Marguerite Casey Foundation

What Marguerite Casey Foundation does

Marguerite Casey Foundation is a Seattle-based private philanthropic foundation established in 1999 by the Casey family. Under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. Carmen Rojas (since 2020), the foundation pursues a single mission: shifting the balance of power in society toward communities historically excluded from shaping it — Black, Indigenous, migrant, queer, poor, and communities of color. It serves four primary constituencies: grassroots community organizing and economic justice nonprofits, movement-connected academic scholars, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and impact funds, and municipal government partners leveraging public dollars for public goods.

The foundation operates four interconnected programmatic vehicles: (1) Grantmaking, providing general operating support of up to 25% of a grantee's operating budget over five years on an invitation-only basis; (2) the Freedom Scholar Award, a one-time $250,000 unrestricted grant to scholars whose research supports social movements; (3) Public Dollars for Public Good (PDPG), launched in 2023 with $22M+ deployed to organizations that help underserved communities access federal and local funding; and (4) Program-Related Investments (PRIs), committing up to $50 million over 10 years in low-cost capital to CDFIs, impact funds, and civic engagement ventures. The foundation supplements funding with a community engagement ecosystem — the MCF Book Club (virtual and in-person author events) and the Common Thread in-person convening series hosted in cities including Greensboro, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Portland, and Pittsburgh.

MCF's business model is endowment-funded and not revenue-generating in the commercial sense. It commits to treating the IRS 5% minimum payout as a floor rather than a ceiling, and in strong market years gives above baseline. In June 2026 it announced a $500 million, 10-year giving commitment (a 50% increase over the prior decade's average) and added six new board members including Ta-Nehisi Coates and Paola Ramos. There is no technology platform, no AI/ML capability, and no commercial product offering; the foundation operates a Webflow-hosted marketing site and engages audiences through email, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Name

Marguerite Casey Foundation

Legal name

Marguerite Casey Foundation

Website

https://caseygrants.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Foundation endowment funding
• Community organizing grants
• Economic justice philanthropy
• Movement-connected scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment Investment Returns: MCF generates revenue through returns on its endowment investments. The foundation has committed to using its endowment to increase grantmaking significantly, treating the industry-standard 5% ceiling as a floor. In strong market years, they commit to giving even more than their baseline commitment.
2. Program-Related Investments (PRIs): MCF invests up to $50 million in PRIs over 10 years, providing low-cost capital to CDFIs, impact funds, civic engagement ventures, and mission-aligned projects. PRIs generate returns while advancing programmatic priorities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marguerite Casey Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that distributes unrestricted general operating grants, Freedom Scholar awards ($250,000 each), Program-Related Investments (up to $50 million over 10 years), and Public Dollars for Public Good (PDPG) initiative funding to invited community organizations, scholars, and CDFIs advancing racial and economic justice. The foundation treats the industry-standard 5% endowment payout as a floor and commits to significantly higher annual giving.

Product overview

Marguerite Casey Foundation operates as a unified grantmaking organization with multiple interconnected programs. The core offering is Grantmaking, which provides general operating support to community organizations focused on building power in excluded communities. Supporting this are the Freedom Scholar Award for movement-connected academics, the Public Dollars for Public Good (PDPG) initiative for economic justice, and Program Related Investments (PRIs) for mission-aligned capital deployment. The Foundation also engages communities through the MCF Book Club and Common Thread event series, creating spaces for learning and connection that complement its funding work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Freedom Scholar Award: Unrestricted $250,000 awards to scholars whose research supports social movements centered on improving democracy, economy, and society.
• Public Dollars for Public Good (PDPG)
• MCF Book Club
• Common Thread

