A Message to CASA of Lane County Supporters from Kendra Jones, Executive Director

Dear Friends,

I want to take a moment to update you on a critical issue that affects our ability to serve vulnerable children in Lane County. Recently, CASA of Lane County was impacted by the elimination of $1.7 million in federal funding that was allocated last year for CASA programs across Oregon. While this reduction presents challenges, I want to assure you that we are fully committed to continuing our mission of providing essential advocacy for children in foster care.

Thanks to the continued generosity of the businesses, individuals, and foundations in our community, we’ve made significant progress this year in improving the efficiency and impact of our programs. We’ve been able to address high-risk cases more swiftly, reducing our waitlist and ensuring that children are assigned advocates faster. In fact, we’ve already exceeded the number of children served compared to last fiscal year.

Financially, we have positioned CASA of Lane County for long-term stability. Through strategic investments in our operating reserves and maximizing opportunities such as the Employee Retention Credit, we’ve been able to support additional financial investments to offset some of these funding cuts. In addition, we are proud to maintain zero debt, which means that every dollar raised goes directly to support our mission and the children we serve.

However, the loss of federal funding still poses a significant challenge to the progress we’ve made, and it may limit our ability to serve as many children as we had originally planned. I want to assure you that we are taking every necessary step to prevent any reductions in services. Our healthy financial position, including strategic investments and prudent management, allows us to maintain the momentum we’ve built and continue working toward our ambitious strategic goals. That’s why your support is more important than ever.

Every contribution—whether large or small—makes a meaningful impact. With your help, we can continue to provide the dedicated advocacy that gives vulnerable children a strong, compassionate voice. Together, we can ensure that these children receive the support and care they deserve.

In addition to community support, legislative action can also strengthen our efforts. Two bills currently being considered by the Oregon State Legislature, HB 5002 and HB 3196, have received bipartisan support and could positively impact CASA programs across the state, ensuring financial stability in all programs, including ours.

Thank you for being part of our mission and for standing with us as we navigate these challenges. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns or would like more information on ways to be more involved in supporting our mission.

To learn more about how these funding changes will impact CASA’s work across the state, click the buttons below to read the full press release or check out the featured story from our media partners at KEZI. You can also explore some of the other resources we have related to future funding efforts for our program.

With gratitude,
Kendra Jones
Executive Director
CASA of Lane County