Douglas County CASA was recently featured in a Lawrence Journal-World article highlighting the impact of federal grant terminations on local nonprofits and the importance of community partnerships to fill the gap.
Our Executive Director, Erick Vaughn, shared that while the organization has been steadily growing over the last several years, upcoming federal cuts to National CASA grants may complicate efforts to expand staff and support more children in Douglas County. CASA relies on trained volunteers to advocate for children in foster care, but those volunteers are supported by staff members who are supported by all of the organization’s fundraising efforts. “We wouldn’t have grown quite as fast” without past federal support, Vaughn explained, emphasizing that even indirect funding losses can have long-term consequences.
Still, Vaughn underscored the strength and importance of local support systems, pointing to longtime partnerships with the KU School of Music and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Annual events and fundraising efforts involving those groups have raised awareness and vital resources—more than $500,000 from Winds Across the Prairie over the past five years and over $12,000 from Theta’s spring event alone. Community connections not only sustain CASA’s work but extend its reach. “These partnerships help get the word out about what we do and impact the community in which they live,” Vaughn said.
As federal support wanes, we are calling on Douglas County residents and businesses to engage with CASA’s efforts to ensure vulnerable children continue receiving the advocacy they deserve.
Read the full article in the Lawrence Journal-World.
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