The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $107.6 million (2024)
Average Grant: $76,000
Total Assets: $3.4 billion (2023)
Grant Range: Varies widely; average $76,000
Geographic Focus: United States (including Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands)
Priority Locations: Baltimore, MD and Atlanta, GA
Application Type: Invitation only

Contact Details

Website: https://www.aecf.org Phone: 410-547-6600 Email: webmail@aecf.org Address: Baltimore, MD Grant Portal: https://portal.aecf.org (for invited applicants only)

Overview

The Annie E. Casey Foundation was established in 1948 by Jim Casey, founder of United Parcel Service (UPS), and his siblings George, Harry, and Marguerite, in honor of their mother. Originally headquartered in Seattle and later Greenwich, Connecticut, the Foundation moved to Baltimore in 1994. With assets of approximately $3.4 billion (2023), it ranks among the largest private foundations in the United States. In 2024, the Foundation awarded 1,165+ grants totaling $107.6 million to approximately 1,006 organizations. The Foundation is devoted to developing a brighter future for millions of children and young people by addressing their educational, economic, social, and health outcomes. Under the leadership of President and CEO Lisa Hamilton (since 2019), the Foundation has maintained its focus on racial and ethnic equity as central to its mission, with particular attention to the South and Southwest regions where child well-being indicators show greatest need.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Annie E. Casey Foundation operates through invitation-only grantmaking and does not accept unsolicited proposals. The Foundation's approach focuses on making multi-year, multi-site commitments that enable investment in long-term strategies and partnerships.

Key Initiatives:

KIDS COUNT Network: Provides legislators, public officials, and child advocates with reliable data, policy recommendations, and tools to advance policies that benefit children. Published annually in English (KIDS COUNT) and Spanish (LA INFANCIA CUENTA).
Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI): Launched in 1992, now operating in approximately 200 jurisdictions across 39 states and the District of Columbia, demonstrating ways to safely reduce reliance on secure confinement of children.
State Children and Youth Policy Fund: Awards $100,000 grants to organizations that educate decision makers at state and local levels using data to advance laws and policies.
Youth Grantmakers Initiative: Youth-led grantmaking programs, such as Baltimore's Promise, where young people ages 16-24 make funding decisions.

Priority Areas

Child Welfare/Permanence: Addressing challenges in the child welfare system to ensure all children—regardless of age, race, culture, national origin, sexual orientation, special needs, or complex circumstances—have lifelong connections to caring, nurturing families. Includes innovative approaches like Kansas's SOUL Family option for youth in foster care.

Community Change: Building better futures for disadvantaged children in tough neighborhoods where poverty is concentrated, crime is common, safety is elusive, and essential services are unreliable.

Economic Security: Increasing opportunities for low-income families, reducing the number of children growing up in poverty, and ensuring parents and children are on paths to financial stability. Includes workforce development, entrepreneurship training, and criminal record expungement assistance.

Education: Supporting child care access and quality, educational achievement, and youth workforce development. Examples include building skills of home-based child care providers and creating job training and apprenticeship programs.

Juvenile Justice: Ensuring young people exposed to the legal system can realize their potential, even when they make serious mistakes. Includes prevention programs like B-360's dirt bike summer camp in Baltimore, which served over 400 young people.

Leadership Development and Racial/Ethnic Equity: Building capacity of nonprofit and government leaders to achieve results for children and families, with racial equity central to all work.

What They Don't Fund

Grants or donations directly to individuals
Capital improvement projects
Medical research
Work outside the United States (does not include U.S. territories)
Lobbying and political campaigning

Governance and Leadership

President and CEO

Lisa Hamilton (formerly Lisa Lawson) became President and CEO effective January 1, 2019, succeeding Patrick McCarthy, who led the Foundation for nearly nine years after Douglas W. Nelson's 20-year tenure. Hamilton previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Program Officer at Casey.

Key Leadership Quote: When Hamilton was vice president of external affairs overseeing KIDS COUNT, she recognized that "the South and Southwest were struggling on child well-being maps, yet Casey was ignoring the South. It's like being a firefighter and ignoring the biggest fire. We can't do that." This observation led to strategic geographic refocusing.

On the Foundation's collaborative approach, Hamilton states: "We know we can't change the world by ourselves," emphasizing the need to "help facilitate others' growth and development in this space."

Board of Trustees

The Foundation is governed by a 14-member Board of Trustees that oversees management, operations, and grantmaking.

Board Members Include:

Michael L. Eskew, Board Chair (retired Chairman and CEO, UPS)
David Abney (retired Chairman and CEO, UPS)
Maurizio Agresta (retired Tax Counsel and VP of Public Affairs, UPS)
Diana Bontá (former President and CEO, California Wellness Foundation)
Norman Brothers, Jr. (Executive VP and Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, UPS)
Lisa Hamilton (President and CEO, Annie E. Casey Foundation)
Gabriella E. Morris (former President, Prudential Foundation)

Staff

The Foundation employs approximately 200 dedicated staff members and partners with over 700 grantees nationwide.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Annie E. Casey Foundation does NOT accept unsolicited proposals. The grant application process is by invitation only. Foundation staff directly identify and approach organizations to invite them to submit proposals. There is no avenue for organizations to request an invitation for future grant consideration.

Grant Portal: Invited applicants receive access to the Foundation's online grant management system (GMS Portal) at https://portal.aecf.org for submitting applications and reports.

Pre-Application Support: The Foundation does not provide a mechanism for preliminary inquiries or letters of interest from organizations seeking funding.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available. Since the Foundation operates through invitation-only grantmaking with multi-year, multi-site commitments, timelines likely vary depending on the specific initiative or strategic focus area.

