Consulting & Project Management Services
Consulting and Project Management Services
To Help Nonprofits Build Housing for Adults with IDD
LTO Ventures is the premier full-service consulting and project management firm in the US helping existing and new nonprofits get their housing projects for adults with IDD from visioning and concept development to grand opening and occupancy. We do the “heavy lifting,” ideally saving years and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We are parents of adults with IDD ourselves. We’ve designed projects. We’ve built projects. [Check out our Projects page] We’ve been on-site and thoroughly understand more than 50 settings, small to large, across the U.S. And we are building our own community and programs in the Hill Country of Texas called Autumn Hills Village.
Why Nonprofits Engage Us to Help Them
Once families and nonprofits decide they want to develop housing for adults with IDD, they often turn to Google to research how to get started. They scour lots of websites, maybe visit existing settings in person or through virtual tours, and attend a conference or webinar.
They share this information around dining room tables and in coffee shops, but after a while feel like they aren’t progressing the way they expected. They start to grasp how much work is involved, how complex it is, and often don’t know where to begin. That’s when they contact us.
START THE CONVERSATION HERE. Click here - How We Can Help.
What Happens When You Contact Us
We love hearing from you. You always can call or email directly, but we prefer that you fill out and submit our How We Can Help form. These are the next steps:
Introductory Zoom meeting or Phone Call. We respond via the email you provide us and schedule our first Zoom meeting or phone call to get to know you and hear about your organization’s unique story and vision. It is the beginning of a relationship based on a shared purpose.
Meet the Board and Advisors Zoom. We meet in person or via Zoom with your board of directors and advisors to get a full understanding of exactly what services you may need from us and what resources you already have. With this information, we can prepare a Scope of Work Proposal including a timeline and budget.
Proposal and Discussion Zoom. We present the Proposal typically via a Zoom meeting to explain the deliverables and answer any questions about what we will provide and what your organization needs to provide for the engagement to be successful.
Finalize Proposal and Services Agreement. We provide a final version of the Proposal and our standard Services Agreement. You and possibly your legal counsel review both and reply with any final requested changes. You sign and return the documents and pay our initial invoice.
We Get to Work! We request information we need to get started and schedule our initial all-day Working Session to be conducted at your location. In this Session we use our proven process to help you determine the model your organization wants to create, how you want it to operate, the population you want to support, and the outcomes we want to produce together.
Scope of Services We Provide
LTO Ventures is your project development partner. We are the “boots on the ground” working side-by-side with you in your community to bring your project to life according to the plans we develop together. Our success is measured by your success, and we are with you every step of the way.
The scope of Consulting and Project Management Services we offer includes:
Visioning and Concept Development. We help bring your board and advisors into alignment on what you choose to build for housing, community buildings, and programs. Our proven process guides your team, and our deep knowledge of federal and state regulations ensures compliance and feasibility.
Business and Housing Plan Development. We prepare a comprehensive and detailed business and housing plan for your project as well as a business plan for your nonprofit organization. A typical plan from us runs 40-50 pages.
Financial Proformas Development. We prepare the full range of multi-year financial projections for your nonprofit organization and for your project. This includes, but is not limited to: construction budget; 10-year operational budgets for each project element; resident monthly budgets; rent and fee schedules; affordability calculators. We place a significant emphasis on financial self-sustainability in our models.
Project Design. We will help you find an architect or work with your existing architect to develop site plans, floor plans, and renderings. These are important elements that bring your project to life for self-advocates, families, and funders.
Site Selection and Qualification. We develop Land Qualification Criteria to help identify and acquire land, and work with your real estate and legal teams to conduct the due diligence required.
Strategic Action Plan Development. Once you have a board-approved Business and Housing Plan and Proformas, we work with you to develop the Strategic Action Plan (typically looking forward 18-24 months) that provides the actionable, measurable roadmap for advancing your project toward completion.
Marketing and Communications Planning and Implementation. Based on what your organization and project need, we will create your website, write and produce your marketing materials, and guide your outreach campaign to get your messages and needs in front of all key audiences.
Development Planning and Donor Management Systems. We work with you to develop your fundraising and capital campaign plans, and advise you on platforms to help you manage your contact databases and donors.
Residency Interest Development, Application Process, and Documents. Demand for residential projects for adults with IDD always far exceed the capacity you are building and you want to ensure that everyone living in your community project can be as successful as possible. We help help you build an Interest List, draft resident criteria, residency applications, and advise on the process you will use to select your residents.
Community Operations Policies and Procedures. We work with you to prepare the rules, policies, and procedures that guide the operation of your setting and the resident experience of living there.
Board, Advisors, Staff, and Volunteer Development. We assist in making sure you have the right people in key positions including recruitment, interviewing, selection, training, and utilization of their knowledge, skills, connections, and perspectives. This might be simply additive to your current governance, or a significant rebuilding effort.
Feasibility Studies and Focus Groups Research. We are a big believer in primary research and testing concepts, so once your key messages and the parameters of what you want to create have been initially developed, we guide you through a process of feasibility assessments and focus groups with families and funders to “test the market” and validate the vision and plans.
Corporate and/or 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Formation. We work with new groups to form your corporation including drafting and filing your Articles of Incorporation and your Bylaws. If you have Bylaws, we assess them for any enhancements that would make them consistent with best practices for residential communities for adults with IDD. We also will prepare and submit your IRS Form 1023 to obtain your 501(c)(3) tax-exempt determination.
Project Management and Technical Advisory Services. Everything we do includes our ongoing counsel and technical advisement through weekly update calls and monthly Working Sessions.
Stuck? Need help getting started?
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Need help faster? Let’s talk about your vision. (702) 353-6540