Products and services

• Grantmaking General operating grants to community organizations at up to 25% of their operating budget over five years, focused on community organizing to create a vibrant multiracial democracy.
• Freedom Scholar Award Unrestricted $250,000 awards to scholars whose research supports social movements centered on radically improving democracy, economy, and society.
• Public Dollars for Public Good (PDPG) Economic justice initiative providing over $22M in general operating grants to fuel organizations advancing economic justice by organizing communities and unlocking federal funds.
• Program-Related Investments (PRIs) Deploys up to $50 million over 10 years through low-cost capital to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), impact funds, and catalytic capital for civic engagement ventures advancing the foundation's mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured over $27 million in federal grants for Native American communities through grantee Native Americans in Philanthropy
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mayor's Fund To Advance New York CitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2026MCF invested $3 million into Mayor Mamdani's NYC Universal Free Childcare Program through the Mayor's Fund To Advance New York City. This investment supports the program expected to provide care to 2,000 two-year-olds this fall, expanding MCF's Public Dollars for Public Good grantmaking program.
• Native Americans in PhilanthropycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Part of the initial $5M+ PDPG investment. Helped secure over $27 million in federal grants for Native American communities who too often are excluded from federal funding.
• Southern Economic Advancement ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Part of initial PDPG investment. Campaigns for equitable budgeting across the American South.
• Seattle Solidarity BudgetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Part of initial PDPG investment. Advocates for Seattle city budget to prioritize marginalized communities over-policing and reallocate resources toward affordable housing and public transportation.
• Economic Security ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Part of initial PDPG investment working on economic justice initiatives.
• Heartland FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Part of initial PDPG investment supporting rural organizing and advocacy.
• Rural Democracy InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Part of initial PDPG investment supporting rural civic engagement.
• The Workers LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2023Part of initial PDPG investment. Innovation lab that partners with workers to develop new ideas that help them succeed and flourish. Dr. Rojas was formerly co-founder and CEO of The Workers Lab.
• Haymarket BooksminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 September 2023MCF partners with Haymarket Books for MCF Book Club events, including discussions on Elite Capture, Community as Rebellion, and other titles.
• Seattle Arts and LecturesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 September 2023Partnership for book club events including Elite Capture discussion and other author events.
• NationSwellminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 September 2023MCF partnered with NationSwell for the #SayHerName Book Club event.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: One of the largest US private foundations, Ford Foundation makes mission-driven grants globally on issues including economic fairness and democracy. It is broadly comparable to MCF as an institutional progressive grantmaker, though its scope is significantly larger and more global.
• Kresge Foundation: Major US foundation with major commitments to racial equity, economic opportunity, and community development. Comparable in scale and thematic focus, with similar use of PRIs and program-related investments.
• Open Society Foundations: Founded by George Soros, Open Society is a major global grantmaker supporting democratic governance, economic justice, and human rights. Highly comparable to MCF in mission orientation and movement-support philosophy, with substantially greater scale.
• MacArthur Foundation: Large US private foundation making grantmaking and PRIs in areas including racial equity, democratic participation, and inclusive economy. Comparable to MCF in programmatic focus areas and the use of PRIs as a complement to grants.

Direct peers

• NoVo Foundation: Private foundation focused on social justice, gender equity, and movement-building, with a strong commitment to unrestricted, long-term funding. Closely comparable to MCF in funding philosophy and grantee relationship model.
• Borealis Philanthropy: A philanthropic intermediary pooling resources from multiple funders to support racial justice, LGBTQ+, and movement-building organizations. Comparable to MCF's PDPG model as a funder-of-funders and movement infrastructure provider.
• Robin Hood Foundation: New York-based poverty-fighting foundation combining grantmaking with program-related investments and direct services. Comparable to MCF in PRI use and economic justice focus, though more regionally concentrated.
• Arcus Foundation: Private foundation funding social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and conservation movements with a movement-led grantmaking approach. Directly comparable to MCF in values-aligned, unrestricted, movement-supporting grantmaking.
• Hill-Snowdon Foundation: Family foundation supporting movement-building organizations with long-term, unrestricted general operating grants. Closely comparable to MCF in providing the kind of multi-year core support MCF is known for.
• Surdna Foundation: Private foundation focused on inclusive economies, sustainable environments, and meaningful youth engagement. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and the use of multi-year unrestricted general operating support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marguerite-casey-foundation
• TikToktiktok.com/en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Marguerite Casey Foundation