ACF of Yuma

Since 1993, the Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma has supported local donors, community members, nonprofits, and students with the passion and expertise that drive effective, long-lasting impact.

Serving Yuma and western Arizona

This regional office focuses on mobilizing enduring philanthropy for those in and around Yuma, including the Cocopah and Quechan tribal lands, US-Mexico border areas, and western Arizona. We are staffed with people who reside in and are passionate for these communities. With back-office support from our central office, ACF of Yuma can focus on community building and local donor development.

Give Now

Support Yuma and western Arizona communities through a gift to one of our local funds.

Establish a Fund

One of the best ways to invest locally is to start a charitable fund. You can get started in as little as one meeting with Regional Director Veronica Shorr.

One of the best ways to invest locally is to start a charitable fund. You can get started in as little as one meeting with Regional Director Veronica Shorr.

nonprofit highlight

Statewide Funding Creates Greater Impact

Yuma EyeSpy 20/20 Horizontal

Eye Spy 20/20

is an interactive video game that instantaneously provides results in English and Spanish.

5,000

children screened for potential vision disorders.

20

Yuma-area schools benefitted from the Eye Spy 20/20 project.

One in four children experience vision problems. Yet, many schools rely on wall charts to conduct vision screenings— a method that was developed over 100 years ago and is susceptible to human error. With that in mind, many schools seek more modern and less error-prone methods of testing their students’ vision. EyeSpy 20/20, a project of the nonprofit VisionQuest 20/20, is one solution. As the world’s only automated, subjective vision screening method, EyeSpy 20/20 is an interactive video game that instantaneously provides results in both English and Spanish.

Upon learning about this new technology, the Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma and its Board of Advisors invited the United Way of Yuma County to apply for children’s health initiative funds. ACF of Yuma was able to tap into funding from one of ACF’s statewide funds dedicated to specific health outcomes.

Kari Tatar is a Yuma resident and mother to a second grader. Kari had no reason to think her daughter had any vision problems. After learning of the high failure rate among the participants while volunteering to implement the screenings, Kari was motivated to have her daughter screened. Not only did her daughter need glasses, but she also found out she had astigmatism, an eye condition which causes blurry vision at all distances.

EyeSpy 20/20 creates a fun experience for children being scanned, while assessing threshold visual acuity, color vision, and stereopsis accurately and efficiently. In the past year, over 25% of children who participated failed their vision screening, highlighting the need for this type of program to ensure children have access to adequate vision care.

Image courtesy of United Way of Yuma County

80% of the topics children are expected to learn inside and outside the classroom require good vision, yet Arizona recommends—but does not mandate—vision screening in schools. Thanks to ACF of Yuma, the United Way is able to fill that gap and have every child in Yuma County’s vision screened for potential vision disorders.

Karina Jones

Director of Marketing and Resource Development for United Way of Yuma County

For Nonprofits

Grants are available year-round for nonprofits serving Yuma, San Luis, and western Arizona.

Local Leadership

ACF of Yuma is guided by local community members who enhance our work.

Community Fund

The San Luis Community Fund provides a permanent source of funding in support of youth programs, leadership development, and entrepreneurialism throughout the San Luis area.

San Luis farmworkers