how do you start a community based program for children in a small town?

Question

The small town I live in has nothing to offer the underpriveliged children. As a direct result of that there has been a significant rise in gang & drug activities. unfortunetly there has also beed some young lives lost. I don't have the financial mean to start a program but I have heart & desire.

Answer 1

Try getting some community support behind you. Talk to local businesses about backing. Discuss it with local law enforcement. It would seem that everyone in town would stand to benefit by this, so a lot of people might be able to help financially. Start out by doing legwork and accessing the communities desire for the program. It's going to have to take a lot more people on board with the idea than just one.

Good luck, I hope you can get it off the ground.

Answer 2

Before you start a program, which requires a lot of paperwork, why not see if there is a group doing something similar, where you could team up with them: you could do the programs, they could do the bookkeeping and all that. Is there a United Way for your county? A community foundation? How about a local church that might want to start a program? Or maybe a coalition of churches?
You could also check with the YMCA, Boy Scouts, or Boys & Girls Clubs, to see if they would want to start a local chapter if there isn't one. And check with the school PTA, too, because they might have some good ideas.

Answer 3

These are my thoughts for you.
Identify the children (ages, needs, neighborhood, etc) that you would like to serve, and have a meeting with some of them to ask HOW they would like to be help. That would give you an idea of the services that you can create.
Have a meeting with teacher, social workers, lawyer, etc to give you ideas and guidance on the creation of the non for profit.
Write a proposal explaining the program and what do you need to make it work. Present the project to people in your community and ask for their help and support. Remember that anyone can help, with financial resources, expertise, time, administration, etc., etc., so contact as many people as you can. Also, in my experience working with community programs, you have to try your best to get the parents or guardians of these kids involve. Otherwise is really hard to change their lives for good.
I really wish you success in this.

Answer 4

I'm a teacher, and I have seen success in school-related programs who seek grant money. Search online for grants relating to after-school programs, relating to whatever theme you are thinking of. Also, I'd suggest getting a committee of like-minded people to spearhead this project. You might try your local elementary school guidance counselor, who might steer you to some individuals or community leaders to discuss ideas and include in your endeavors. God bless you for your kind heart!

Answer 5

You do need to address the legal issue of starting a charity/non-profit...there are already a lot of answers for that, try this one:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtDKV7AwSVBeEcPhrt3rc_vsy6IX?qid=20061218074306AAB1hrc&show=7#profile-info-c1b9752f1605fc31da2d49e71f3aeb07aa

After that, you need to address finances:
- You can try to get the local business community involved. In my experience, the best way to accomplish this is to give them something for their support. It is much easier to get a $250 or $500 donation from a company if you are offering advertising or promotion for that donation, as opposed to just asking for money. Companies like to be the sponsor of charity events...it is great exposure and advertising.
- Consider starting an online fundraising effort. You can check out different sites for this:
I have one at http://www.myopenhands.com
or, this site is great: http://www.fundraisingideas.com
a recycling program to raise money: http://www.fundingfactory.com
long distance/voip sales: http://ld.net/bizop.cgi?page=bizop_home&cogid=cognigen

In any case, best of luck, and let me know if I can help.

Answer 6

Start with you local church