California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association
ActiveCivil Rights & Advocacy
About California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association
To ensure that children and youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems have both a voice and the services they need to thrive by strengthening and empowering California’s network of local CASA programs and advocating for effective child welfare policies and practices.
Focus Areas
Child welfareFoster careJuvenile justiceVolunteer recruitment & trainingAdvocacy and policy
Who They Fund
state agenciesjuvenile justice systemsyouth involved in juvenile justice
Funding Style
government/state appropriationsline-item/restricted fundingoperational/state program support
About California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association
California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association’s recent grantmaking is anchored by state appropriation funding that reaches local CASA programs across California, with several seven-figure awards going to county affiliates. In 2025, Casa of Los Angeles County received $3,047,399, while Casa of Orange County received $1,780,111 and Voices for Children in San Diego received $1,759,835. The pattern points to a statewide network funder that channels resources to local programs serving children and youth in foster care and the juvenile justice system. The foundation’s work centers on strengthening California CASA programs so they can recruit, train, supervise, and expand support for volunteer advocates. Its stated purpose is to ensure that children and youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems have both a voice and the services they need to thrive. Recent grant records also show support for bilingual capacity, operations, and program expansion, alongside funding tied to advocacy and policy work. The grants are directed to local CASA programs rather than individuals, and the recipient list is entirely California-based, reflecting a local giving scope within the state network.
What California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association Funds
Child welfare and foster care are the clearest throughline in the grant record. California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association awarded $1,759,835 to Voices for Children in San Diego for state appropriation support, and $607,257 to Casa of Fresno County in Fresno for the same type of support. Those grants align with the foundation’s stated goal of strengthening local CASA programs that serve children and youth in foster care. Juvenile justice appears as a separate but connected priority. Casa of Santa Cruz County in Watsonville received $403,360 for state appropriation and juvenile justice support, and the foundation’s focus areas include juvenile justice and juvenile justice CASA expansion. Volunteer recruitment and training also show up repeatedly in the program descriptions, including support for supervision, bilingual capacity, and program operations across local CASA programs.
How California Court Appointed Special Advocate Association Gives
Typical grants cluster in the low-to-mid six figures: the 25th percentile is $88,087, the median is $205,835, and the 75th percentile is $345,111. The recent grant list also includes larger state appropriation awards above $1 million, indicating that the distribution includes both standard network support and major allocations. This is recurring grantmaking rather than one-off support. Multiple local CASA programs appear in more than one year, including Casa of Los Angeles County, Casa of Orange County, Voices for Children, Child Advoc of Silicon Valley, Casa of Sacramento County, and Casa of Monterey County. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its active grant programs include cy pres awards and statewide network grants, with acceptance of unsolicited cy pres designations noted for that channel.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$14.7M
Total Assets
$13M
Total Revenue
$20.4M
Total Expenses
$20.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $88K and $345K, with a median of $206K.
25th Percentile
$88K
Median
$206K
75th Percentile
$345K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
SHARON M LAWRENCE
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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