Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Center Inc Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Center Inc | Government Grant Application

Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Center Inc | Application Preview

1. PROJECT COVER INFORMATION

Project Title: Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Expansion and Outreach Capacity Project

Applicant Organization: Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Center Inc.

Project Director / PI: Program Director (Equine Therapy Program Leadership)

Contact Information: Available upon request (email, phone, and physical address maintained by applicant)

Amount Requested: Not specified

Project Period: Not specified (recommended 12-month performance period to cover setup, outreach cycles, and initial veteran/first responder cohort enrollment)

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / ABSTRACT

Problem / Need: Across the United States, communities continue to face high rates of anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, and stress injuries that affect quality of life, employment stability, and family functioning. Veterans and emergency personnel (first responders and other frontline staff) experience elevated exposure to traumatic events and chronic stress, yet often encounter barriers to care including stigma, limited local provider capacity, and difficulty engaging with traditional talk-therapy models. At the same time, individuals living with disabilities frequently need supportive, adaptive programs that build confidence, self-regulation, and functional skills in real-world settings.

Target Population / Sector: Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Center Inc. serves individuals seeking therapeutic benefit through horse-assisted activities and therapy, with an expansion focus on veterans and emergency personnel. The program also supports riders with disabilities and those navigating anxiety, trauma, and emotional challenges. The impact is local and community-based, with demonstrated outcomes tied to participants building skills that translate into education and employment.

Proposed Solution: Quarter Moon Acres proposes a focused capacity-building project to strengthen administrative infrastructure and outreach so the organization can expand its equine therapy programming to veterans and emergency personnel. The request is primarily for essential office technology and communications materials that directly enable scheduling, recordkeeping, client communication, outreach, and consistent marketing efforts (newsletter, postage, and related advertising). By improving internal operations and outward communication, the organization will increase awareness, improve enrollment pipelines, and support program growth while maintaining quality and safety.

Key Activities: - Purchase and deploy a new computer and printer to support program administration, communications, reporting, and client scheduling. - Conduct targeted outreach and advertising, including a recurring newsletter campaign and postage-supported mailings to potential clients, referral sources, and community stakeholders. - Procure office supplies, printer ink, and paper to ensure reliable, ongoing administrative and outreach capacity.

Expected Outcomes: - Increased program visibility and referrals, leading to measurable growth in client participation, including new veteran and emergency personnel participants. - Improved operational efficiency and reliability (document processing, scheduling, printing of program materials), supporting timely client communication and consistent service delivery.

Funding Request & Duration: Amount not specified; recommended 12 months to establish infrastructure improvements and complete multiple outreach cycles.

3. STATEMENT OF NEED / PROBLEM STATEMENT

Problem Description: Many individuals dealing with anxiety, trauma, and emotional dysregulation struggle to find approaches that feel safe, engaging, and effective. Veterans and emergency personnel are particularly impacted due to occupational exposure to critical incidents and cumulative stress. Traditional services can be difficult to access, difficult to sustain, or poorly matched to the needs of those who prefer experiential and somatic approaches. Meanwhile, individuals with disabilities often benefit from adaptive programming that supports confidence, communication, balance, coordination, and self-efficacy in a supportive environment.

Who Is Affected: The primary populations include local veterans, emergency personnel, and individuals living with disabilities or mental health challenges, as well as families and employers affected by the downstream impacts of untreated stress and trauma. The local community is also affected through workforce participation, public health, and overall community resilience.

Evidence & Data (high-level, widely recognized context to support underwriting): Rates of post-traumatic stress symptoms and depression are consistently documented as higher among certain veteran cohorts and can be elevated among first responders due to repeated exposure to traumatic events. Separately, the broader mental health landscape continues to show increasing demand for accessible, non-stigmatizing supports. Equine-assisted services have gained visibility as a complementary approach for building emotional regulation, confidence, and connection through structured, facilitated interactions with horses, particularly for clients who benefit from experiential rather than purely verbal methods.

Current Gaps: Community-based programs frequently face practical capacity barriers that limit growth, including inadequate administrative technology, limited communications infrastructure, and insufficient outreach resources. Without reliable office tools and consistent advertising, organizations struggle to manage client inquiries, maintain steady enrollment, and build referral networks with schools, healthcare providers, and community partners. For a specialized service like equine therapy, awareness and trust-building are essential, and those require consistent, professional communication.

Consequences if Unaddressed: If capacity is not strengthened, Quarter Moon Acres will be constrained in its ability to expand services to veterans and emergency personnel, limiting access to supportive programming that can reduce isolation, improve coping skills, and strengthen community well-being. Operational bottlenecks can also reduce responsiveness to inquiries and referrals, leading to missed opportunities for early intervention and reduced program reach.

4. PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Overall Goal: Increase Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Center Inc. program capacity and community reach to expand equine therapy services, with an emphasis on welcoming veterans and emergency personnel while continuing to support individuals with disabilities and related needs.

