File #: 25-0926   
Type: Ordinance-S Status: Adopted
Meeting Body: City Council Formal Meeting
On agenda: 5/21/2025 Final action: 5/21/2025
Title: Gila River Indian Community 2025 Gaming Grants (Ordinance S-51947) - Citywide
District: Citywide

Title

Gila River Indian Community 2025 Gaming Grants (Ordinance S-51947) - Citywide

 

Description

Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to apply, accept, and if awarded, enter into related agreements up to $18,245,089.55 in funding from the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) under the 2025 funding cycle. Further request authorization for the City Treasurer to accept and the City Controller to disburse funds as directed by GRIC in connection with these grants, including sub-recipients associated with a project.

 

Report

Summary

Grants for programs and projects can range in total from $1,000 to $300,000 and can be paid out in installments to support the program for at least one but no more than three years. Detailed and well-justified budgets are essential. GRIC will determine the final amount and length of all grant awards; this may vary from the requested amount.

 

GRIC will also consider capital funding requests up to $500,000 to be paid out in installments for at least one but no more than five years, however the ultimate level of capital contribution will be at the discretion of the GRIC Tribal Council based on interest in the project and available funding.

 

If awarded, these monies would be applied, as directed by the GRIC Tribal Council, towards the following:

 

City Applications

  • Arts and Culture: $242,190 for the S'edav Va'aki Museum Permanent Gallery Cases and Lighting Project, which will fund the purchase of new climate-controlled object cases and a new lighting system to support the implementation of a new exhibit in the Museum's permanent gallery.
  • Community and Economic Development Department: $32,950 (over two years) for the Mini Medical School and Little Med School project, which will provide state-of-the-art experiences for Phoenix Elementary School District students in the field of health care.
  • Community and Economic Development Department: $300,000 for the Yuma Street Pocket Space, which will fund construction of a series of former residential lots into a dynamic public memorial and community gathering areas.
  • Housing Department: $15,000 for the Aeroterra After School Enhancement Project, which seeks to enhance the variety and quality of health and educational activities offered to undeserved and at-risk youth. The supplies outlined in the project proposal will strengthen program capacity to engage participants more effectively and provide enriching experiences that promote learning, well-being, and personal growth. The funding will enable the program to expand their reach and impact, ensuring that students have access to the resources and support needed to thrive.
  • Housing Department: $27,800 for the Housing Outreach and Supplies Trailer (HOST) project, which will allow the department to host community events, in partnership with other city departments and stakeholders, at Housing properties and in redevelopment areas by providing essential supplies and a dedicated trailer needed for resource fairs, public safety and back-to-school events, mobile food pantries, and other engagement activities.
  • Housing Department: $32,600 (over two years) for the Preserving History Through Community Storytelling project, which will host culturally significant storytelling workshops in the Marcos de Niza-Grant Park community, documenting and preserving community histories and personal narratives to enhance community identity and engagement.
  • Human Resources Department: $300,000 (over two years) for the Registered Apprenticeship Programs, which will provide City of Phoenix employees with opportunities for skill development, hands-on training, and career advancement through the Registered Apprenticeship Programs. These programs offer structured, high-quality training that combines on-the-job experience with classroom instruction, enabling participants to gain technical skills and industry-recognized certifications necessary for long-term career success.
  • Human Services Department: $300,000 (over three years) for the Empowerment Through Employment Initiative, which aims to provide comprehensive workforce development services to marginalized communities across the region, including but not limited to low-income individuals, dislocated workers, formerly incarcerated individuals, unhoused individuals, individuals with disabilities, and other populations facing significant employment barriers.
  • Human Services Department: $300,000 (over three years) for the Senior Alternative Transportation Program, which will provide transportation services to qualified senior center members to be transported between their home and the closest senior centers. This program allows members to be able to participate in activities, meals, and programs they may otherwise not be able to attend due to limited income, mobility, or ability to operate a vehicle.
