Starting a recovery home is often an idea driven by compassion rather than profits. It can be a hellbent desire to pool resources and help people seeking to rebuild their lives. With that in mind, you may still want to do all it takes to open a sober living home if you’re short of capital. To start a recovery house, you need to have the funds.
Keep reading to learn how to finance a new sober living facility.
Have a Business Plan
One of the most critical parts of financing a recovery house is knowing how to write a business plan. Potential investors will want to know whether your facility is viable.
A business plan can also give you a clear picture of your finances. It will show you how much you need to fundraise to open a sober living home.
Consider the costs of starting and running your recovery home when setting your plan— research the costs of properties in your preferred areas of setting up your facility. And ideally, the facility should be in a serene place to provide a wave of peace to recovering individuals.
Define the potential of your business by looking at the rate of addiction in your area. Or talk to owners of recovery centers in your town to determine whether your idea is viable.
Build a market strategy to show how you’ll reach out and convince people to choose your facility. It can only be viable if people opt for it over other facilities.
Defining costs, demand, and market strategy will help you develop a practical financial plan. Then, you can create a clear funding request to convince investors to finance your recovery home.
Raise Money From Savings
Look at your plan, determine your target cost, and dedicate a saving plan towards the home. You can also use savings to start on a small scale and leverage word-of-mouth publicity.
One of the decisions when getting started on a budget is hiring the right sober living house manager. It would help if you had someone who would run your facility professionally to maintain positive cash flows.
Approach Companies with a CSR Budget
According to the Financial Times, Fortune 500 companies spend $15 billion yearly on corporate social responsibility (CSR). More American companies leverage CSR to attract customers and stakeholders.
Most companies practice some form of CSR to give back to the surrounding communities. Sober living is among those causes many companies may include in their CSR programs.
If you want your project funded under CSR, look for companies with programs focused on helping addicts. Do your research or ask local non-government organizations for more information.
Look for CSR reports finding companies with an annual CSR budget and CSR areas. Determine their key focus areas to see whether their offer can meet your needs. Look for the contacts and email your proposal.
Seek Government Grants
Another way to fund your sober living home is to seek a government grant. Government grants are non-repayable financial awards issued to individuals, charities, or companies.
You may qualify for a government grant as a sober living house owner. The government awards assistance to people whose ideas have the potential to uplift communities.
In 2019, the federal government’s total grants to states and local governments was $721 billion. The amount is staggering if you consider grants from public agencies like the National Institute of Health.
Government grants are one of the affordable ways to finance a business or a non-profit. If you qualify for a non-refundable grant, you can quickly break even and start generating revenues.
Since government grants provide cheap financing, you can bet they’re highly competitive. Qualification isn’t easy, so you must craft a winning proposal.
You’re competing for funding against thousands of entrepreneurs. Use your proposal to show how your project benefits your community.
Funding From Donor Organizations
The world is full of generous people who won’t think twice about financing your recovery house. These people come together to provide financial support to those who may need help.
Many donors typically leverage donor organizations to reach needy people. These organizations have strong structures to implement and follow up on donor programs.
If your purpose for starting a recovery home is not profit-driven, you can easily find financial help from NGOs. Here are some options to consider.
The United Way
The United Way is a national organization offering grants to recovering individuals and sober living homes. The organization donates to recovering homes through community offices and offices.
Sober Living Organization
Unlike United Way, Sober Living is dedicated to individuals recovering from alcoholism. The organization may cover individuals’ expenses as well as fund your project.
Sober Living is not national. Look up their website to see if they’re available in your area.
Sonora Area Foundation
Sonora Area works in collaboration with agencies and organizations to help needy addicts. The organization gives grants to profit-based and non-profit organizations after a successful proposal.
Community-Based Organizations
If you’re looking for funding from NGOs, consider visiting local CBOs. They may have more information about potential funding for sober living homes.
Sell Shares to Interested Investors
Viable business homes can be an investment opportunity for social investors. Social investors will invest in a viable project to bring positive social change.
A sober living home is viable if it has the potential to attract people constantly. It means you must build a reputation for helping people achieve sobering goals.
Social investors are likely to ask for your business plan and proposal. Make sure your program provides realistic revenue forecasts to impress potential investors.
Raise Funding by Crowdsourcing
Crowdfunding is another popular way of funding business ideas, including recovery centers. Crowdfunding involves seeking funds online from strangers and interested investors.
To launch a crowdfunding campaign, register on a crowdfunding website. Examples of crowdfunding websites include MightyCause, GoFundMe, and Kickstarter.
Fund Your Sober Living Facility
Owning a recovery house is a rewarding venture. But you may run into many challenges without proper financing. Our guide here provides practical financing tips.
Once you find financing, you may need support to grow your recovery home to success. Check out our resources for more tips for running a sober living facility.
