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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 by United Voices for CASA Children to the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation in the amount of $75,000 for their Voices for CASA Children Community Awareness Campaign 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 Voices for CASA Children application to Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation for Proposition 202 funding. If awarded, the grant will provide $75,000 in funding for their Voices for CASA Children Community Awareness Campaign. 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 Voices for CASA Children is a 501(c)(3) organization that brings a voice to Arizona’s children by promoting and supporting volunteer advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect, and public awareness of the importance of safe and permanent homes for all children. The Voices for CASA Children Community Awareness Campaign is a community storytelling and broadcast awareness initiative designed to increase public understanding of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program and the critical role CASA volunteers play in the lives of children living in foster care. The campaign will include sponsored broadcast segments, community storytelling pieces featuring CASA volunteers and the children they serve, and media partnerships that highlight CASA advocacy across the greater Mesa and Maricopa County communities. The CASA program serves children in the Maricopa County juvenile court system, many of whom reside in or near the City of Mesa. This awareness campaign will directly reach Mesa residents through broadcast and media channels, increasing community engagement with the CASA program and strengthening volunteer recruitment efforts. It is estimated that the campaign will reach an estimated 100,000 Mesa residents. 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 from Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. 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.