  • Human Services Department: $132,000 for the Nutrition Program Equipment Needs Assessment and Procurement, which will replace aging equipment in production kitchens.
  • Neighborhood Services Department: $54,000 (over three years) for the Community Health Collective in South Phoenix, which will implement a new Community Health Collective to serve as a health resource hub in South Phoenix. The Health Collective will promote health and wellness and bring resources directly to the community with the goal to improve overall health.
  • Neighborhood Services Department: $45,000 (over three years) for the Future Neighborhood Leaders Program, which will help support a youth professional development and leadership program that offers a theoretical and hands-on learning approach to finding solutions to current neighborhood concerns.
  • Neighborhood Services Department: $120,000 (over three years) for the Love Your Block and Business Alliance Grants Program, which will help fund community-driven projects that benefit Phoenix neighborhoods.
  • Neighborhood Services Department: $96,000 (over three years) for the Neighborhood Synergy Educational Conference, which will support the annual conference by expanding and offering a free learning opportunity to more neighborhood advocates and dedicated volunteers in Phoenix.
  • Office of Environmental Programs: $137,920 (over two years) for the Cartwright Community Food Fest, which will expand access to fresh, locally grown food while fostering resilience. Through hands-on education and culturally relevant workshops, this initiative empowers residents to improve health, strengthen local food systems, and build long-term food security.
  • Office of Environmental Programs and Housing Department: $299,900 (over three years) for the HomeGrownPHX project, which will directly address food insecurity, chronic disease, and socioeconomic inequity by improving garden infrastructure, supporting community gardens, and providing education to residents living in Phoenix Housing communities.
  • Office of Environmental Programs and Parks and Recreation Department: $82,700 for the Empowering Community to Define the McDowell Urban Ag Innovation Center, which will conduct outreach and meaningful engagement that reaches deep into the community to gather input from residents, businesses, schools, and nonprofit organizations within a two-mile radius of the proposed McDowell Urban Ag Innovation Center.
  • Office of Heat Response and Mitigation: $300,000 for the Summer Heat Relief: Security at Extended Locations, which is seeking support for security at extended hours Heat Relief Network sites. Access to cool space later into the evening is critical for ensuring respite from high nighttime temperatures, but it also creates hazards associated with nighttime activities. These funds will be essential to promote public safety and enhance crime prevention.
  • Office of Heat Response and Mitigation: $300,000 (over two years) for the Summer Heat Relief: Supplies for Extended Hours Locations, which will support the purchase of heat relief supplies such as sunscreen, cooling towels, reusable water bottles, and hats to prevent and respond to heat-related illnesses at City of Phoenix extended hours and overnight cooling, respite, and navigation centers.
  • Office of Homeless Solutions: $300,000 for the Behavioral Health Engagement Teams Supplement, which will provide outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health, or substance use disorder in targeted areas to get them connected to behavioral health or substance use services, housing, and/or placement into shelter.
  • Office of Homeless Solutions: $300,000 (over three years) for the Flexible Funding for Individuals At-Risk of/or Experiencing Homelessness, which will provide funding to expand the assistance it can provide to individuals experiencing, or on the verge of experiencing homelessness, to remove expenses (barriers) that may stand in the way of becoming or staying housed and/or employed.
  • Office of Homeless Solutions: $300,000 (over three years) for the Homeless Workforce Program Supportive Needs, which will fund supportive needs related to workforce programming currently offered at City of Phoenix homeless shelters to give program participants tools for success and remove barriers such as employment-related costs and program needs for each site (desktop computers, associated software, headphones).
  • Office of Homeless Solutions: $230,000 (over three years) for the Short-Term Emergency Hotel Program, which will allow the City to process and pay for internal referrals for emergency hotel stays at a short-term, interim solution for individuals who are awaiting placement in shelter, availability of other housing, or diversion to avoid an individual spending the night unsheltered.
  • Office of Sustainability: $200,000 (over two years) for the Energy Access Plan, which will support the creation of the Energy Access Plan document and implement an education campaign.
