Council Report

City Council Report 
 
Date:   
April 20, 2026 
To:  
 
City Council 
Through:  
Miranda DeWitt, Government Relations Director 
From:  
Sharon Skinner, Grants Coordinator 
Subject:  
Resolution of support for the submittal of a grant application United 
National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc., to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in the amount 
of $50,000.00 for their UNITY College Student Workforce Development 
Program and approving the City Manager to accept and administer 
subsequent awarded funds as a pass-thru grant. 
 
Purpose and Recommendation 
 
This request is seeking a City Council resolution of support for United National Indian 
Tribal Youth, Inc., application to Pascua Yaqui Tribe for Proposition 202 funding. If 
awarded, the grant will provide $50,000.00 in funding for their UNITY College Student 
Workforce Development Program. A Council Resolution supports this effort to secure a 
grant and commits the city to receive it on behalf of the non-profit and pass it through in 
its entirety to them if awarded.  As these programs serve the needs of City of Mesa 
residents, staff recommendation is for Council to adopt this resolution. 
 
Background 
 
UNITY, a 50-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Mesa, is responsible for 
designing, organizing, and hosting the trainings, which is open to all Native American 
youth ages 14 to 24.  
 
Through this internship program, students will obtain practical experience working with a 
Mesa-based non-profit organization that focuses on youth leadership development, 
specifically working with UNITY’s youth council network. This project will support a 
program that functions as a workforce development pipeline for Arizona Native youth.  
 
This project will directly benefit the Mesa community by creating a pathway for Native 
youth to gain practical, workforce-ready skills in a mission-driven environment, with a 
focus on leadership development and public engagement. Mesa-area college students 
will be invited to apply for the internships, preparing them for careers in nonprofit 
management, public service, and other industries.

Discussion 
 
A resolution of support for this grant request will complete the necessary documentation 
for the organization to file their application by the funder’s deadline and be considered 
for funding. Mesa’s participation in Proposition 202 Indian Gaming Grants has returned 
over $1 billion to Arizona communities since its passage in 2002 from four surrounding 
tribal governments.  
  
Alternatives 
 
The only alternative to adopting this resolution would be to not adopt. Such an action 
would deny Mesa sponsorship for this request and require the organization to seek an 
alternate local government for access to this funding source.  
 
Fiscal Impact 
 
The fiscal impact on the City of Mesa, should this grant be awarded, will be negligible 
except overhead expenses in accounting to accept and reissue the grant check. The 
City does not administer the grant and signs an MOU or IGA with each tribe to limit our 
liability to only the pass-through transaction.