Casey Family Programs

Casey Family Programs occupies a singular position in child welfare philanthropy: it is the nation's largest operating foundation focused entirely on safely reducing the need for foster care. With $2.68 billion in assets and approximately 379 employees, Casey is not primarily a grantmaker — it is a direct service organization, technical assistance provider, and systems-change engine that also makes targeted grants to strategic partners.

This distinction is the most important thing any prospective partner must understand. Casey does not accept unsolicited proposals. The organization has stated explicitly that for the vast majority of its grants, staff approach organizations directly and invite them to submit a proposal. Open calls for proposals occur infrequently and are highly targeted. This is not a foundation where a compelling grant proposal wins funding — it is a foundation where a demonstrated track record, strategic alignment, and relationship with Casey staff are prerequisites.

The path to a Casey grant runs through visibility and relationship. Organizations that appear in Casey's convenings, publish research that Casey staff cite, participate in Casey-facilitated technical assistance collaborations, or are recommended by existing grantee partners (like the Child Welfare League of America, FosterClub, or Chapin Hall) are far more likely to receive an invitation than any organization that submits a cold contact.

Casey's grantee portfolio from the 1,260 tracked grants averaging $45,022 apiece reflects three tiers: national policy and research organizations (Harvard Kennedy School, Chapin Hall, NYU Family Defense Clinic) receiving grants in the $500K–$3.5M range; advocacy and community organizations (FosterClub, Border Network for Human Rights, Generations United) in the $300K–$900K range; and direct service and fiscal sponsors (Tides Center, YMCA of Greater Seattle) receiving a mix of sizes. First-time partners typically enter at the lower end.

First-time organizations should treat any Casey engagement — attendance at a webinar, participation in a TA cohort, co-authoring a resource — as relationship capital. Casey staff have long institutional memories and a strong preference for partners they have observed performing well over time.

Casey Family Programs' external grantmaking is smaller than its asset base suggests. Of the 1,260 grants tracked in available data, total cash distributed was $56.7 million — an average of $45,022 per grant. However, Casey's actual annual cash grantmaking has been declining significantly: FY2020: $16.1M → FY2021: $9.7M → FY2022: $8.3M → FY2023: $7.7M → FY2024: $6.0M in grants paid to external organizations. This contraction reflects Casey shifting resources toward direct service delivery (currently $36.5M annually) and technical assistance programs ($56.3M annually) — with the $2.68B endowment supporting internal operations rather than grant pass-throughs.

Grant size ranges from as low as $50 (employee matching gifts) to as high as $3.5M for multi-year national partners. The realistic median for new organizational partners is in the $50,000–$300,000 range. The top grantee — Tides Center at $3.49M across 10 grants — functions as a fiscal sponsor for multiple Casey-initiated projects, not a single programmatic relationship. Excluding fiscal sponsors, the effective ceiling for a single organizational relationship is closer to $1.5–2M over multiple years.

Geographic distribution in available grant data: Washington State dominates with 367 grants (29% of total), reflecting Casey's Seattle headquarters network. California accounts for 116 grants (9.2%), New York for 92 (7.3%), DC for 87 (6.9%), and Texas for 72 (5.7%). Organizations based in or with strong presence in these states have structural advantages in building staff relationships.

Thematic breakdown derived from grantee purposes: child welfare systems reform and capacity building represents the clear plurality (~40% of dollars); racial equity and equity in philanthropy organizations (Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, ABFE, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute) account for roughly 15%; tribal and Indigenous community support represents ~10% (Oglala Sioux Tribe, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, Navajo Nation); and youth development, violence prevention, and advocacy make up the remainder. Employee matching gifts appear throughout, reflecting Casey's internal philanthropy culture.

The peer foundations selected by asset size ($2.5–2.8B) are structurally very different from Casey Family Programs. Casey is an operating foundation — it delivers programs directly rather than distributing the majority of assets as grants — while most asset-comparable peers are traditional grantmaking foundations. This context is critical for evaluating relative access and strategy.