  • Office of the Public Defender: $300,000 (over three years) for the Empowering Change: Enhancing the City of Phoenix Veterans Court Treatment Program for Homeless Veterans, which will provide homeless veterans involved in the criminal justice system access to essential resources and support services aimed at addressing their housing, health and reintegration needs.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $423,084.11(capital funding request) for Playground Renovation, which will purchase and install new playground equipment at Cesar Chavez Park.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $500,000 (over three years, capital funding request) for the Rio Salado Transformation Site, which will transform a one-acre vacant parcel along the Rio Salado into a dynamic public space that will focus on ecological restoration, community connection and public access. The purpose of this capital funding request is to cover fees associated with creating the design documents for Phase 1 and 2 of the Rio Salado Transformation Site and Phase 1 of the construction.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $77,316 for Equipment for Youth Sports, which will provide sports equipment and uniforms for a youth sports program.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $10,000 for the Festival of Frights 2025, which will fund a community event in the South Division.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $16,750 for the One Year, One Goal: Get Fit for Free Program, which will fund a year-long, free fitness program offering accessible yoga, aerobics, barre, and Zumba classes to promote healthy habits, and boost community participation.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $20,600 for the FitPHX Initiative - WalkPHX Program, which will support the expansion of the WalkPHX program by funding the installation of WalkPHX signage and trail counters at four parks in marginalized communities, promoting accessible physical activity and improving public health in Phoenix.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $175,000 for Pickleball Courts, which will provide funding for two pickleball courts at the Encanto Park Sports Complex.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $10,000 for the South Division Cultural Programming, which will offer cultural programming to the youth of South Phoenix.
  • Parks and Recreation Department: $8,345.48 for the Volleyball Program, which will upgrade volleyball equipment for the emerging volleyball program for ages 9-17-year-olds.
  • Phoenix Fire Department: $7,385 for the Advanced Firefighter Heart Health Stress System, which will upgrade heart stress testing equipment for the Phoenix Fire Department Health Center.
  • Phoenix Fire Department: $66,876 for the Community Trauma Bleeding Control Initiative, which is a proactive, life-saving program designed to empower individuals and the organizations with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to act in critical bleeding emergencies.
  • Phoenix Fire Department: $13,369 for the Fire Investigations Mapping Camera Project, which will enhance the Phoenix Fire Department's incident documentation, investigation, training, and regional preparedness capabilities by acquiring a 360-3D camera system to create highly detailed, immersive scene models that improve public safety and emergency response efficiency.
  • Phoenix Fire Department: $90,000 for the Fireground Survival Training Props, which will procure equipment to train firefighters in Fireground Survival techniques.
  • Phoenix Fire Department: $71,133 for the Forcible Door Entry Training Props, which will provide equipment for forcible door entry training.
  • Phoenix Fire Department: $49,413 for the Hazardous Materials Program Training Props, which will provide specialized training props to enhance Hazardous Materials Training.
  • Phoenix Fire Department: $79,504 for the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Cleaning / Cancer Prevention Initiative, which will procure and install industrial Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) extractors and dryers to improve PPE cleaning and enhance cancer risk reduction at the Phoenix Fire Department Regional Training Academy.
  • Phoenix Fire Department: $61,088 for the Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Fit Testing Equipment, which will update Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus face mask fit testing machines.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $110,000 for the Air Support Unit Smart Radio/MPU5 Portable Network, which will assist in purchasing equipment to expand the Phoenix Police Department Air Support Unit's portable smart radio mesh network.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $213,300 (over three years) for the Family Investigations Bureau's Digital Forensics Lab, which will allow investigators to further their training and purchase technology for the lab's forensic investigators to have more capability to service more devices.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $165,000 for the Comparison Microscope for Trace Evidence Analysis, which will purchase a Leeds Trace-Z comparison microscope to offer new technology to the Laboratory Services Bureau to upgrade their system and add the capability of fluorescence microscopy to increase the efficiency in analyzing fibers, paints, and miscellaneous trace materials enhance the forensic aptitude of the Trace Evidence.