For Ventura County nonprofits
Trained Cal Lutheran student employees complete one short, clearly scoped project for your organization — research, analysis, documentation, or professional writing — in 15–40 hours over two to four weeks. It costs your organization nothing, and every project ends with the finished deliverable plus a plain-language handoff note so your staff can run the work again.
The form takes about 10 minutes, and nothing in it commits you to anything.
Projects
What did you not get to this year? What is written down nowhere? What do you redo from scratch every time? Each answer points toward one of six projects.
“We haven’t had time to research grants.”
20–30 hours
You get 5–10 verified funder profiles, a prioritized shortlist, and a deadline calendar. Research only: no grant writing or funder contact.
Done looks likeThe executive director can choose three funders to pursue this quarter without redoing the research.
“Onboarding is all in one person’s head.”
20–30 hours
You get a step-by-step procedure from first inquiry to first shift, with an intake checklist and email templates for your staff to send.
Done looks likeA new staff member could onboard a volunteer using only this document.
“We collected survey data and never analyzed it.”
25–40 hours
You get a cleaned dataset, a findings report that states its limits, and an Excel dashboard you can refresh. You send the data de-identified or aggregated.
Done looks likeLeadership can answer the question they commissioned and refresh the dashboard next quarter from a new export.
“Nobody writes the social posts until the day of.”
15–25 hours
You get a 30-day calendar with 20–30 drafted posts and a reusable monthly template. Your staff post.
Done looks likeStaff can schedule a month of posts without writing from scratch, and repeat next month from the template.
“Three pages on our website make me wince.”
20–30 hours
You get rewritten copy for 3–5 pages, with accessibility notes. Your staff publish.
Done looks likeStaff can paste the copy into the site with minor edits.
“The event is coming and nothing is written.”
15–25 hours
You get a run-of-show, 3–5 promotional pieces, and a day-of packet. Students do not attend or staff the event.
Done looks likeYou can run the event from the packet without asking the student anything.
These limits let a small team say yes without taking on a supervisor’s job. Students do not contact anyone outside your organization, and they will not:
Something else in mind? Ask. Anything outside these six projects needs the Program Director’s approval before we scope it.
About 10 minutes. We reply within three business days.
How it works
Use the 10-minute Host Interest Form (opens in a new tab) or email us. We reply within three business days.
We listen for a project that fits in 15–40 hours. Nothing is promised on the call.
After a 15-minute questionnaire, we write a two-page scope statement with the deliverables, the hours cap, the dates, and three acceptance criteria.
An officer of your organization signs the MOU with Cal Lutheran once; your contact confirms each scope by email. Then a kickoff, a midpoint, and a sign-off.
Two reviews before it reaches you, one included revision round, and one clarifying email within 30 days.
We take only the projects we can staff, fund, and review well, so we cannot promise an opening until we have confirmed the capacity for it. If the timing does not work for you, tell us anyway and we can agree a date to look again.
Meet Civic Launch
An earlier introduction to the idea behind Civic Launch. Where the two differ, this page is current, including that projects cost your organization nothing.
Civic Launch · Introduction · 1:28 · Captions are shown in the video
AI and your information
Approved AI tools may be used throughout, under our verification and data rules.
No AI-generated or AI-derived content in your deliverable, and none of your material in any AI tool. Students may still use approved tools for general research about your sector that is not about you, unless you tell us in writing not to. Opting out takes more hours and can make some projects too large for the hours cap; we will say so during scoping.
You set the rules; we write them into the scope statement word for word.
Questions
Two documents: a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cal Lutheran, signed once by an officer of your organization, and a two-page scope statement for each project, which your contact confirms by email. Either side can end the MOU on ten business days’ notice.
Two reviews come first, and one revision round is included. You have five business days after delivery to accept or say what is missing; if we hear nothing, one reminder sets a final date, and silence past it counts as acceptance.
Cal Lutheran owns the deliverable; you get a permanent, royalty-free license to use, copy, adapt, and share it for your organization’s purposes, handoff note included. Your own materials stay yours.
Not by default: the program is remote-only. A visit by exception must be written into the scope statement first and needs specific insurance endorsements from you.
Yes, as project contacts who answer questions, share background, and give real feedback on drafts. They cannot supervise, assign tasks, set hours, or add a student to your Slack or Teams; direction goes through the Program Director.
No, your EIN is enough. We confirm that you are a nonprofit in good standing and current with, or exempt from, the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers.
Yes. You do not need our consent or need to wait for the project to end. If the role overlaps an active project, tell the Program Director.
Start with the 10-minute form. We reply within three business days to set up a 30-minute call.