The Yolo Children's Fund provides grants to the neediest children in Yolo County. Eligible children are usually those in foster care and the juvenile justice system. Requests for grants are made by CASA volunteers (Court Appointed Special Advocates), social workers, or the children's attorneys. The Children's fund also provides grants to children in Empower Yolo programs. Many of these children have been abused or been in abusive families. The grants provide clothing, school supplies, computers, bicycles, gymnastic and dance lessons, soccer and little league fees, art classes, music lessons, summer camp and many other needs. The Children's Fund also provides cash awards to children in foster care and the juvenile justice system who obtain their GED or graduate from high school.
The Yolo Children's Fund provides college scholarships to high school students who were foster children or are from a disadvantaged background. This year the Children's Fund granted nine $2000.00 scholarships. The Children's Fund has also initiated a first in the nation Orthodontic Program to provide orthodontic care to foster children who would otherwise go without treatment. In its first year of operation, the Orthodontic Program funded the orthodontic treatment for twelve children.
The Yolo Children's Fund has been in existence since 2001, when it was established by Judge Donna Petre and Judge Kathleen White. Since its founding, the Children's Fund has awarded more than $300,000 in grants for needy children.
For just this fourth year participating in the Big Day of Giving, the Yolo Children's Fund asks the community for contributions to fund at-risk children's needs. The Yolo Children's Fund operates without paid staff or office expenses and all donations go directly to grants for needy children. The Yolo Children's Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are tax-deductible. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.yolochildrensfund.org.
The mission of the Yolo Children's Fund is to enhance the quality of life for under-served, abused or disadvantaged children and teens by providing for a special project, need or enrichment service that would otherwise go unmet.
The Fund serves Yolo County youth from birth to age 21 who have become involved in the court dependency system as a result of being orphaned, subject to parental abuse or neglect, violence, or drugs. Youth who have become delinquents are also included.
The organization depends upon grants and private contributions to support five programs, the Education Fund, the Help Fund, the Summer Activity Fund, the Scholarship Fund, and the Orthodontic Program. The vast majority of our funds come from private donations.
The Education Fund supports grants for school supplies, GED materials, school sports equipment, various after-school activities as well as one-time grants for laptops and driver training.
The Help Fund provides grants for a special project, need or opportunity that would otherwise go unmet. Examples include school and winter clothing, dance classes, bicycles, equine therapy sessions, gym memberships and more.
Grants from the Summer Activity Fund help with fees for a variety of camps, swimming lessons and other enriching summer activities that can make a big difference to a needy child.
In 2023, the Children's Fund established the Marty and Cheryl Ewing Scholarship Fund to honor Marty Ewing's dedication and 6 years of service as the volunteer Administrative Director of the Children's Fund before his passing in September 2023. This fund provides scholarships to foster children who enroll in a community college or a four year college.
In 2025, the Yolo Children's Fund established the Orthodontic Program to provide dental and orthodontic care to foster children who would otherwise not be able to obtain treatment.
The Yolo Children's Fund awards grants to representatives on behalf of at-risk youth in Yolo County without regard to race, gender or financial status.
Organization name
Yolo Childrens Fund Inc
2001
Mission Category
Philanthropy & Grantmaking Foundations
Operating Budget
$50,001 - $100,000
Organization Need
Funding: Program
Demographics Served
Youth & Children, Low-income individuals/families
Local Counties Served
Yolo
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
322 Leon PlaceYolo, CA, US
Davis, CA, US
Woodland, CA, US
West Sacramento, CA, US
Winters, CA, US, 95694