Lawrence youth nonprofit loses 1/3 of budget after federal funding shift

LAWRENCE, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.

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Lawrence nonprofit Van Go says an executive order has resulted in the loss of its $330,000 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant.

Van Go offers creative employment opportunities for Douglas County at-risk youth. Participants might be in foster care, have a mental health diagnosis, have had a run-in with law enforcement, or require certain types of social services.

“We give them the opportunity to have a job and learn how to keep a job or develop some of those employment skills and break past their barriers while they’re in our space," said Emma Givens, Van Go's employment services director.

Participants between the ages of 14 and 24 have splattered color across Lawrence — from murals to benches and more.

Lily O'Shea Becker/KSHB

"Our state partner has decided to reallocate their funding internally," said Lori McSorley, executive director. "This presents a significant challenge to us because this equates to a third of our budget.”

A 2025 executive order — Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future — put an emphasis on investing in high-paying trade jobs.

A U.S. Department of Labor letter sent to workforce agencies outlined how the executive order impacts WIOA.

Lily O'Shea Becker/KSHB

Van Go's annual contract with Kansas Workforce One, the nonprofit's state partner that facilitates the federal grant, expires Sept. 30.

“We just don’t know what the future looks like," McSorley said.

McSorley said a new contract could impact things like Van Go's pay rate for participants, a reduction in enrollment or wraparound services.

Lily O'Shea Becker/KSHB

“Depth of service is something we talk about all the time," Givens said. "We’re not interested in serving 500 youth who come through our doors. We’re focused on making sure the 100 that we see, we’re doing everything we can to give them a leg up or help them address the barriers that they’re facing.”

In addition to employment opportunities, participants at Van Go receive services like counseling.

“The reality is that a loss of funding could result in not being able to serve as many youth in our community," Givens said. "I think that does a disservice to the Douglas County community."

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