Before Bourne Family Services was a funded operation with room to scale, it was a labor of love — the kind of grassroots organization held together by commitment, compassion, and a vision for change. For years, founder Tim Tucker poured everything into his mission of supporting foster youth and disadvantaged young people. But like so many community-led organizations, Bourne Family Services was missing one major resource: real, accessible capital.

That changed when Tim partnered with NRDC-IE.

Tim had been searching for grants for years — and coming up short. Despite the critical need for his services and the strong community presence he had already built, the grant world felt closed off. Applications went unanswered. Promising leads turned cold. It was a constant uphill climb, with limited resources to invest in the kind of technical proposal writing that gets results.

That’s where NRDC-IE came in — not as a replacement for Tim’s experience, but as the accelerator for it.

With support from NRDC-IE’s team, tools, and e3p3 framework, Bourne Family Services was positioned to apply for and secure a $400,000 grant from the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) program, administered through the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). That win didn’t just mean program funding — it meant legitimacy, sustainability, and momentum.

“Before NRDC-IE, we spent years searching for grants unsuccessfully,” Tim said.

“It’s huge to have an opportunity to grow and become a bigger company through their support.”

That CalVIP grant was more than a check — it was a turning point. It allowed Tim to expand wraparound services for vulnerable youth, invest in housing solutions, and build out a workforce development pipeline that connects marginalized populations to meaningful employment. The funding enabled Tim to hire additional staff, refine service delivery, and meet his mission at scale — without compromising quality.

At NRDC-IE, this is the kind of outcome we live for. We didn’t create Bourne Family Services, but we helped amplify its voice in the funding space — making sure that when Tim stepped up to the table, he was backed by strategy, data, and a narrative that funders could get behind.

We helped bring structure to his story, clarity to his vision, and impact to the forefront. And as a result, Bourne Family Services didn’t just get funded — they got noticed.

That’s the NRDC-IE difference.

For us, success isn’t measured only in dollars — it’s measured in growth, in reach, and in the ability of our clients to keep showing up for the people who count on them. Tim Tucker’s journey is proof that the right partnership can unlock the kind of funding that changes lives, communities, and futures.