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $100,000 for the Bomb Squad X Ray System, which will fund the purchase of an x-ray system for bomb technicians.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $65,000 for the Advanced Training Detail Mechanical Breaching for Patrol Program, which will fund the purchase of equipment necessary to conduct comprehensive force-on-force training with recruits and officers at the Phoenix Police Training Academy, which will aid in ensuring the safety and security for members of the community.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $93,817 for the Maryvale Estrella Mountain Precinct Neighborhood Enforcement Team, which will fund the purchase of equipment to help officers of the Maryvale Estrella Mountain Precinct Neighborhood Enforcement Team leverage technology to locate and apprehend violent felony suspects.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $255,798 for the Patrol Division Tire Deflation Equipment, which will fund the purchase of the world's leading tire-deflation device that will aid in high-speed pursuits quickly and safely for each Patrol Division precinct.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $90,000 for the Bomb Squad Small Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Robot, which will fund the purchase of equipment to assist in detection, identification, recovery and disposal of an explosive ordnance and improvised explosive devices.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $32,000 for the Air Support Unit Mobile Base Station, which will fund the purchase of a wireless communication system to allow for enhanced communications with the maintenance pilot and the maintenance technicians.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $475,000 (capital funding request) for the Special Assignments Unit Armored Vehicle, which will provide enhanced crime prevention with the use of the armored vehicle, necessary to apprehend violent criminals that are committing a large part of the crimes. Armored vehicles provide safety and security from violent offenders that are often armed with firearms.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $58,809.52 for the Mountain View Precinct's Neighborhood Enforcement Team, which will fund essential safety equipment for law enforcement operations, allowing for more effective deployment of resources to support community member's public safety.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $98,764 (over two years) for the Recruitment Program, which will provide support for the law enforcement recruitment team in efforts to strengthen the Phoenix Police Department which will ultimately promote public safety and community well-being.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $296,553 for the Homicide Unit Digital Investigation, which will provide updated equipment to help investigate homicides with gathering and the analysis of digital intelligence within the City of Phoenix.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $131,910 for the Community Health and Outreach for Individuals with Coordinated Encouragement (CHOICE) Project, which will equip the CHOICE program with enhanced technology and transportation to connect unsheltered citizens with the correct entities to provide them with needed assistance and to keep the community safe by removal of blight concerns and proactively addressing open air drug use and nuisance crimes.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $33,000 for the Gang Enforcement Unit Technology Surveillance Equipment, which will provide the Gang Enforcement Unit essential equipment to protect the public from criminal street gang violence by providing equipment to combat criminal street gang violence through investigation, enforcement, and intelligence support.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $291,190 for the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit National Integrated Ballistic Information Network Data Analysis, which will provide technology and equipment for law enforcement operations to assist with solving violent gun crime in the City of Phoenix and other communities in the State of Arizona.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $74,880 (over two years) for the Customer Service and Support Team Mass Imaging Workstation Project, which will provide equipment for the Information Technology Bureau to provide the quickest response to thwarting security threats to the Phoenix Police Department.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $204,000 (over two years) for the Transit Explosive Detection K9 Unit Vehicles, which will allow the purchase of K9 patrol vehicles to increase rapid and prompt response to critical calls related to explosives.
  • Phoenix Police Department: $297,825 for the Violent Crimes Bureau Digital Evidence Technology, which will provide equipment to increase capacity for investigators to collect digital evidence in the field.
