Youth Advisory Board Lead Underwriting

This campaign will secure a fully funded year for Advocates for Children CASA’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB) at a time-sensitive moment for young people with child-welfare lived experience, primarily ages 16–23, as they navigate high-stakes transitions into adulthood. Momentum and continuity now will stabilize participation and leadership development, preventing disengagement that can follow program cutbacks.

A $10,000 lead investment will underwrite one full year of YAB activities and initiatives, sustaining 25 youth leaders for the next 12 months. Funding will maintain core components including ongoing meetings, leadership activities, and participation supports such as stipends and transportation.

The funded year will deliver a YAB-led community service project assembling 100 care kits for children entering foster care; sponsorship for 10 YAB members to attend at least four recruitment or training opportunities locally and nationally; and YAB sweatshirts for every participating youth leader to strengthen identity, cohesion, and visibility. CASA will track and report retention, participation, and changes in key risk indicators.

The lead partner will be invited to attend a Board of Directors meeting where the YAB presents quarterly, offering a direct view into youth-led solutions and their influence across CASA and community partners.

This campaign matters now because the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is operating in a time-sensitive window when youth with child-welfare lived experience—primarily ages 16–23—are navigating high-stakes transitions into adulthood. Momentum and continuity are critical to stabilizing participation and leadership development.

If funding is delayed past December 2026, Advocates for Children CASA will be required to scale back core YAB components such as meetings, stipends/transportation supports, and leadership trainings. Scaling back at this stage increases the risk of disengagement at the exact moment the program is designed to elevate youth voice and sustain youth leaders in decision-shaping roles.

If this campaign succeeds, Advocates for Children CASA will sustain a youth-led council that elevates the voices of young people with child-welfare lived experience to shape programs, inform organizational policies and advocacy, and create peer-support and leadership opportunities.

A fully funded year positions youth leaders not only to participate, but to lead—recruiting additional former foster youth into the Board and bringing practical solutions back from local and national trainings and convenings for implementation within CASA and across community partners.

A $10,000 lead investment will underwrite one full year of Youth Advisory Board activities and initiatives. With funding secured by December 2026, the campaign will sustain 25 youth leaders for the next 12 months and maintain core components including ongoing meetings, leadership activities, and participation supports such as stipends/transportation.

The funded year includes specific deliverables: a YAB-led community service project assembling 100 care kits for children entering foster care; sponsorship for 10 YAB members to attend a minimum of four recruitment or training opportunities (locally and nationally); and YAB member sweatshirts for every participating youth leader to support identity, cohesion, and visibility.

CASA will track and report retention and participation over time, along with changes in key risk indicators, supported by the infrastructure sustained through this underwriting.

Partnership is structured around a lead investment of $10,000, which funds one full year of Youth Advisory Board activities and initiatives as a visible underwriting package.

As a donor engagement deliverable, the $10,000 lead partner will have the opportunity to attend a Board of Directors meeting at which the Youth Advisory Board presents quarterly—creating a direct relationship with youth leaders and a front-row view into how youth voice is shaping CASA’s programs, policies, and advocacy.