Back to School
Sometimes the difference between a good school year and a not-so good school year lies in the little things. Especially for kids in foster care.
I need assistance
I Want to Help
AFFCF Funds School Supplies
Backpack giveaways only happen right before the start of the school year. But the truth is kids enter into foster care year round. They may not have even had adequate school supplies in the first place or those items were the last thing on a youth’s mind as they were being removed from all they know.
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation wants all children and youth in care to have the tools necessary to succeed in their education, regardless of when they entered into foster care. For that reason, our guidelines allow AFFCF to fund school supplies. So if you missed any of the local backpack drives or your child came into your care in the middle of the school year, we can help. The maximum we can consider funding for school supplies is $50 per child once per year and excludes office items such as printer ink and file folders.
To receive funding, you simply need to submit a funding request. Use the button below to go to our online application portal. If you’ve never requested funding from AFFCF before, you’ll need to create a AFFCF account. When you login, follow the prompts to set up your request and then submit your funding request. Need help? Give us a call at 602.252.9445!
Other Education-Related Awards
Books
The maximum AFFCF can consider funding for books is $50 per child per year.
Field Trips
The maximum AFFCF can consider funding for a school field trip is $450.
School Program Fees (K-12)
AFFCF can consider funding trade/vocational program fees for youth who are in grades K-12. The maximum time AFFCF can consider funding school program fees is for an academic year, so a new application must be submitted for each academic year. If it is a two-year program, progress reports or grades also need to be provided to receive additional assistance.
School Pictures
The maximum AFFCF can consider funding for school pictures is $50 per child per year or senior pictures for $200.
School Yearbooks
The maximum AFFCF can consider funding for a school yearbok is $75.
Tutoring
AFFCF can consider funding up to $400 per month for up to two hours per week of one-on-one tutoring.
Please review our complete funding guidelines with regard to frequency, required supporting documentation and payment method.
Give a Child in Foster Care A Good Start
Your donation to Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation can make the start of school less stressful for kids in foster care. Being able to pick their own backpacks and school supplies lets them be just like every other kid at school and not “that kid in foster care.” And when kids have what they need, they can focus on learning.
Give to AFFCF and get rewarded with the Arizona Foster Care Tax Credit. Your donation to AFFCF is eligible for a dollar-for-dollar credit on your Arizona state taxes, up to $1,051/couples and $526/individuals. Owe $300 in state taxes? Your maximum donation of $526 means you’ll be refunded $226. It’s a win-win. You win. Kids win.
AZ FOSTER CARE TAX CREDIT
Every dollar you donate to Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation will be reimbursed through the AZ Foster Care Tax Credit. It’s really simple – you get what you donate back. Here’s how it works:
1. Donate to AFFCF.
2. Get a code for your donation (QFCO ID #10023/Tax ID #86-0468850).
3. Give the code to your tax preparer.
4. Get reimbursed dollar-for-dollar when you file your state taxes (i.e. If you owe money it will be applied toward the tax liability. If you don’t owe state taxes, the same amount you donate to AFFCF will get refunded to you by the State of Arizona!)
Easy! You win. Kids win. The maximum you can donate and get a dolllar-for-dollar tax credit is $526 for individuals and $1,051 for couples.
THREE EASY WAYS TO GIVE
1. Online. Use the form to the left to make your gift.
2. Mail. If you prefer to mail your donation, download our Printable Donation Form here. Once you complete the form, mail it along with your donation to AFFCF, 360 E. Coronado Rd., Ste. 190, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
3. Phone. Give us a call at 602.693.1866 to make a donation over the phone.
MORE WAYS TO SUPPORT AFFCF
You can support Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation simply by shopping at Fry’s, with Fry’s Community Rewards! Sign up with your Fry’s VIP card and select the Arizona Friends of Children Foundation for your charity. Every time you shop and use your VIP card, you are giving children and youth in foster care the same opportunities that every other kid has.
Visit Enroll today and start shopping! Please note, you must re-enroll in the Community Rewards program each year after August 1.
Employee matching gift programs are corporate giving programs in which the company matches donations made by employees to eligible nonprofit organizations. Your company may match, fully or in part, your contributions, which means you can make an even greater impact for children and youth in foster care.
Check with your company’s human resources team to see if your company matches donations.
When you transfer stock to the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, you win, we win! You win because the tax deduction is the same size as a gift of cash (if you’ve owned the asset for more than a year) and you avoid paying capital gains tax. Young people in foster care win by being able to participate in activities that build their self-esteem, enrich their life experiences and ensure their successful transition to adulthood. It’s a win-win-win!
If you are 72 or older, you can avoid paying taxes on your required minimum distributions (RMD) from your IRA by sending them directly to the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Best of all, your gift will allow AFFCF to continue our mission of creating opportunities to build self-esttem and empower children and youth in foster care by funding services to enrich their life experiences and ensure their successful transition to adulthood. Learn more!
If you have a donor-advised fund through Schwab® Charitable or Fidelity® Charitable, you can recommend grants to the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation through the links below. More sponsoring charities may be added in the future, so please check back if your fund isn’t currently listed.
GIVING FAQs
How Does AFFCF Raise the Money to Pay for Awards?
AFFCF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. We receive no funding from federal or state government. Our funding depends entirely on generous individual, foundation and corporation donors.
Who Receives My Donation?
Your donation to AFFCF goes to provide an athletic, educational or social activity or an item to a child in foster care in Arizona that would not be paid for in any other way. AFFCF funds awards for such items and activities as apartment set ups for youth aging out of foster care, summer camp, class photos, gymnastics, karate, music or swimming lessons, prom expenses, school field trips, post-secondary scholarships and more.
Does My Donation Qualify for a Tax Credit?
Yes! AFFCF is a qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization. Arizona law allows you to claim a tax credit of up to $1,051 for joint filers and up to $526 for individual filers for voluntary contributions you make during any taxable year. For more information visit the Arizona Department of Revenue’s website at www.azdor.gov and/or consult your tax professional.
Are There Any Other Ways I Can Give to AFFCF?
You bet! There are many ways you can contribute. In fact, it can be easy as linking your Fry’s Community Rewards card, using your employer’s matching gift program, holding your own fundraiser, etc. Contact our outreach coordinator, Kim Searles, at ksearles@affcf.org to learn more.
How Many Children Does AFFCF Serve?
Since our beginning in 1984, AFFCF has paid more than $1,650,000 in awards serving more than 80,000 children and youth in Arizona.
What Is the AFFCF Funding Process?
You simply need to complete our application. Along with the application, we require documentation from the vendor/provider (a flyer, a screenshot of a website, an email from the vendor/provider, etc.) that shows the cost of the activity/service. Our application also requires the contact information for the child’s DCS/tribal caseworker as we do verify that the child is a ward of the state of Arizona. For tutoring assistance requests, we do ask for additional documentation. Please see our award guidelines for more details.
If your request falls within our guidelines, it will be approved once we have received documentation and a response from the caseworker. PLEASE NOTE THAT AFFCF CANNOT CONSIDER FUNDING ANYTHING THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PAID FOR PRIOR TO RECEIVING APPROVAL FOR THAT SPECIFIC REQUEST.
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation
_____________________________________
Address: 360 E Coronado Rd Suite 190, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Phone: 602.693.1866
Email: grants@affcf.org