  • Phoenix Public Library: $450,000 (over two years) for the Phoenix Public Library's Special Collections, which will assist in purchasing archival storage for long-term preservation of a multi-million-dollar rare books collection at Phoenix Public Library, and exhibition cases to increase access to the public.
  • Planning and Development Department: $300,000 (over two years) for the Rio Reimagined Community Plan Phase 2, which will initiative community planning efforts to transform Phoenix's western portion of the Salt River (Rio Salado) into a local and regional destination, while identifying opportunities for improving connectivity, housing, health, recreation, economic development, and cultural expression across the river corridor.
  • Planning and Development Department and the Office of Environmental Programs: $300,000 (over three years) for the Rio Salado Celebration and Eco-Tourism Program, which will promote economic development along the Rio Salado (Salt River) by piloting and amplifying eco-tourism initiatives that draw visitors to the river and adjacent communities. These initiatives will emphasize outdoor activities aimed at fostering environmental education, improved community health, plus art and cultural expression that promote biodiversity and connection to nature. The proposed project will help and support connecting people to the river physically and spiritually, enhance a sense of community, and focus on building a stronger community by involving residents at every stage of the alignment with the newly refreshed RIO PHX Area 1 (Rio Salado) vision and goals.
  • Public Works Department: $174,762 (over one and half years) for the Circular Plastics Microfactory - Economic Development and Community Outreach, which will collaborate with an academic project partner and test workforce development trainings and hands-on education methods while also engaging and educating the community through tours and demonstrations of the Circular Plastics Microfactory (and the mobile Microfactory) to support recycling education, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
  • Public Works Department: $17,012.20 for the Public Works Illegal Dumping Cameras project, which will fund a new program.
  • Public Works Department: $162,950 for the Lithium-Ion Battery Collection Pilot and Disposal Education Campaign, which will test community style collection method of lithium-ion batteries for proper recycling and reuse while also educating the community on the environmental hazards of fires and proper disposal pathways.
  • Public Works Department: $30,697.24 for the School Food Waste Reduction Pilot Program, which will introduce a Zero Waste education curriculum and waste sorting system focused on helping to reduce food waste, lower transportation-related emissions, and strengthen resiliency education across a selected Phoenix-based school district. Through this pilot, students and staff will gain a deeper understanding of how to establish food security, mechanisms for resource conservation, and the environmental impact of food waste, including its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. By implementing effective waste diversion practices, the program supports extending landfill lifespan and establishing a community that is sustainability minded.
  • Street Transportation Department: $300,000 for the Sidewalk Safety Project Phase One-Mobile Lane, which will design and construct sidewalks, ADA ramps, driveway entrances, and install streetlights, creating a vibrant, connected, and inclusive community that respects its history and embraces the well-bring of its members.
  • Street Transportation Department: $300,000 for the Sidewalk Safety Project Phase Two-Chipman Road, which will design and construct sidewalks, ADA ramps, driveway entrances, and install streetlights, creating a vibrant, connected, and inclusive community that respects its history and embraces the well-bring of its members.
  • Street Transportation Department: $300,000 for the Sidewalk Safety Project Phase Three-East Wier Avenue, which will design and construct sidewalks, ADA ramps, driveway entrances, and install streetlights, creating a vibrant, connected, and inclusive community that respects its history and embraces the well-bring of its members.
  • Street Transportation Department: $300,000 (over three years) for the Sidewalk Safety Project Phase Four-South 19th Place, which will design and construct sidewalks, ADA ramps, driveway entrances, and install streetlights, creating a vibrant, connected, and inclusive community that respects its history and embraces the well-bring of its members.
  • Street Transportation Department: $300,000 (over two years) for the Sidewalk Safety Project Phase Five-South 18th Place, which will design and construct sidewalks, ADA ramps, driveway entrances, and install streetlights, creating a vibrant, connected, and inclusive community that respects its history and embraces the well-bring of its members.
  • Water Services Department: $182,501 for the Advance Purified Water Public Outreach program, which will inform and educate stakeholders of new advancement in sustainable and locally produced water sources that will reduce the dependence on imported water and strengthens water security. 

