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Nonprofit of the Month: Mother’s Grace 

Arizona’s own Mother’s Grace is dedicated to providing essential support for moms and children facing acute life challenges, having impacted 3,000-plus families. Here, Michelle Moore, founder of Mother’s Grace, discusses why she started the nonprofit and how locals can contribute this holiday season via its 12 Day of Christmas program.

What is Mother’s Grace? Mother’s Grace is an Arizona-based, community-driven organization devoted to providing essential support for moms and children facing acute life challenges. We offer critical assistance, including mortgage and rental aid, utility support, medical expenses, counseling, meals, and other tailored services to help families navigate crises. Our dedicated board members and volunteers work tirelessly to make a meaningful difference during these difficult times, offering relief, respite, and recovery—frequently described as an “answer to a prayer.”

Through partnerships with over 33 organizations worldwide, Mother’s Grace has impacted more than 3,000 families, built facilities in Arizona, India, and Africa for prenatal care and housing, and provided assistance to families in 20 states—all while keeping 85 percent of funding local to Arizona. With the invaluable help of over 100 volunteers, we deliver meals, provide transportation, assist with home maintenance, and offer scholarships to youth impacted by acute life circumstances. Our efforts also include collaborations and fundraising with local businesses, earning us a Platinum rating on Guidestar. As a QCO charity, we remain deeply committed to nurturing and uplifting those in need, ensuring that less than 8 percent of our funding goes toward administrative overhead.

What prompted the start of the nonprofit? As a mother of three young children, aged 3, 6, and 9, and the primary breadwinner for my family, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer requiring a year-long treatment plan, including five surgeries, chemotherapy, and a clinical trial at the University of Arizona. Just three weeks after my diagnosis, my 6-year-old son was rushed to Phoenix Children’s Hospital and diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, making him insulin-dependent for life.

While undergoing chemotherapy, teaching my son to manage his condition, and raising my two other boys, I persevered. [I was inspired to] create an organization to support mothers and children facing acute crises. Recognizing that moms are often the backbone of families—managing children, households, and work—I knew immediate, tailored support was essential during moments of intense hardship.

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What is the greatest reward in being involved with Mother’s Grace? The greatest reward is hearing from moms who tell us we were the answer to their prayers. Many share that, while they never asked for help, someone recognized their silent struggles and stepped in to provide life-changing support.

What is the biggest challenge the nonprofit faces? While we are blessed to have a well-managed organization that allows us to provide aid efficiently—with 92 percent of our funding going directly to recipients—the biggest challenge is the overwhelming need we face. Hospitals and social workers across the country have learned about Mother’s Grace and regularly reach out for support. As a relatively small Arizona-based charity, we aim to scale our model to other regions and attract larger donors to help expand our mission.

What are your goals for 2025? Our primary goals include:

  1. Scaling our model to reach more families in need across the country.
  2. Building partnerships with larger donors and businesses to expand our resources and impact.
  3. Continuing to develop sustainable programs that address both immediate and long-term needs for moms and children in crisis.

How can readers help? Visit www.mothers-grace.org to donate online, participate in our “12 Days of Christmas” event, volunteer, or connect us with business partners who may wish to sponsor our mission. Partnering with businesses is especially impactful, as many of our current partners are long-term supporters who deeply believe in our cause.

Tell us about the 12 Days of Christmas. The 12 Days of Christmas is a partnership with 12 businesses, each contributing proceeds from designated shopping days between Dec. 5 and Dec. 17. A calendar of events will be available on our website, and we encourage everyone to participate.

Additionally, we are supporting several Valley families this holiday season where moms are too ill or overwhelmed to handle holiday preparations. For these families, we will provide holiday meals, gifts, decorations, and cover essential household bills to ensure they can still celebrate the season. Families are nominated and selected through our Christmas Program.

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