Our Reaching Higher College Prep program partners refugee high school students with community mentors for one school year. COAR provides six workshops during the year to help prepare these refugee students for high school graduation and the continuation of their education in college. During our first workshop this year, refugees and mentors were asked to paint their feelings regarding their “home.”

With the new year, COAR has many reasons to celebrate. First and foremost – thank you! We met our Lodestar matching grant goal and are so very appreciative to all of our generous donors. We will now receive an additional $10,000 because of your kindness!

Hello! We hope you are having a fantastic holiday season and are happy, healthy and ready for a fantastic 2009. COAR is gearing up for a great new year, including more programs and new funding.
You may have heard of Lodestar – a local foundation that generously provides matching grants to nonprofits. COAR is in its second year of Lodestar funding. In 2007, we raised $10,000, which was matched with $10,000 from the foundation. This year, COAR must raise $20,000 by December 31 to receive the additional $10,000. We are within $2000 of our goal.

We cannot tell you enough how lucky we are to have your support; 2008 has been a great year for COAR. We’ve expanded our programs, spoken at countless community events, hosted soccer tournaments and film series, added incredible members to our board of directors, hired two full-time employees and moved into our own little office.
While we are small, we are growing. This is only possible due to your generosity. We are forever thankful, as are the hundreds of refugees in Arizona who are able to help as a result of your kindness.

Have you heard of the Working Class tax credit in Arizona? It gives tax payers a chance to donate $200 as a single or $400 for joint-filing to a non-profit that focuses on helping the working poor. COAR qualifies!  Your dollar-for-dollar tax credit – up to $400 – can support our work improving the well-being of Arizona’s refugees.
The details:
-First you must establish a baseline year and amount for when you began giving charitable deductions (from 1996 on). The credit is determined by the amount given above your current baseline.