 

Nonprofit Applications

  • American Legion Auxiliary AZ: $171,162 (over three years) for the American Legion Auxiliary 2026-2028 Arizona Girls State, which will provide financial support for an annual week-long government educational session for high school girls.
  • Area Agency on Aging: $500,000 (capital funding request) for the Justa Senior Center, which will assist with the construction cost for building a senior center for older adults experiencing homelessness.
  • Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children (ACFC): $75,000 for the Kids with Cancer Can Be Kids program, which will play a vital role in expanding ACFC's programs, particularly Sunshine Visits, to meet the growing needs of families facing the harsh realities of childhood cancer. With Arizona ranking among the leading states for childhood cancer diagnoses, ACFC is committed to addressing the social, emotional, and financial challenges these families endure.
  • Arizona Educational Foundation: $15,000 for the Strengthen the Arizona Public Education System program, which will expand its A+School of Excellence Award program, Principals Leadership Academy of Arizona, Arizona State Spelling Bee program, teachSTEM program, and Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards across public schools in Maricopa County. This grant will provide more educators with leadership training and professional development, increase student access to literacy and STEM enrichment programs, and recognize outstanding schools and teachers for their contributions to Arizona's public education system.
  • Arizona Friends of Foster Children: $150,000 (over two years) for the Workforce Development for Youth Aging Out of Arizona Foster Care, which will help youth ages 16-26 aging out of foster care develop the education, employment and career development needed to transition to independent adult living more successfully.
  • Arizona Humane Society: $20,000 for the Animal Welfare Youth Education Programs, which will support one-time investments in curriculum enhancements, educator training, and outreach expansion to strengthen AHS' youth education programs. The goal is to improve the long-term impact and sustainability of these unique programs by refining lesson plans, increasing engagement opportunities, and expanding access for underserved students.
  • Arizona Science Center: $50,000 for the STEM Learning Programs for Low-Income Children, which will provide free Focused Field Trips and Science on Wheels STEM learning programs for 3,223 low-income children from Title 1 schools in the 2025-2026 school year.
  • Arizona Sustainability Alliance: $167,283 (over two years) for the Sow It Forward and Food Tech for the Future program, which will implement two sustainable food systems education programs for K-12 students in Phoenix schools.
  • Arouet Foundation: $50,000 (over two years) for the Arouet's 2025-2026 ReEntry Prosperity Model, which will fund the holistic, four-phase, ReEntry Prosperity Model.  Funding will assist to collectively empower approximately 600 justice-impacted women to successfully reenter into society, rejoin the workforce, reunite with their communities and families, and ultimately, restart their lives despite their criminal justice histories.
  • Assistance League of Phoenix: $50,000 for the Delivering Dreams Programs (formerly Operation School Bell), which will help Delivering Dreams Program to expand and provide new clothes, shoes, and hygiene items to impoverished K-8 children in the Greater Phoenix Area. The program aims to increase self-esteem, fulfill a high-priority need, and ease financial stress for families.
  • AZCEND: $50,000 for the Food Bank program, which will provide food boxes filled with nearly 125,000 pounds of food for hungry children and adults in Maricopa County.
  • Catholic Education Arizona: $300,000 (over three years) for the K-12 Disabled or Displaced Student Scholarships program, which will provide tuition assistance for K-12 students with physical/learning challenges and/or those who have been in the Arizona Foster Care System.
  • Children's Museum of Phoenix: $270,000 for the Children's Museum of Phoenix's Free First Friday Nights and IDEA Fellows Program, which will support the Free First Friday Nights, which opens the Museum to the public 10 nights each year and welcomes up to 25,000 visitors, and to sustain the IDEA Fellows Program, offering two paid fellowships to individuals facing barriers while fostering diverse perspectives in the field.
  • Chrysalis Veterans: $100,000 for the Improving Economic Security by Strengthening the Veteran's Job Readiness program, which will provide funding to assist veterans to ensure their economic security and can consistently meet their essential needs sustainably and with dignity.
  • Civitan Foundation: $175,000 for the Civitan Flerish Marketplace - Capital Improvements for Workforce and Economic Development, which will support critical owner-occupied improvements at the new Flerish Marketplace, a workforce development and economic empowerment hub for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 
  • Creighton Community Foundation: $25,000 for the FrescaZona Interventional Nutrition Center and Market, which will support nutrition education, food access, SNAP enrollment, and other pathways out of hunger for low-income families.
  • Desert Foothills Library: $16,250 for the Book Buds Intergenerational Reading, which will provide funding for expansion of successful pilot program.
  • Downtown Phoenix Inc: $25,000 for the Community Resource Hub and Outreach Navigators program, which will help underwrite the costs of Downtown Phoenix Inc.'s Community Resource Hub, along with supporting its Outreach Navigators program in 2025-2026.
