Ripple Grants Plus
Transforms nonprofits from scarcity-driven to stable, data-backed assets.
- $10k/mo Google Ad Grant
- Corporate Grant Accelerator
Operational Protocol
Supportive Service Arbitrage & Tenant Qualification
To achieve our mandated 5.3-year exit strategy, The Ripple Crowd operates a "Supportive Service Arbitrage" by aligning our steel prefab ADU inventory with the city’s recognized workforce pipelines. This strategy replaces standard market leasing with a compliance-heavy referral model that triggers an accelerated $15,000/year loan forgiveness.
01
The Referral Framework: "Pathway" Agencies
The Ripple Crowd formalizes partnerships through Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with specific agencies to ensure our units are classified as "Supportive Housing" from Day 1.
Charlotte Works (The Talent Pipeline)
As the Workforce Development Board for Mecklenburg County, Charlotte Works manages the NCWorks Career Centers and the Talent Source Network. We prioritize candidates enrolled in WIOA Title I programs or those who have completed "Working Smart" essential skills training. This ensures a tenant base with verifiable employment potential and soft-skills certification.
Roof Above (The Stability Pipeline)
We engage Roof Above as a Continuum of Care (CoC) partner to facilitate transitions for individuals moving into permanent stability. These referrals are high-impact for our social mission and provide the "Supportive Service" designation required for the forgiveness kicker.
02
The "Trigger Document" Protocol
To lock in the $15,000 annual write-down, we require a precise audit trail for the City’s annual recertification.
Referral Verification
We mandate that Charlotte Works or Roof Above provide a formal referral letter on organizational letterhead. This letter must explicitly state the tenant is an active client of their supportive service or case-managed program.
Voucher Integration
For tenants referred via Inlivian, the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) documentation serves as the primary trigger. The Ripple Crowd’s policy strictly prohibits denying tenancy based on voucher status, as this de-risks our cash flow through government-guaranteed payments while maximizing the grant forgiveness rate.
03
Compliance & Underwriting Standards
Every prospective tenant sourced through these partnerships must adhere to the Queen City ADU Program’s financial "hard caps":
- Income Ceiling: Household income is verified at or below 80% AMI ($62,850 for a single person).
- Rent Ceiling: Total monthly rent is capped at the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a studio at 70% AMI, currently $1,099.
- Lease Stability: We require an initial 12-month lease to satisfy program requirements for long-term stability.
04
Investor Logic: The Velocity of Compliance
By utilizing these nonprofit referrals, we compress the amortization of the City's $80,000 lien by 33%.
| Asset Milestone | Standard Renter | Supportive Partner Referral |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Forgiveness | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Lien Clearance | 8 Years | ~5.33 Years |
| Equity Release | Year 9 | Year 6 |
Strategic Directive
All site managers are to initiate "Requisition Requests" with the Charlotte Works Talent Source Network 60 days prior to the Certificate of Occupancy on our steel prefab units. This ensures zero-day vacancy and the immediate activation of the accelerated forgiveness clock.