Brandon - Post-Secondary Scholarships
As a youth in foster care living in a group home, Brandon knew that it’s extremely uncommon for a kid from a group home to do well in school, much less graduate. He focused his energy into his education knowing that attending college would improve his life and allow him to pursue his passion to help others.
Brandon has overcome multiple barriers to become a successful Arizona State University student, even making the Dean’s List!
“I don’t have a family to help me with college. Without your contribution, I wouldn’t be able to go to college and realize my dreams.”
For a youth in foster care, getting to college is a significant step. Finishing their degree is much harder with all the twists and turns life throws. Donating to AFFCF allows young scholars from foster care to focus on their education so they complete their degree and create successful futures for themselves.
Will and John - Childhood Activities
As big believers in keeping kids active, Will and John’s foster (now adoptive) parents wanted them to have the same childhood experiences that other children their ages have. They wanted the boys to be able to play a sport, and for their safety, learn how to swim.
At just $19 a day per child, the state’s daily reimbursement rate barely covers the basics – food, shelter and clothing. So Will and John’s parents turned to Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation to help offset the costs of these extra activities.
AFFCF paid for swim lessons and soccer registration for both boys to keep them safe around water and to have a physical outlet for their boundless energy.
Now 10, Will eats, sleeps and breathes soccer! He even brags about starting to play when he was only two years old. With funding from AFFCF, Will has been able to go from the Little Kickers Soccer program to playing club soccer for the past four years.
Like his foster (now adoptive brother), John loves playing soccer and learning to swim. All week long he asks his mom which days he has practices and games. Then he waits by the door because he’s so excited to go.
Donating to AFFCF gives kids in foster care, like Will and John, the opportunity to enjoy the same normal, everyday activities that every other kid has. You are giving the gift of childhood, something every child deserves.
Tysheria - Keys to Success
Tysheria enrolled in AFFCF’s Keys to Success program in 2018 when she was 16 years old. At the time, she didn’t see any kind of future for herself.
Today, she is an independent young adult and loving mother. She currently works as a certified nursing assistant, sometimes working two jobs to support herself and her young son. She has plans to return to school to complete her registered nursing degree.
Tysheria’s favorite part of the KTS program is being around an adult who cares and wants the best for me.
“This program is life-changing not just because of the resources they offer, but also the time, the energy and the motivation they give to us kids in foster care.”
Your donation to AFFCF equips young men and women with the training and life skills to help them navigate the transition from foster care to adulthood and achieve personal and financial independence.
YOU + AFFCF = WIN-WIN FOR YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE!
Thank you for helping the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation transform the lives of children and youth in foster care. Caring people like YOU make it possible for AFFCF to give children and youth in care the same opportunities that their non-foster care peers have. From paying for childhood activities to providing career, education and workforce development services to funding scholarships, we are creating better futures for kids in care right here in Arizona every day.
Whether you choose to make a one-time gift or a recurring donation, your support means everything to a young person in foster care. You can also receive credit for your donation through the Arizona Foster Care Tax Credit, up to $1,173 for couples and $587 for individuals. It’s easy…if you owe on your Arizona state taxes and you donate to AFFCF, it reduces your tax liability. Don’t owe? You’ll receive a dollar-for-dollar refund, up to the maximum amount allowed.*
For those who prefer to mail in a tax credit donation, you can 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.
You can also make your foster care tax credit donation by phone at 602.252.9445.
*Please consult your tax advisor for complete details on the Foster Care Tax Credit. AFFCF’s tax ID is 86-0468850 and our Qualifying Foster Care Organization (QFCO) ID is 10023.
AFFCF HAS A 4-STAR CHARITY RATING
Our 4-star charity rating means AFFCF is accountable, transparent and financially healthy. And that means you can feel good about selecting our organization for your foster care tax credit donation.
EXCELLENCE IN GIVING TRANSPARENCY
AFFCF has earned the Excellence in Giving Transparency Certificate, by submitting 175 strategy, leadership, financial and impact data to Nonprofit Analytics. You can leare more about our cost-effectiveness here.
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 (#JX242) 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.
DID YOU KNOW?
Of every dollar donated to AFFCF:
- 85% goes to programs
- 15% goes to administration and fundraising
We are committed to being good stewards of the funds we receive and ensuring our goal to reach every child in Arizona’s foster care.
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 $1,173 for joint filers and up to $587 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.