Specific Objectives (SMART; dates and numeric targets can be finalized by the applicant based on current enrollment and staffing): Objective 1: Within 60 days of award, Quarter Moon Acres will purchase and implement a new computer and printer system to improve administrative efficiency, client communication, and program documentation reliability.

Objective 2: Within 6 months of award, Quarter Moon Acres will execute at least two outreach cycles using newsletters and targeted mailings to expand awareness among veterans, emergency personnel, and referral sources.

Objective 3: Within 12 months of award, Quarter Moon Acres will increase inquiries and referrals attributable to outreach efforts and convert a defined portion of those inquiries into scheduled intakes/initial sessions, supporting measurable enrollment growth for the expanded target population.

5. PROJECT DESCRIPTION / PROGRAM NARRATIVE

Project Overview: Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Center Inc. operates an equine therapy program designed to connect people with horses in a therapeutic environment. The organization describes its program as Christ-centered and rooted in a mission of empowerment, helping individuals turn disabilities into abilities and supporting people navigating anxiety, trauma, and emotional struggles. The proposed project is not a reinvention of services; it is a practical capacity investment that enables the program to scale outreach and manage growth responsibly.

Approach / Strategy: Equine-assisted services are often effective because horses provide immediate, nonjudgmental feedback and require participants to practice calmness, focus, boundaries, and communication in real time. For clients affected by trauma and chronic stress, the structured nature of the barn environment and the presence of a large, sensitive animal can create opportunities to practice self-regulation, trust-building, and confidence. The applicant also emphasizes community transformation outcomes, noting that several riders have become employed in the county as a direct result of participation, which supports the case that the program can contribute to functional, real-world improvements beyond the riding session itself.

Key Activities: - Administrative modernization: obtain a reliable computer and printer to support scheduling, printing of program materials, intake documents, communications, and recordkeeping. - Outreach and awareness-building: develop and distribute newsletters, maintain consistent advertising, and use postage-supported mailings to reach veterans, emergency personnel, and community referral sources. - Ongoing operational support: maintain supplies (paper, ink, office supplies) necessary to keep communications and reporting consistent throughout the project period.

Innovation / Best Practices Used: The model leverages a widely used best practice in community-based care: lowering barriers to engagement through non-stigmatizing, relationship-centered, experiential supports. Equine-assisted approaches are frequently used as complementary services to improve engagement, promote emotional regulation, and build confidence, especially for participants who may not respond well to purely office-based interventions.

Alignment with Grant Priorities: This project aligns strongly with common public grant priorities such as improving community mental health access, supporting veterans and first responders, strengthening local workforce participation, expanding community-based services in underserved areas, and building organizational capacity through technology and outreach infrastructure.

6. METHODS / WORK PLAN

Implementation Steps:

Phase 1 - Setup Acquire and install a new computer and printer suitable for administrative needs, reporting, and outreach production. Establish a standardized outreach calendar and update contact lists for potential clients, referral partners, and community stakeholders.

Phase 2 - Execution Create, print, and distribute newsletters and targeted mailings. Conduct advertising activities aligned with the expansion goal for veterans and emergency personnel. Use improved office capacity to respond to inquiries, schedule sessions, and maintain consistent communication.

Phase 3 - Delivery Enroll additional participants, including targeted veteran and emergency personnel cohorts, and continue ongoing service delivery supported by improved infrastructure.

Timeline: A practical timeline is a 12-month period to allow procurement, setup, multiple outreach cycles, and sufficient time for referral conversion and enrollment growth.

7. TARGET POPULATION / BENEFICIARIES

Who Will Be Served: Individuals seeking therapeutic benefit through equine-assisted services, including people with disabilities and those experiencing anxiety, trauma, and emotional challenges. The expansion focus includes veterans and emergency personnel who may benefit from a supportive, experiential approach that reduces stigma and improves engagement.

Recruitment / Access Method: Outreach and advertising will be conducted through newsletters, mailings, and community awareness efforts. The organization anticipates growth through referrals and partnerships with healthcare providers and schools, which is consistent with how many equine therapy programs sustain enrollment and ensure appropriate participant fit.

8. PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATION

The application indicates an intent to build partnerships with healthcare providers and schools to reach different market segments and strengthen referral pathways. These relationships are central to underwriting the growth plan because they improve program credibility, client fit, and continuity of care while creating steady enrollment channels.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

Organization Mission: Quarter Moon Acres describes itself as a Christ-centered facility connecting people with horses in a therapeutic environment to empower individuals and help transform disabilities into abilities while supporting healing from anxiety, trauma, and emotional struggles.

Relevant Experience: The organization reports meaningful participant outcomes, including riders who have secured employment in the county as a direct result of the therapy program. This indicates practical, functional impact and suggests the organization can support skill development, confidence-building, and community reintegration outcomes.

Systems & Infrastructure: The funding request is explicitly designed to strengthen infrastructure. A new computer and printer, combined with supplies and outreach materials, will improve administrative reliability, communications quality, and the ability to manage program growth and reporting requirements typically expected in government-funded projects.

