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When Deborah Wilson of Upper Marlboro began her nonprofit Breast Health Inc. in January 2009 to offer food and transport services for breast cancer patients, the 10-year cancer survivor knew she would have to start small to support her big dreams.

Wilson's friend, Maggie Holmes, president of Human Services Coalition of Prince George's County, an independent support group offering technical assistance for the county's nonprofits, suggested she join the coalition to help expand her two-person operation.

"I'm trying to do it right the first time," Wilson said.

Now Wilson and leaders from more than 50 nonprofits hope to earn federal grant money via the Human Services Coalition to expand their organizations' reach across the county.

The Human Services Coalition will use $200,000 of a $500,000 Compassion Capital Fund grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in November 2009 to give money to selected county nonprofits in its Nonprofit Incubator Program.

The remaining $300,000 will go to the Human Services Coalition for staff support and so it can continue providing classes, said Denise Harris, the Nonprofit Incubator Program project director, following a Feb. 24 information session in Landover attended by representatives of approximately 50 nonprofits.

Based on submitted applications due at 5 p.m. Monday, the Human Services Coalition will pick 25 nonprofits to be a part of the Nonprofit Incubator Program, which offers free classes on topics such as grant writing, financial management and building a board of directors. There are currently nine nonprofits in the Nonprofit Incubator Program already that may also apply for grant money, Harris said.

About 12 or 13 will be selected to receive either $10,000 or $20,000 in grant money depending on their years of providing service and budget size, Harris said.

All 25 nonprofits learn in April if they will receive both the training and grant money or only training. Training classes are still free without grant money, and the technical assistance the HSC provides would alone be worth $3,000, Harris said.

"Our vision for these nonprofits is for them to develop their leadership skills to be more effective at advocacy, deliver to more families and deliver social services more effectively," Holmes said.

Groups will be judged on whether an efficient financial-management system is in place and a yearly budget has been ratified and board-approved, Harris said. If picked, a nonprofit must send at least three members to training sessions on topics such as fundraising and board member recruitment, Harris said.

"You have to have certain things in place," Harris said. "It's not just about the money. It's about being engaged in the process."

There are between 100 and 120 nonprofits that are a part of the Human Services Coalition of Prince George's County, Harris said. The bulk of them provide services to families and children such as counseling, clothing, housing and social services, Holmes said.

The federal government will typically give priority to groups that work with at-risk youth, the unemployed, the homeless and low-income elderly residents, Harris said.

Holmes hopes to have 30 to 40 nonprofits in the incubator program by the end of 2010.

Debra Pierce, executive director of Trade Prep Inc., a Fort Washington-based work force youth development program, took Nonprofit Incubator Program classes in October 2009 before the grant component. The classes taught her to create a work plan to charts year-long goals and to clearly spell out her board members' duties.

If awarded grant money, Pierce said she would use it to purchase financial management software and for volunteer training.

"We need to provide more training across the board," Pierce said.

Wilson, the founder of Breast Health Inc., said she wants to be able to boost her staff numbers so that she can provide the support she got from loved ones during her cancer treatments, such as rides to and from appointments.

"A lot of people they're sitting there waiting for a taxi, for a bus," Wilson said. "I want to be able to provide those services."