CASA CARES

CASA Cares is the grant program of CASA Minnesota, a public nonprofit. CASA Cares is committed to supporting children across Minnesota with enrichment opportunities that help them MOVE, CONNECT, and LEARN.

Anyone can apply for a CASA Cares grant. Applications are frequently received from the child’s Guardian ad Litem (GAL), social worker, foster parent, kinship caregiver, or even the child on their own behalf. Grants are available for children with an active child protection case who are currently living in foster or kinship care.

CASA Cares provides children in foster and kinship care with enrichment grants that support movement, connection, and learning that are not otherwise available through public funds. The focus of CASA Cares grants is camps, classes, and bicycles. Examples of grants in each category include but are not limited to:

Move

● Tricycle or bike
● Helmet and lock
● Skateboard or scooter

Connect

● Camp Fire Minnesota
● YMCA Day Camp Heritage
● YMCA Camp Miller

Learn

● Gymnastics class
● Boxing lessons
● Just for Kix dance class
● Swimming lessons

CASA MN responds to each unique grant application. However, the general guidance for funding limits is listed here, other limits may be communicated as part of an award:

Move: up to $350

Connect: up to $1,000

Learn: up to $500

No. CASA Cares limits grants to enrichment items or activities that help children move, connect and learn.

No. CASA Cares makes payments for items or activities requested only to the providing vendor directly. CASA MN does not may direct payments or provide reimbursement to individuals.

Possibly. Grants are made only to children who have an active child protection case. CASA Cares cannot fund requests for children where cases are closed.

In exceptional circumstances, CASA Cares will review emergency applications. Please highlight the immediate need and deadline clearly on the application.

Children in foster care are supported through a combination of federal, state, and county funds. Any item or experience that is otherwise available through public funding, court-ordered resources, or a government program is ineligible for a CASA Cares grant. Please check with the child’s social worker to determine public funding.

No. Grants awarded are unique to the child who received them and cannot be reallocated to another child.

Yes. If you have multiple children you would like to apply on behalf of, you must submit one application per child.

If the initial recipient is no longer able to participate or attend their granted activity, we will work with you on an alternative solution for that child.

No, CASA Cares does not require any follow-ups or reporting for individual CASA Cares grants. However, we are always grateful to hear stories of how the grant has impacted the child and may follow-up with individual grantees to ask about your and the child’s experience with the grant item or activity.

Without a unique, interactive hyperlink to click on and access, the administrator must carefully retype the entire URL circled below, ensuring no typos or omissions. URLs are often quite long, complex, and not intuitively reproducible by hand.

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Find item (preferably via Target.com or Amazon.com) or lesson, class, activity, camp website.

2. Locate the URL at the top of the screen – in this example, it is:

a. Highlight and copy the entire URL.

b. Click your cursor into the application’s hyperlink box; right click on the mouse and select Paste from the drop-down menu that appears. The result will display similarly to the URL in step 5 below.

c. Syncfun Toddler Balance Bike (black), Easy Assemble, Adjustable Seat And Anti-skid Tires, Toddler Bike For 2, 3, 4, 5 Year Old Boys & Girls : Target

3. You can test the URL for accuracy by clicking on it within the hyperlink box on the application (or above in this example). Confirm the copied URL takes you to the specific item/website intended.

a. NOTE: Your pasted hyperlink may not be identical to the URL displayed at top of screen. This is OK.

4. Repeat steps for any accompanying item(s) (in this case, a helmet).

Please send us an email at CCGrants@CASAMN.org