  • Duet Partners in Health: $35,000 for the Improving the Health, Wellness, and Housing Security of Vulnerable Homebound Seniors, which will improve the health, wellbeing, and safety of homebound older adults and provide financial assistance for those at risk of becoming homeless.
  • Elevate Phoenix: $25,000 for the Improving At-Risk Youths' Academic Success and Futures program, which will support Elevate Phoenix successful relationship-based program that is proven to improve low-income, at-risk youth academic success and life skills, graduate high school, prepare for college and a career, avoid substance use, gain resilience, and help them escape poverty and achieve a better future.
  • Fresh Start Women's Foundation: $50,000 for the Impact Program: Empowering Women to Succeed, which will empower women in Phoenix to secure jobs and achieve self-sufficiency.
  • Foundation for Senior Living: $20,000 for the FSL's Food Security Program, which will address rampant food insecurity among low-income Maricopa County residents through the distribution of 32,000+ hot lunches, 27,000+ home-delivered meals, and emergency food boxes totaling 500,000+ pounds of core nutrition.
  • Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus Pine Council: $20,000 for the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which will provide 13,000 girls in grades K-12 with the Girl Scout Leadership Experience activities that complement their academic goals. Through Girl Scouting, girls will develop crucial life and leadership skills, connect with positive adult mentors and peers, and engage in serving their communities, empowering them to pursue bright futures.
  • Greater Phoenix Urban League: $69,550 (over two years) for the Ultimate Technology Extra-Curricular Education Programs, which will fund STEM extra-curricular educational programs targeting underrepresented students.
  • Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation: $30,000 for the Connect to Work AZ program, which will expand Connect to Work AZ, increasing its community impact. This initiative helps place unemployed and underemployed individuals in Greater Phoenix in high demand jobs at quality employers with excellent benefits and opportunities for growth.
  • Human Services Campus dba Keys to Change: $100,000 for the Client Navigation, which will support the Client Navigation program at Keys to Change, which connects individuals experiencing homelessness to housing and other services that address social determinants of health impacting a person's ability to move from homelessness to housing.
  • Justa Center, Inc.: $40,000 for the Path to Housing, which will help seniors aged 55+ experiencing unsheltered homelessness secure housing while connecting them to essential services and other support services needed to maintain their housing placements.
  • Live and Learn Program dba Live and Learn: $25,000 for the Empowering Maricopa County Women to Break Free from Generational Poverty program, which will strengthen its trauma-informed education and workforce development program, which provides low-income women in Maricopa County with job training, financial literacy, and access to higher education. The funds will directly support residents through individualized career coaching, skills development, and wraparound services, ensuring women achieve financial stability, economic independence, and break free from generational poverty.
  • Local First Arizona Foundation: $300,000 (over three years) for the Growing Sustainable Food Systems Infrastructure, which will strengthen the Phoenix Food System by encouraging local farm sourcing for food entrepreneurs in Local First's Community Kitchens.
  • Lost Boys Center for Leadership: $288,000 (over three years) for the Mentorship Education and Leadership Development for Immigrant African Youth program, which will provide meaningful educational, social and leadership opportunities for second-generation Sudanese and other African refugees so they may thrive within their families, schools, and Arizona communities.
  • MentorKids USA: $81,600 (over three years) for the iLEAD My Generation program, which will support their innovative high school mentoring and leadership development program.
  • New Pathways for Youth, Inc.: $100,000 for the New Pathways for Youth's 2025-2026 Level Up Program, which will empower around 350 low-income, high-risk Phoenix youth to transformatively 'level up' their educational outcomes.
  • Opportunity, Community and Justice for Foster Kids: $25,000 for the Restoring Dignity Room Programming, which will provide resources, support, and compassion to improve the physical, mental and emotional health and well-being of girls whose lives were shattered by pre-foster case abuse.
  • Phoenix Rescue Mission: $40,000 for the Changing Lives Center for Women and Children program, which will support the Changing Lives Center for Women and Children, providing housing, childcare, recovery, counseling, and vocational training for women.
  • ReFRAME Youth Arts Center: $31,740 for the Green Spaces for Group Homes, which will build a teen jobs program that trains public youth in carpentry, climate, and gardening, so they may use these skills to build green spaces for local youth group homes.
  • Rising Families: $109,680 (over three years) for the Rising Families Expansion Project, which will continue Rising Families' free youth sports program at Edison and Green Valley Parks and expand to additional underserved communities, ensuring equitable access to structured physical activities and community engagement. 
  • Rosie's House: $60,000 (over two years) for the Free Afterschool Music and Leadership Program for Under-Resourced Youth, which will support afterschool music education and leadership opportunities for 668 underserved youth ages 4-18.
  • Rumi Center: $122,842 for the Reading Bee program, which will expand the program in the current location to twice a week and add two additional locations.