Casey is the most restrictive funder in this peer set — not because of a formal gatekeeping process, but because grants flow from programmatic relationships rather than philanthropic decision-making cycles. McKnight and Richard King Mellon both have published grant guidelines and periodic open windows; Casey has neither. Organizations seeking traditional foundation grants should look to those peers. Organizations positioned to be strategic partners in child welfare systems change — with track records, research capacity, and existing relationships in the child welfare space — are the appropriate candidates for Casey engagement.

Casey Family Programs entered 2026 actively recognizing state government leaders as child welfare champions — a notable expansion of its Excellence for Children Award beyond nonprofit practitioners. In January 2026, California DHHS Secretary Kim Johnson and CDSS Deputy Director of Children and Family Services Angie Schwartz received the award, reflecting Casey's deepening investment in government-sector systems transformation.

In May 2025, Casey added executive capacity with the hire of Melissa Shields as EVP of Communications, Human Resources, and Organizational Development — a signal of organizational maturation and increased external communication investment.

Casey's 2025 Excellence for Children honorees spanned the breadth of child welfare: Shannon Deinhart of Kinnect (kinship care innovation), Bryan Samuels and Clare Anderson of Chapin Hall (policy research institution), and Dee Bonnick (birth parent leadership in Connecticut) — reflecting continued investment in kinship family support, evidence-based research, and parent voice. Bruce Perry, the pioneering trauma and neuroscience researcher, was also honored in 2025.

On the resource front, Casey released new technical assistance materials on applying safety science to child fatality reviews (January 30, 2026) and training support for child protection supervisors (December 17, 2025), extending their TA toolkit into accountability systems and workforce development. A major resource on New York City's mandated reporting policy reform (December 10, 2025) underscores ongoing interest in reducing unnecessary family system involvement — a core prevention strategy.

Notably, Casey's cash grantmaking to external organizations continued its multi-year decline, reaching approximately $6.0M in FY2024 — down from $16.1M in FY2020 — as internal program spending grew.

Because Casey Family Programs does not accept unsolicited proposals, the concept of a 'grant application' must be reframed entirely. Here is what actually works:

Get visible in Casey's ecosystem first. Casey staff attend national conferences (Child Welfare League of America Annual Conference, Family First Act convenings, National Indian Child Welfare Association Conference). Present research, moderate panels, or publish in outlets that Casey cites — particularly The Imprint, which closely covers Casey's work. Chapin Hall, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab, and NYU's Family Defense Clinic are recurring partners that Casey collaborates with on research; adjacent relationships in these institutions can generate introductions.

Align explicitly with their measurable goal. Casey's north star is reducing the number of children in foster care safely. Any approach framing — prevention, kinship support, family preservation, tribal child welfare, youth transitions — must connect to this outcome with data. Vague 'helping families' language does not resonate. Show specific outcomes: families served, placements prevented, reunifications achieved, youth successfully transitioned to adulthood.

Pursue technical assistance relationships before grants. Casey's primary offering to external partners is free TA, strategic consultation, and data analysis — not money. Accepting a TA engagement with Casey staff is the single best pipeline to a future grant relationship. These engagements let Casey observe your organization's capacity and execution quality firsthand.

Tribal organizations should contact Casey's Tribal Affairs team directly. Casey maintains a dedicated program stream for American Indian/Alaska Native child welfare ($7.7M in annual program expenses), and tribal nations (Oglala Sioux Tribe, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, Navajo Nation) have received direct grants including emergency relief support. The ICWA framework and culturally responsive practice language are the correct alignment vocabulary.

Racial equity language must be substantive. Tides Center, ABFE, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Hispanics in Philanthropy, and UnidosUS are all Casey partners. Equity is not a box to check but a demonstrated organizational value. Show demographic data on who you serve and leadership diversity.

If Casey contacts you: Respond promptly, offer a brief organizational overview focused on measurable outcomes, and ask about their current TA priorities. Treat the first meeting as a listening opportunity, not a pitch.