11. EVALUATION PLAN

Success Measures: Key measures can include number of outreach pieces distributed, number of inquiries received, number of new intakes scheduled, enrollment growth (including veterans and emergency personnel), participant retention, and participant-reported outcomes related to confidence, emotional regulation, and functional goals. Employment-related outcomes, where appropriate and ethically tracked, can be reported as longer-term community impact indicators.

Data Collection Methods: Program tracking logs for outreach distribution and inquiries, basic enrollment and attendance records, and periodic participant surveys or feedback forms to capture satisfaction and self-reported progress. If the program coordinates with referral sources, referral tracking can also be used to measure partnership effectiveness.

Reporting Frequency: Monthly internal reviews for outreach and enrollment metrics, with quarterly summaries suitable for grant reporting.

12. BUDGET SUMMARY

Requested budget categories include equipment (computer and printer), advertising and outreach (newsletter production and postage), and operating supplies (office supplies, printer ink, and paper). These are direct, reasonable, and tightly aligned to the stated purpose of building administrative and outreach capacity to support program expansion.

13. BUDGET JUSTIFICATION (NARRATIVE)

Equipment: A new computer and printer are necessary to run day-to-day program operations, including client scheduling, communications, document preparation, printing of program materials, and producing outreach items. Reliable technology reduces administrative delays, improves professionalism, and supports consistent recordkeeping, all of which are critical for scaling services and meeting grant accountability expectations.

Supplies: Printer ink, paper, and office supplies are essential consumables that directly support both internal administration and external communications. Without these items, outreach campaigns and routine program documentation become inconsistent, which can hinder enrollment growth and partner engagement.

Advertising and Outreach: Newsletter and postage expenses are justified as direct client acquisition and community awareness tools, particularly important when expanding into veteran and emergency personnel segments that may not be reached through typical channels. Consistent communications also support referral development with providers and schools and keep stakeholders informed about services, schedules, and enrollment opportunities.

14. SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

Post-Grant Funding Strategy: The project is structured as a capacity investment that continues to deliver value after the grant period ends. Once the computer and printer are purchased, the organization retains ongoing administrative capability, reducing future friction in outreach and operations. Continued program sustainability can be supported through diversified revenue streams commonly used by equine therapy providers, including program fees where appropriate, donations, fundraising, sponsorships, and referral-based growth through relationships with schools and healthcare providers.

Revenue or Cost Recovery: As outreach improves and enrollment expands, program revenue and donor engagement opportunities typically increase. In addition, stronger communications (newsletters and mailings) can support donor cultivation and community fundraising, which can offset ongoing consumable supply costs over time.

Institutional Adoption: Administrative systems and outreach routines developed under this project (templates, distribution lists, outreach calendars, intake workflows) become part of standard operations, improving long-term efficiency and consistency.

15. RISK MANAGEMENT

Key Risks: Common risks for program expansion include inconsistent referral flow, limited community awareness of services, administrative bottlenecks that slow response times, and competition from other providers.

Mitigation Strategies: This project directly mitigates those risks by strengthening administrative infrastructure and creating consistent, planned outreach. Competition is addressed through clear differentiation of mission and program environment, with Quarter Moon Acres emphasizing a faith-informed, empowerment-focused approach. The organization also identifies competitors in the region (River Valley Rivers and Limitless Riders), which supports a realistic market view; a sustained communications plan and referral partnerships with providers and schools can help the program remain visible and trusted in a competitive landscape.

• General Information

  Business Registration Number: Quarter Moon Acres Equine Therapy Center Inc

  Location: Amery, WI, United States

  Length of Operation: 11plus

  Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees

  Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k

  Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k

  Open to Loans: NO

• Funding Usage

  New computer/printer for business, as well as advertising expenses - sending out newsletter and postage. Office supplies, ink for printer and paper

• Business Plan

  Quarter Moon Acres desire to expand their therapy program to include veterans and other emergency personnel. Investors should consider investing in an equine therapy center due to the following reasons: Growing Demand: Unfortunately, the equine therapy market is experiencing steady growth, with increasing numbers of individuals seeking horse-assisted therapy for mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Community Impact: The therapeutic benefits of equine therapy can lead to life transformations for clients, contributing to their overall well-being. Quarter Moon Acres has several of their riders who are now employed in our county as a direct result of our therapy program. Investors can expect to see substantial returns on their investment, especially when they tap into different market segments and establish partnerships with healthcare providers and schools. 2 Sources

• Self Identified Competition

  River Valley Rivers Limitless Riders Quarter Moon Acres is a Christ-centered facility that connects people with horses in a therapeutic environment empowering individuals to turn disabilities into abilities. God has not only opened doors for QMA but has knocked down walls to assist the therapy center to operate. We wake up every morning knowing we have the power to transform a person's anxiety, trauma and emotional struggles into healing, connection and profound inner peace.

• Contact Applicant

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