Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing opportunities and empowerment for the state’s foster youth, is thrilled to announce the receipt of a $25k two-year investment from Thunderbirds Charities in December 2024. This latest engagement between the two nonprofit organizations will fund AFFCF’s Keys to Success program, which addresses the challenges of affordable housing, rising living costs and barriers to higher education and employment for youth aged 16-26.

“This funding so generously provided by Thunderbirds Charities will be instrumental in building the futures of so many current and former foster youth,” said Luis De La Cruz, president and CEO of AFFCF. “We are grateful for the ability to continue uplifting youth and meeting them where they are during their journey through young adulthood.”

Keys to Success program participants receive support in career exploration, education, financial literacy and housing, as well as personalized guidance through individualized service plans that address transportation, interview preparation and technological access. The majority of funding from Thunderbirds Charities will be used to support direct assistance services to Keys to Success program participants pursuing secondary education.

During 2024, AFFCF granted a total of 8,113 funding requests for foster youth across all of its programs, and served 3,704 unique clients across its three main impact areas. 473 youth were served by Keys to Success, 118 were served through its scholarship programming, and 153 youth benefitted from AFFCF’s Focus Forward Fund.

Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation

This grant is part of the Fall 2024 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.