BENEVILLA - TOHONO OODHAM 2017.PDF

Created: 05/02/2017 • Last updated: 05/08/2017
General information
Organization Benevilla
Contact First name Sara
Contact Last name Villanueva
Contact e-mail svillanueva@benevilla.org
Contact phone number 623-584-4999
Address
Street 16752 N. Greasewood Street
City Surprise
State AZ
ZIP Code 85378
From what tribe is the Tohono O’odham Nation
organization requesting the
grant?
Total grant amount request 25,000
1 / 1

Department of the Treasury
Intfcrnitl Revenue Service
P.O. Box 2508 In reply refer tos 0248162350
Cincinnati OH ^5201 Feb» 17, 2016 LTR ^168C 0
86-0^04687 000000 00
00016566
BODC; TE
BENEVILLA
PO BOX 8450
SURPRISE AZ 8537^
029071
Employer ID Number; 86-040^687
Form.990 requiredt Yes
Dear Taxpayer!
This is in response to your request dated Feb 05^ 2016 s regarding
your tax-exempt status.
We issued you a determination letter In December 1981, recognizing
you as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)
(03) ,
Our records also indicate you're not a private foundation as defined
under IRC Section 509(a) because you"re described in IRC Sections
509Ca)(l) and 170(b)(D(A)(vl).
Donors can deduct contributions they make to you as provided In IRC
Section 170. You*re also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests^
legacies, devises, transfers, or gifts under IRC Sections 2055, 2106
and 2522.
In the heading of this letter^ we indicated whether you must file an
annual information return* If a return is required i you must file Form
990, 990-EZ, 990-N, or 990-PF by the 15th day of the fifth month after
the end of your annual aeco.unting period. ?RC Section 6Q33(j) provides
that, if you don't file a required annual information return or notice
for three consecutive years, your exempt status will be automatically
revoked on the filing due date of the third required return or notice<
For tax forms^ instructions, and publicationsj visit www.irs<gov or
call 1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676).
If you have questions, call 1-877-829-5500 between 8 a*m. and 5 p.m
local time, Monday through Friday CAlaska and Hawaii follow Pacific
Time) .

Proposal for the Tohono O’odham Nation
12% Gaming Distribution Program
Benevilla’s Request
Benevilla was founded by the community and strives to meet the community needs. We
saw an increasing need in the community to help advocate for children whose parents were
not able to care for them anymore. Benevilla launched our Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren in 2012. We have since expanded the program, now called our Kinship Care
Program, to include other relatives who are raising children (i.e. aunts/uncles, older
siblings). The primary building block of the program was (and continues to be) the
FACILITATED SUPPORT GROUPS for relatives who are now the primary caregiver to one
or more relatives who are minors. The Support Groups include:
• Advocacy training
• Peer and professional support
• Social and parental self-care opportunities
• Family events
• Educational presentations
• Information and referrals to other community services
Benevilla facilitates many support groups throughout the Northwest Valley for kinship
families. The groups, which meet a combined 14 times monthly, utilize a facilitated support
group model that integrates a parent education session into each group meeting to help the

Benevilla, page 2
relative advocate for the child and includes time to share personal stories, resource
knowledge and opportunities for socialization and group recreation. The support groups
address issues specific to kinship families and include topics that offer support to aid
caregivers in managing challenging behaviors. The participants are educated on how to
promote healthy child development, encourage language and literacy development,
cultivate positive parent-child bonding and relationships, and foster the social-emotional
well-being in the child. In addition, the support groups cover information about keeping
kids safe, finding resources needed to take care of their young relatives, advocating for
special needs education, handling issues related to custody, combatting social isolation,
setting boundaries, and having fun as a family. Support group attendees are kept abreast of
legislative issues such as stipends and learn from experts in the areas of behaviors
associated with adverse childhood experiences. In general, families are guided through the
intricacies of kinship caregiving. Grandparents, in particular, are at-risk due to the primary
caregiver’s age, income, health and housing situation.
With funding from the Tohono O’odham Nation, while the grandparents meet, their
grandchildren would participate in STRUCTURED CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES that mirror
the topics their grandparents are discussing in their group. Children would also receive a
book to take home each month that has a behavioral message. Benevilla also maintains a
resource library for the grandparents.
While the support groups were fully funded by First Things First (2012-15, in 2015 the
grant ended but we were able to keep the staff to continue to have the support groups
through our First Things First Family Resource Center), the support groups were required
to focus on children ages birth-5. The difficulties in raising relatives do not end at age 5,
however, in fact, many kinship caregivers start raising their grandchildren/nieces/
nephews/younger siblings after they reach the age of 5. Therefore, with additional funding
Benevilla would enlarge our program to encompass families with children and youth of all
ages.