  • SAAVI Services for the Blind: $50,000 for the Reaching Empowerment through Achievement and Learning Program for Blind Children, which will fill the educational gaps for blind children through personalized, nonvisual instruction and tutoring services for academic achievement and independence in Phoenix.
  • Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center: $200,000 (over two years) for the Parent Training and Community Outreach Program, which will deliver an evidence-based parent training program for families across Arizona, including those in rural and remote areas supporting a child with autism spectrum disorder and provide outreach, training, resources, and educational support to organizations in communities statewide.
  • Skye's the Limit! Foundation: $100,000 for the HeART Club: A Safe, Supportive Afterschool Program for Youth in Under Served Communities, which will expand the heART Club after school program to additional community housing sites, providing structured creative engagement, mentorship, and mental health and opioid prevention education for youth and families in underserved communities.
  • Sonoran University of Health Sciences: $69,000 (over two years) for the Sonoran University's Community Health Program, which will support seven no-cost community clinics. 
  • St. Mary's Food Bank: $100,000 for the St. Mary's Food Bank Skills Center, which will help homeless and/or formerly incarcerated adults become trained and employed in jobs that offer advances and raises so they can become financially self-sustaining.
  • The Gentry Foundation: $30,000 for the Early Childhood Evaluations and Support for Low Income Families, which will provide early autism identification and support.
  • The Mathew 19:14 Project: $120,000 (over three years) for the Teacher Training for Special Needs Students, which will provide school wide training for all teachers at a specific school so that teachers have the best tools and methodologies to serve students with special needs. The focus is Catholic schools with limited funding.
  • The Phoenix Symphony: $105,263 for the In-School Assembly Program, which will promote music education to Title 1 students.
  • Three Precious Miracles: $75,000 for the Keeping Culture Connected program, which will support the Native American foster youth community through culturally relevant and sensitive programming to ensure their connection with their heritage to promote their identification as Natives.
  • Treasures 4 Teachers: $25,000 for the Free and Low-Cost Supplies for Teachers and Students, which will provide essential school supplies to teachers and students in Phoenix.
  • UMOM New Day Centers: $300,000 (over three years) for the UMOM Family Emergency Shelter Program to End Family Homelessness, which will fund 12,000 bed nights of its Family Emergency Shelter Program, covering the full stay for 30 families and providing safe shelter, job coaching, health care, youth programming, and housing support to help those overcome homelessness and create stable homes where their kids can thrive.
  • UMOM New Day Centers: $500,000 (over two years, capital funding request) for the UMOM Capital Campaign to End Family Homelessness, which will fund UMOM's Capital Campaign to renovate, redesign, and reconfigure family emergency shelter rooms to increase UMOM's overall capacity to serve 25% more individuals and larger families in need. Renovations will also update aging spaces to ensure ad dignified, healing environment for the families and children UMOM serves.
  • Upward for Children and Families: $50,000 for the Lifting Children Upward Inclusive Early Education Scholarships, which will provide scholarships to low-income children with and without disabilities so they can attend a five-star rated Early Education program. Only 10 percent of childcare facilities in Arizona have achieved a five-star rating.
  • United Service Organizations (USO), Inc.: $90,000 (over three years) for the USO Family Programming and USO Phoenix MEPS, which will strengthen and connect military service members and their families with programs and services that boost morale, provide a sense of community, and build resiliency among children from military families. Funding will support USO family and youth programming including USO Pre-School Power Hours, military family day events, Coffee Connections program for military spouses, and support services for military service members going through the Phoenix Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) location.
  • Valleywise Health Foundation: $15,000 for the Family Resource Centers: Serving and Supporting Families and Strengthening the Community, which will support and sustain and enhance programming within its eight Family Resource Centers. Services aid in Valleywise Health's efforts to boost the stability and resiliency of families, address factors that contribute to health inequities, and promote healthy growth and development among children.

 

The gaming compact entered into by the State of Arizona and various tribes calls for 12 percent of gaming revenue to be contributed to cities, towns and counties for government services that benefit the public including public safety, mitigation of impacts of gaming and promotion of commerce, and economic development. GRIC will notify the City, by resolution of the Tribal Council, if it desires to convey to the City a portion of its annual 12 percent local revenue-sharing contribution.

 

Financial Impact

There is no budgetary impact to the City and no general-purpose funds are required. Entities that receive gaming grants are responsible for the management of those funds.

 

Department

Responsible Department

This item is submitted by City Manager Jeffrey Barton and the Office of Government Relations.