The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office provides grant funding to non-profit organizations in Maricopa County that: assist victims of criminal racketeering offenses listed in A.R.S. § 13-2301 (D)(4); prevent substance abuse or gang activity in the community; educate the community on substance abuse or gang activity; provide drug abuse treatment, drug and crime prevention education, housing and job skills programs; or provide the training of officers, investigators, prosecutors, and law enforcement support personnel in any area that is necessary to perform official law enforcement duties. The MCAO funds these community programs using funds recovered from criminals or criminal activity under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) by our Asset Recovery Bureau.

2022

For the 2022 Grant Cycle, MCAO awarded community grants to the following seven local non-profit organizations: 

Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation

Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation has been ‘funding fun’ for children in foster care since 1984. Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation creates opportunities to build self-esteem and empower children and youth in foster care by funding services to enrich their life experiences and ensure their successful transition to adulthood.

Child Crisis Arizona

Child Crisis Arizona has been helping our community’s most vulnerable children, youth and families for nearly five decades. In times of crisis, we are there to help. When no crisis threatens, we are there to strengthen families, build resiliency and prevent crisis situations. Child Crisis Arizona’s mission is to provide children and youth in Arizona a safe environment, free from abuse and neglect, by creating strong and successful families. 

Gabriel's Angels

Founded in 2000 by Pam Gaber and Weimaraner, Gabriel’s Angels mission is to inspire confidence, compassion, and best behaviors in at-risk children through pet therapy. Pet Therapy Teams visits children in crisis nurseries, domestic violence and homeless shelters, and title one schools to enhance their emotional and behavioral development by teaching core behaviors – confidence, self-regulation, affiliation, empathy, tolerance, and respect.

ICAN Afterschool Programs & Youth Development

ICAN is a free, family-centered youth service in the East Valley providing a full complement of programs proven effective in equipping youth to achieve personal and academic success by tackling substance abuse, gang involvement, and juvenile delinquency. ICAN goes beyond being just an after-school program for at-risk youth. The program helps youth develop the critical skills needed to be productive and responsible members of the community. 

New Pathways for Youth

In the communities we serve, youth experience poverty and four times the adversity of their peers. Beyond material insecurities, these challenges interrupt a youth's sense of their potential, disconnecting them from what's true: that each of us has immeasurable, inherent value - and the future holds unlimited possibilities. When our youth experience the support and personal development that our program offers, they feel unstoppable – and that spirit extends beyond the self to impact their family, community, and the world around them.

Peer Solutions

Peer Solutions focuses on preventing the root causes of harm through youth-led, community-driven solutions. Their programs deliver a year-round substance abuse and drug prevention workshops at high schools through-out Maricopa County. 

Save the Family Foundation of Arizona

Save the Family Foundation of Arizona offers a variety of programs designed to empower families to conquer homelessness and achieve life-long independence. Early on, Save the Family recognized that families need more than safe housing to conquer homelessness. They also need skills and confidence to lead productive, self-sufficient lives. Save the Family offers an array of programs for adults, youth and children including a comprehensive afterschool and summer program which utilizes a substance abuse and violence prevention curriculum.

2021

For the July 2021 grant cycle, MCAO received 31 applications from organizations throughout the valley. Due to the limited amount of funding available, a total of $106,500 was awarded to the following 13 local non-profit organizations.

AZ Common Ground

AZ Common Ground is a re-entry program whose mission is to support, advocate and mentor previously incarcerated youth and adults to become leaders within Maricopa County. The program offers evidence-based prison reentry services that alter lives in a productive and meaningful way and reduce victimization throughout Maricopa County. Started 2011, the program has successfully graduated 681 students. AZ common ground receives over 120 news contacts per month.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of AZ

For more than 60 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, professionally supported matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in Maricopa County and helps develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.

Black Family and Child Services (BFCS)

BFCS is a community-based social service agency in metropolitan Phoenix. Serving children and families of all ethnic backgrounds. Our program Enabling Youth to Thrive helps at-risk students in the Roosevelt School District. 

Elevate Phoenix

Elevate Phoenix develops stable, consistent relationships with urban students by providing full-time Teacher-Mentors to create structure and accountability for transformation. Accredited classes are taught in and approved by the Phoenix Union High School District. Programming is provided free of charge to schools in Phoenix.

Gabriel's Angels

Gabriel’s Angels’ mission is to inspire confidence, compassion, and best behaviors in at-risk children through pet therapy. The Pet Therapy Teams visit crisis nurseries, domestic violence and homeless shelters, and Title one schools all in an effort to intervene in children’s lives and enhance their emotional and behavioral development by teaching core behaviors – attachment, confidence, self-regulation, affiliation, empathy, tolerance, and respect.

ICAN

ICAN is a free, family-centered youth service in the East Valley providing a full complement of programs proven effective in equipping at-risk youth to achieve personal and academic success by tackling substance abuse, gang involvement and juvenile delinquency. The after-school program helps youth develop the critical skills they need to be productive and responsible members of their community.

MADD

The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking. The Underage Drinking and Drug Use Prevention Campaign highlights the dangers of underage substance use and teaches strategies to avoid drug and alcohol use.

New Pathways for Youth:

New Pathways for Youth is a holistic development program and 1:1 mentoring within community groups, we guide our youth as they discover renewed outlooks on life and realize unwritten possibilities for their futures. Through Workforce Development and College and Career Planning programs we seek to interrupt destructive behaviors and provide life skills necessary to keeps kids on track in school.

notMYKid

notMYkid  provides children and families with truly lifesaving programs, support, resources, and education. Our mission for the past two decades has been to empower and educate youth, families, and communities with the knowledge of healthy coping skills and courage to identify and prevent negative youth behavior.

Peer Solutions

Peer Solutions focuses on preventing the root causes of harm through youth-led, community-driven solutions. Their programs deliver a year round substance abuse and drug prevention workshops at high schools through-out Maricopa County.

Resilient Me

As the only research-based and trauma-informed resilience organization in Arizona, Resilient Me uses transformative programming to give youth in foster care the life skills to over-come trauma and become triumphant adults. Through  evidence-based interactive workshops that utilize skills building exercises Resilient Me helps youth develop resiliency.

Save the Family

Save the Family Foundation of Arizona offers a variety of programs designed to empower families to conquer homelessness and achieve life-long independence. Early on, Save the Family recognized that families need more than safe housing to conquer homelessness. They also need skills and confidence to lead productive, self-sufficient lives. Today Save the Family offers an array of programs for adults, youth and children including a  comprehensive afterschool and summer program which utilizes a substance abuse and violence prevention curriculum.

The Zion Institute

The Zion Institute, with our network of service partners, provides resources to individuals and organizations, designed to stimulate economic growth, revitalize neighborhoods, and strengthen social bonds among people. We provide support and resources for the development of individuals, working to break the cycles of generational poverty and foster an improved quality of life. Our Focus on the Future Initiative supports South Phoenix’s at-risk youth by using evidentiary approaches to change their all-too-likely trajectory from poverty and poor life choices to that of productive, healthy, law-abiding members of their community.