Project Overview

My Grandparents Rock!’s mission is to be the unwavering support system for grandparents and great-grandparents who have selflessly embraced the responsibility of raising their grandchildren, ensuring they never stand alone on their courageous journey. We are dedicated to providing them with the resources, compassion, and empowerment they need to nurture hope, strengthen families, and create a brighter future for the generations they hold dear. Vision My Grandparents Rock! aims to empower and uplift every grandparent raising their grandchildren, ensuring a world where every child is nurtured with love and support. Values • Compassion: A deep-seated commitment to compassion, ensuring that every action and service provided by My Grandparents Rock! reflects a genuine empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by the heroic grandparents we serve. • Empowerment: A dedication to empowering grandparents and great-grandparents, equipping them with the resources, knowledge, and support they need to overcome adversity and nurture a brighter future for their families. • Inclusivity: An unwavering belief in inclusivity, fostering a diverse and welcoming environment where all individuals, regardless of background, can find the support and understanding they deserve. • Resilience: A shared value of resilience, instilling in both the team and the families we serve the strength to overcome challenges, learn from setbacks, and emerge stronger in the face of adversity. • Integrity: A steadfast commitment to integrity, ensuring that every interaction, decision, and service offered by My Grandparents Rock! is guided by the highest ethical standards, building trust and credibility within our community. Organizational Objectives Non-financial Objectives • Provide essential items such as food, clothing, and hygiene products to a minimum of 50 grandparents and their families within the first year. • Assist at least 10 grandparents in finding larger living spaces when necessary, ensuring suitable accommodation for their families during the initial year of operation. • Host a minimum of five community outreach events within the first year to engage with local grandparents and raise awareness. • Establish services within a 25-mile radius of the organization's headquarters, gradually expanding to cover the full 75-mile radius within the first three years. • Forge partnerships with at least three local agencies or organizations within the first year to enhance support for grandparents. • Attract a total of 500 community members to participate in events and join the organization's social media platforms within the first year. • Provide tutoring and educational support to an initial group of 25 children, focusing on their academic progress and holistic development. • Offer counseling services to a minimum of 20 grandparents during the first year, with a goal to alleviate stress and enhance mental well-being. • Establish a youth mentorship program and engage 10 young volunteers in the first year, nurturing their development as positive role models. • Establish a local network of food banks and affordable housing resources, collaborating with community partners to address the immediate needs of grandparents. Financial Objectives • Secure funding needs for working capital, program implementation, and services. • Grow revenues by at least 5% YoY. • Apply for 6-10 grants monthly. • Host a fundraising event annually. • Consistently seek community-based sponsorships. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) In addition to the organization’s values, My Grandparents Rock!, is also committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in all aspects. My Grandparents Rock! is interested in cultivating a diverse employee workforce where everyone feels able to bring their best selves to work each day. To accomplish this, the organization is in the process of identifying and implementing diversity recruiting best practices to help create a more inclusive workplace. My Grandparents Rock! will continue to solidify its commitment to DEI at all levels (board of directors, leadership staff, direct services), with the goal of elucidating a deep understanding as to why the organization is engaging in this work together and why racial, gender, and cultural equity is central to My Grandparents Rock!’s success and the success of its clients – invaluable and compassionate caregivers in our society, specifically grandparents and great-grandparents who have assumed the responsibility of raising their grandchildren due to various life challenges. Strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion is an ongoing process, as such the organization’s work in these areas continue to evolve and grow into new areas. My Grandparents Rock! plans to commit to actions which infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout its agency and internal systems, as outlined below: • Recruitment and Hiring: My Grandparents Rock! recruits and hires a diverse team of staff and volunteers who reflect the communities we serve. • Training and Education: My Grandparents Rock! provides ongoing training and education to its staff and volunteers on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This includes training on cultural competency, unconscious bias, and microaggressions. • Community Engagement: My Grandparents Rock! builds relationships with diverse communities and engage in meaningful dialogue to better understand their needs and concerns. • Program Design and Delivery: My Grandparents Rock! designs and delivers programs that are inclusive and accessible to individuals from all backgrounds. • Data Collection and Analysis: My Grandparents Rock! collects and analyzes data to identify disparities and measure progress towards achieving our DEI goals. • Continuous Improvement: My Grandparents Rock! continuously evaluates and improves its DEI strategies to ensure that the organization is effectively addressing the needs of the community. My Grandparents Rock! believes every person’s voice adds value and strives to create balance in the face of power differences. My Grandparents Rock! believes that no person can or should be called upon to represent an entire community. (Business Plan was emailed to Infinity Support).

Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY "Empowering Generations, Nurturing Hope" The incidence of grandparents raising their grandchildren has been on the rise in the United States, reflecting a growing social trend that highlights the complex challenges faced by these families. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, nearly 7 million grandparents, both employed and retired, find themselves financially responsible for their grandchildren living with them. This situation can be prompted by various factors, including parental incapacity due to financial constraints, substance abuse, or other unsafe home environments. In many instances, grandparents step in as the primary caregivers, which can lead to legal, financial, and logistical burdens that they may not have anticipated. This growing phenomenon underscores the need for a support system that recognizes the unique challenges faced by these families. Grandparents raising their grandchildren often encounter a myriad of struggles, both legal and financial. The legal challenges include the need to establish legal guardianship or custody, which can be complex and may require navigating the legal system. Custody issues can be further complicated if the biological parents are still in the picture or if there are disagreements over parenting decisions. Additionally, grandparents may consider adoption to provide a higher level of protection and care for their grandchildren, but this can entail a lengthy and costly process. Financially, these families may face unexpected expenses, such as child-rearing costs, impacting their retirement plans. Child support from the biological parents may be available in some cases, and tax credits can help offset the financial burden. The emotional toll of raising grandchildren and dealing with the changes in their retirement plans adds another layer of challenge for these grandparents, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support and resources to address their unique circumstances. My Grandparents Rock! is a compassionate and innovative Texas-based nonprofit organization founded by Denise Coley, dedicated to offering critical support to grandparents and great-grandparents who find themselves raising their children's children due to unforeseen and challenging circumstances. With a mission to enhance the services available to these unsung heroes and their grandchildren, the organization seeks to alleviate the significant burdens that arise in such circumstances within the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and extending 75 miles into rural areas. Recognizing the growing incidence of grandparents taking on the role of primary caregivers, My Grandparents Rock! aims to provide essential services that include food assistance, transportation support, clothing provision, counseling services, tutoring for the children, and assistance in locating more suitable accommodations when necessary. The statistics are telling - over 13 million children in the United States live in homes with their grandparents, and 2.5 million grandparents every day are selflessly taking on the responsibilities of raising these children. However, this noble act often places unexpected legal, financial, and logistical challenges on these grandparents. The organization's vision is clear: to see grandparents raising their grandchildren have access to the necessary support to ease the sudden hardships of raising young children without the help of their parents. The My Grandparents Rock! team, led by Founder and Director Denise Coley, is committed to working in collaboration with local agencies, senior agencies, AARP, schools, and relevant organizations to identify and provide support to grandparents who have reached out for assistance. The journey of these grandparents is marked by legal complexities, financial uncertainties, and emotional challenges. The organization is dedicated to addressing these issues, offering guidance on legal matters, financial planning, and emotional support to ensure that grandparents and their grandchildren can thrive despite the adversities they face. My Grandparents Rock! is poised to make a profound impact by becoming a lifeline for grandparents facing the daunting task of raising their grandchildren. Through dedication, advocacy, and the provision of essential services, the organization seeks to empower and uplift these unsung heroes, ensuring a brighter future for both the grandparents and the children they so selflessly care for. With a clear vision, unwavering commitment, and the support of a caring community, My Grandparents Rock! is poised to make a transformative difference in the lives of these resilient families.

Funds Required