Benevilla, page 3
Benevilla proposes to host a minimum of three FAMILY OUTINGS each year for the
families who attend the support groups. These outings will not only help strengthen the
family bond but they will also help reduce isolation (as other kinship families will be there)
and build a sense of normalcy in the participating children’s lives.
Since launching the program in 2012, Benevilla has assembled a talented and experienced
staff to develop and implement Kinship Care activities; acquired many community partners
for the program; and built the infrastructure to collect data, report and measure outcomes.
Through the support groups we have expanded kinship caregivers’ parenting knowledge,
increased their awareness of community resources, offered emotional support,
socialization, fellowship and understanding; and introduced them to experts in fields
related to their circumstances who are able to address their concerns and issues.
A. Community Need Being Addressed
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, nearly 1.6 million children in the United States are being
raised by their grandparents. When also considering all kinship families, more than 2.3
million U.S. children were living with relatives other than their parents at the last census.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Study estimates that 73,000 (or 4.5% of)
children in Arizona are being raised by their grandparent(s). According to the Children’s
Action Alliance, 6 out of 10 grandparent head of households are women, 1 in 4
grandchildren raised by their grandparents has a disability, and more than 1 in 4 families
with a grandparent raising a grandchild live in poverty. According to the State Child
Welfare Policy Database, 45% of Arizona children adopted from foster care are adopted by
a relative.
The majority of children being raised by a relative have experienced trauma in their lives
(i.e. parent serving overseas, death or incarceration of a parent, abuse, neglect). These
traumas often lead to behavior problems or developmental delays for the children, which
makes parental education for grandparents imperative. Studies show that children in the
foster care system that are placed with family members have less behavioral problems in
school and a lower incarceration rate. Yet, Benevilla is the only organization offering
support groups for kinship families in the Northwest Valley.
B. Target Population
Our target population are grandparents and other kinship caregivers in the West Valley
who are raising one or more of their relatives who are minor children and youth. The cities
we offer our support groups include El Mirage, Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise. Currently
we have 150 kinship caregivers who participate in our Kinship Care programming. With an
increase in marketing of our programs, we aim to serve 200 kinship caregivers in the
coming year.

Benevilla, page 4
C. Program Budget
Tohono O’odham
Other Funds Total Funds
Nation Funds
Kinship Support Group $15,000 $22,648 $37,648
Facilitator
Support Group supplies and $2,000 $1,000 $3,000
refreshments
Respite for Children (while $3,000 $0 $3,000
grandparents/kinship are
at support groups)
Family/Caregiver Outings $4,000 $0 $4,000
GRG Advertising/Marketing $1,000 $500 $1,500
TOTAL $25,000 $24,148 $49,148
D. Other Funding Requests
Benevilla has a pending application with First Things First for our Family Resource Center.
A portion of those grant funds will support our Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
programming.
E. Previous Tohono O’odham Nation or Arizona Tribe Support
Benevilla received a $20,000 grant from the Tohono O’odham Nation in 2012 to support
the purchase of a vehicle used to transport clients to life enrichment programs. We have
received no other 12% funding from Arizona tribes.
F. Designated Contact Person and Alternate Contact Person
Primary: Joanne Thomson Alternate: Sara Villanueva
President & CEO Vice President of Development
16752 N. Greasewood St. 16752 N. Greasewood St.
Surprise, AZ 85378 Surprise, AZ 85378
jthomson@benevilla.org svillanueva@benevilla.org
Tel: 623-584-4999 Tel: 623-584-4999
Fax: 623-546-1589 Fax: 623-546-1589
G. Priority Area: Child Advocacy
H. Municipal Sponsor: Maricopa County