Individuals:

Anna Quindlen, Author, Columnist,
and National CASA Association Celebrity Advocate

David Kersh, Country Western singer
David Kersh has committed his heart and talent to a campaign to help raise funds and build awareness for CASA agencies from coast to coast. He wrote a song called, “When I Look at You,” about his admiration for kids who struggle with abuse and neglect.

Governmental Agencies:

The United States Department of Justice
The United Sates Department of Justice has supported CASA since 1985 through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program (OJJDP). In 1991, it named CASA an “Exemplary National Program in Juvenile Delinquency Prevention.” National CASA has an agreement to award and administer OJJDP funds to state and local CASA programs to create new CASA programs, expand existing ones, and develop better statewide organizations to help local programs build capacity. OJJDP funding also supports the training and technical assistance that National CASA provides to state and local CASA programs, helping to ensure quality program operations and strong advocacy services for children. Funding from the Office of Victims of Crime, also within the Department of Justice, helps to expand the number and size of CASA programs working to meet the needs of abused children in Native American Tribal Courts.

Foundations:

The Goizueta Foundation
The Goizueta Foundation provided substantial funding to National CASA’s Urban Initiative, which has helped to increase the capacity of CASA programs to serve more children in 28 of the country’s largest child welfare systems. The Foundation also recently awarded a major grant to National CASA to fund the nationwide Rural Initiative, which will provide guidance and support to ensure the continued growth of CASA in the nation’s rural areas.

Kappa Alpha Theta
Since 1989, the National CASA Association has received grant support from the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation as Kappa Alpha Theta’s selected philanthropy. To date, over $769,000 has been contributed to fund National CASA’s public awareness efforts, including educational materials, videos, publications, and the Kappa Alpha Theta Program Director of the Year award. Additionally, local Theta chapters and members generously and tirelessly support local CASA programs nationwide through a variety of volunteer and fundraising activities.

The Lyons Foundation
The Lyons Foundation gave a significant three-year grant in 2000 to support volunteer recruitment efforts via expanded public awareness and resource development activities. Their support included sponsorship of the 2003 Light of Hope event.

David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Since 1996, the Foundation has provided over $1 million to support National CASA. The Foundation provided groundbreaking support of National CASA’s Evaluation Project. The project compares data from CASA programs across the country with data from a federal government survey of child and adolescent well-being and will help to better quantify some of the benefits of CASA advocacy for abused and neglected children. The COMET software funded by the Packard Foundation allows local programs to track outcomes for the children they serve.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Created by Dave Thomas in 1993 to raise the awareness of the 134,000 children in the US waiting for permanent adoptive homes, generously supported the Light of Hope Event in 2003 and has been a long-time supporter of CASA.

Jewelers for Children
In 2003, the Champions for Abused Children initiative was created by the Jewelers for Children (JFC) and National CASA. Through that initiative, JFC provides funding to significantly advance the vision of placing a CASA volunteer with every abused or neglected child who needs one. The initiative will be implemented throughout the coming year to bring hope and dramatically change the lives of more than 25,000 children. Click here for more information.

American Legion Child Welfare Foundation
American Legion Child Welfare Foundation has provided substantial support for the production of National CASA’s upcoming book featuring stories of foster children, the advocates who have inspired them, and their own outreach to others.

The William Randolph Hearst Foundations
The William Randolph Hearst Foundations provided substantial funding to National CASA’s Urban Initiative, which resulted in a significant increase in the capacity of CASA programs to serve more children in the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.

The Swalm Foundation
The Swalm Foundation’s 2001-2002 grant had a significant impact on 18 Tribal CASA programs serving approximately 300 Native American children. The training and individualized technical assistance sponsored by the Foundation greatly increased the ability of these programs to sustain their operations, resulting in hundreds more Native American children receiving the help of a CASA volunteer.