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Fundraising & Business Development

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Business Development Business Planning Fundraising Grant Writing

Published Date

Posted January 14, 2026

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Community Development

Grant Strategy & Fundraising Roadmap

Project

Remote

Skillful Steps

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Our goal is to create a clear, realistic 12–18 month grant and fundraising roadmap so that Skillful Steps, a newer workforce nonprofit with limited financial history (only an in‑kind 2025 H‑E‑B donation), can secure its first 1–2 institutional funders in 2026. This includes having a short funder‑ready organizational snapshot, basic program and organizational budgets, a prioritized list of best‑fit funders, and 1–2 strong proposal templates we can start using immediately.

This project will directly support our mission by giving us the funding strategy and tools we need to actually deliver our multi‑trade and CDL workforce programs at scale. Right now, Skillful Steps has a clear mission but almost no funding history, which keeps us from consistently serving adults who need training pathways into stable, living‑wage jobs. By developing a realistic grant and fundraising roadmap, funder‑ready materials, and a short list of best‑fit funders, we will be able to secure our first institutional support in 2026. That initial funding will translate into more participants enrolled, more people completing training, and more graduates moving into quality employment, which is the core of our mission.

We will set this project up for success by coming prepared and being very focused. Before the volunteer starts, we will gather all existing documents (mission, program description, notes on past grant attempts, our 2024–2025 activity summary, and H‑E‑B in‑kind support details) so they don’t have to “pull” basic information from us. We will agree on 2–3 concrete deliverables up front (a short grant‑ready organizational snapshot, simple 2026 program/organizational budgets, and a prioritized list of best‑fit funders with 1–2 proposal templates) and stick to that scope. We will schedule regular check‑ins, respond quickly to questions, and complete any homework between meetings so the volunteer’s time is used efficiently. Finally, we will be honest about our capacity and limitations as a newer nonprofit, so the volunteer can design a roadmap we can actually implement, not something that sits on a shelf.

Skillful Steps

Location

HUMBLE, TX

Website

https://skillfulsteps.org/

Member Since

Completed Taproot Plus Partnerships

Organization Mission

Skillful Steps is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) workforce mobility nonprofit formed in 2024 to expand access to Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and infrastructure-aligned career pathways for justice-involved adults, low-income jobseekers, and aging foster youth. Our mission is to reduce unemployment, strengthen economic mobility, and remove barriers to training through a tech-enabled education and support model. Skillful Steps operates in partnership with our founding team’s established CDL training provider, Showoff E&D ELDT Training School, which delivered more than 300 CDL completions in 2024 with an estimated 85% job placement rate. Skillful Steps now serves as the nonprofit arm that provides funding access, wraparound services, transportation logistics, and multi-trade career preparation for individuals who cannot afford training on their own. Our current focus includes: Providing funded access to CDL, logistics, diesel tech, and welding pathways Delivering job-readiness training and one-on-one career mentoring Coordinating transportation and support services to remove barriers to participation Building partnerships with workforce boards, employers, nonprofits, and community funders Implementing transparent reporting systems to support donor confidence and accountability We are actively preparing for 2026 opportunities by strengthening our financial systems, expanding impact measurement, and aligning our programs with Houston’s growing infrastructure and transportation workforce needs.

Program Focus Areas

Community Building

Employment & Job Training

Low-Income Communities

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