How CASA of Central Virginia is Funded

Have you ever heard the old expression, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket?” Well, the same is true for nonprofit funding. Revenue diversification is critical. What happens if a large, annual grant doesn’t get awarded this year? What happens if you lose a major donor? What happens if a pandemic hits and your events are canceled? Our organization has experienced each of these scenarios at some point in our history. That last one is still fresh in our minds! While it is critical to spread your funding “eggs” out, it is no easy feat. It takes a team of board, staff, and volunteers to plan events, write grants, juggle the red tape of government funding, and connect with donors, churches, and businesses.

If you have ever wondered how we get our funding, this blog post explains each source. Here’s a graphic showing a snapshot of the projected revenue for CASA of Central Virginia (CVCASA) this fiscal year (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023).

 As you can see, the largest percentage (51%) of CASA of Central Virginia’s revenue is from grants. Let’s break this down:

·        United Way of Central Virginia provides an annual allocation grant which comprises 9% of the total CVCASA budget. United Way chooses partner agencies that align with its focus areas (health, education, income, and basic human needs) to receive grant funding, which they raise through their annual campaign and fundraising events. Each application is thoroughly reviewed by a review team and presented to the overall allocations committee. The 9% also includes donations received by United Way that are specifically allocated by the donor to CVCASA.

·        State General Funds are allocated on a formula basis and administered by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. All 27 CASA programs in Virginia receive a base amount plus an amount per child served in the previous fiscal year. Virginia DCJS closely monitors each CASA program for compliance with National CASA standards as well as additional state regulations. CASA programs are required to report to DCJS quarterly as well as annually. The funding received from the state budget represents 13% of the total CVCASA budget.

·        Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding is federal funding awarded to organizations that serve victims of crime, such as child abuse victims, domestic violence victims, and sexual assault victims. VOCA is not funded through tax dollars; rather it is funded through criminal fines, penalties, forfeited bail bonds, and special assessments collected by the federal government. The funds may only be used for direct services for victims of crime. Virginia DCJS also administers this funding to all 27 CASA programs in the state on a formula basis. VOCA funding comprises 13% of CVCASA’s total budget.

·        CVCASA receives 4% of its overall budget from local county governments including the counties of Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, and Nelson. In addition, the City of Lynchburg provides free office space, utilities, and maintenance for our main central office, and the counties of Bedford and Appomattox both provide free satellite office space and utilities.

·        Local foundation grants comprise 12% of the CVCASA budget. Some of the foundations are donor-directed funds and some are awarded by an advisory board through a competitive application process.

That’s a lot to digest, and that’s only our grants! Let’s dive into the other revenue sources:

Individual donors comprise 12% of the CVCASA budget. Those are donations from individuals like you through the CVCASA website, mailed to the office, or donated through stock. The website offers one-time or monthly donations and payment can be made through a variety of methods.

Corporate gifts (not including event sponsorships) make up 1% of the CVCASA budget. Those gifts are direct payments, matching employee gifts, round-up campaigns, or other campaigns such as Kroger Plus card or Amazon Smile.

Churches and clubs comprise 1% of the CVCASA budget. Those funds are sometimes awarded through a grant process and sometimes through direct donations.

Special events make up 35% of the CVCASA Budget. This includes revenue from the CASA Superhero Run, CASA Blanca Gala, Fore the Kids Golf Tournament (a collaborative event with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Virginia, and other special events and partnerships such as Mustaches 4 Kids.

Clearly it takes a variety of funding sources to operate CASA of Central Virginia. We appreciate any role YOU can play in helping us meet our revenue goals this year! If you have other ideas for us, put them in the comments or send us an email.