
Total Funding Required	$80,000
Assets
Non-cash Assets from Start-up	$0
Cash Requirements from Start-up	$71,500
Additional Cash Raised	$0
Cash Balance on Starting Date	$71,500
Total Assets	$71,500
Liabilities and Capital
Liabilities
Current Borrowing	$0
Long-term Liabilities	$0
Accounts Payable (Outstanding Bills)	$0
Other Current Liabilities (interest-free)	$0
Total Liabilities	$0
Capital
Planned Investment
Donor 1	$8,000
Donor 2	$8,000
Donor 3	$8,000
Donor 4	$8,000
Donor 5	$8,000
Donor 6	$8,000
Donor 7	$8,000
Donor 8	$8,000
Donor 9	$8,000
Donor 10	$8,000
Additional Investment Requirement	$0
Total Planned Investment	$80,000
Loss at Start-up (Start-up Expenses)	($8,500)
Total Capital	$71,500
Total Capital and Liabilities	$71,500
Total Funding	$80,000

2.2 Legal Entity

Unite for Youth is a tax-exempt not-for-profit mentoring organization that pairs volunteers with at-risk youth.