Budget Setting: Each December, the Board of Trustees sets the annual budget using a formula designed to sustain work over the long term. Because assets fluctuate with market conditions, spending rates vary year to year.

Success Rates

Success rate data is not publicly available. Given the invitation-only model, organizations invited to apply likely have higher success rates than typical open-application processes. In 2024, the Foundation awarded 1,165+ grants to approximately 1,006 organizations, suggesting some organizations receive multiple grants.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the Foundation operates through invitation-only grantmaking rather than open applications or reapplications.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Approach and What They Value

Data-Driven Decision Making: The Foundation emphasizes "knowing what works and using data to drive decision making." They invest in building the capacity of nonprofit and government leaders to achieve measurable results for children and families.

Multi-Year, Multi-Site Commitments: Rather than one-off grants, the Foundation seeks long-term partnerships that enable sustained investment in strategies and systemic change.

Catalytic Role: The Foundation acts as a catalyst for systemic change rather than merely funding ongoing programs. They identify promising ideas, pilot initiatives, and leverage data to scale proven solutions.

Geographic Priorities: Baltimore and Atlanta are priority areas, with increasing focus on the South and Southwest where child well-being indicators show greatest need.

Equity-Centered: Racial and ethnic equity are central priorities declared under previous leadership and continued under CEO Lisa Hamilton, integrated into all funding decisions.

Types of Activities Funded

Community engagement and data analysis
Demonstration projects testing new approaches
Evidence-based programs and practices with proven outcomes
Policy advocacy and research
Technical assistance and capacity building
Youth leadership development

Recent Funding Examples

Economic Opportunity & Workforce Development:

Ignite Capital (Baltimore) — Foundation-supported investment fund that financed 30 enterprises, including Citywide Youth Development
Georgia Justice Project — Helped 873 residents navigate criminal record expungement to expand employment and housing access
Albuquerque job training and apprenticeship program for young people

Child Care:

National Fund for Workforce Solutions grantee near Akron, Ohio — Built skills of home-based child care providers

Youth Justice & Prevention:

B-360 (Baltimore) — Served 400+ young people through annual dirt bike summer camp, using dirt bike culture as prevention tool

Foster Care Innovation:

Kansas social workers — Implemented new SOUL Family option for youth in foster care

Youth-Led Grantmaking:

Baltimore's Promise — Youth Grantmakers Initiative led by 10 Baltimore youth ages 16-24, awarded eight grants totaling $500,000

State Policy Reform:

21 organizations received $100,000 each (total $2.1 million) to advance data-driven laws and policies

Foundation Philosophy

The Foundation sees itself as one player in a larger ecosystem. CEO Lisa Hamilton has stated: "it's urgent for us to get public leaders, and nonprofit leaders and legislators, all to prioritize the interests of children."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-Only Model: You cannot apply directly. Build your organization's profile and reputation in child welfare, juvenile justice, education, economic opportunity, or community development fields to potentially attract Foundation attention.
Focus on Systemic Change: The Foundation invests in large-scale, multi-year initiatives that demonstrate potential for systemic impact, not short-term projects or individual service delivery.
Data and Evidence Are Essential: Organizations must demonstrate capacity to collect data, measure outcomes, and use evidence to drive decision-making. The Foundation values "knowing what works."
Geographic Considerations: While they work nationally, Baltimore and Atlanta are priority locations. The South and Southwest are regions of increasing strategic focus.
Equity Must Be Central: Racial and ethnic equity should be integrated throughout your work and approach, not added as an afterthought.
Build Long-Term Partnerships: The Foundation seeks sustained relationships with partners who share their commitment to improving outcomes for children and families, not one-time funding requests.
Consider Becoming Part of Existing Initiatives: Organizations may have better chances of Foundation support by participating in established initiatives like KIDS COUNT Network or JDAI rather than seeking standalone project funding.

References

The Annie E. Casey Foundation - Official Website. "Grant Information & FAQs." https://www.aecf.org/grant-making (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "2024 Annual Results Report." https://www.aecf.org/resources/annual-report-2024 (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "About Us." https://www.aecf.org/about (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "Foundation Leadership." https://www.aecf.org/about/leadership (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "Board of Trustees." https://www.aecf.org/about/leadership/board-of-trustees (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "Our History." https://www.aecf.org/about/history (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "Financial Information." https://www.aecf.org/about/financials (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "Lisa Hamilton Named Next President & CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation." https://www.aecf.org/blog/lisa-hamilton-named-next-president-ceo-of-the-annie-e-casey-foundation (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "Youth Grantmakers Select Baltimore Funding Recipients." https://www.aecf.org/blog/youth-grantmakers-select-baltimore-funding-recipients (Accessed November 2024)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. "Casey Awards $2.1 Million in Grants to 21 Organizations That Advance State Policy Solutions." https://www.aecf.org/blog/casey-awards-2-1-million-in-grants-to-21-organizations-that-advance-state-policy-solutions (Accessed November 2024)
Inside Philanthropy. "Annie E. Casey Foundation." https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-c/annie-e-casey-foundation (Accessed November 2024)
PEAK Grantmaking. "The Impact of Putting Equity at the Center of Strategy." https://www.peakgrantmaking.org/insights/impact-equity-center-strategy/ (Accessed November 2024)
Lidji. "Lisa Hamilton, President and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation: Empowering and Supporting Youth." https://www.lidji.org/post/lisa-hamilton-president-and-ceo-of-the-annie-e-casey-foundation-empowering-and-supporting-youth (Accessed November 2024)
Wikipedia. "Annie E. Casey Foundation." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_E._Casey_Foundation (Accessed November 2024)