CASA of Cook County

What CASA of Cook County does

CASA of Cook County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1986 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer advocates appointed by the Cook County Juvenile Court to represent the best interests of children in foster care who have experienced abuse or neglect. The organization's core offering is the CASA Advocate Volunteer Program, in which ordinary citizens complete 30 hours of training, commit to 12 months of service at approximately 10 hours per month, and are then court-sworn and matched with individual children. The program is supplemented by four specialized advocacy tracks: the Early Childhood Court Team (infants 0–3), the M.A.R.K. program (medically fragile children), C.I.T.Y. (youth 16+ aging out of foster care), and the Large Sibling Groups program. The organization has served more than 12,000 children over 36 years and currently serves approximately 700 of the 5,600+ children in protective custody in Cook County, making it the largest of the 31 CASA programs in Illinois.

The underlying delivery model is labor- and relationship-intensive rather than technology-mediated. The organization operates from a single office at 1100 S. Hamilton Ave, Chicago, with a staff leadership team (CEO Dr. Bonita Carr, CFO Marlo Kemp, and program directors) and a base of 200+ trained volunteer advocates supported by eight Advocate Supervisors. Technology footprint is limited to standard nonprofit tooling: a Neon CRM donation portal, a Z2Systems giving site, an Evinto Solutions volunteer application portal, and the Optima case management platform. There is no proprietary technology product, no AI/ML capability disclosed, and no software revenue stream.

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary contributions. The cost to provide one year of CASA advocacy is approximately $1,500 per child (compared to roughly $6,000 for traditional foster care), and services are provided free of charge. Funding sources include individual donations (online portal, Amazon Smile 0.5% program, Double the Donation employer matching), corporate sponsorships (Allstate, White Sox Charities, DLA Piper, Smokeball, CTC), and event fundraising (the annual Fall Gala "The Good Act," the Homeward Bound cocktail event, and Team CASA at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon). Long-tenured philanthropic partnership with Kappa Alpha Theta sorority (since 1989) provides additional volunteer pipeline and fundraising support. The organization is a member of the National CASA/GAL Association, which is recognized by the US Department of Justice and the Violence Against Women Act.

Name

CASA of Cook County

Legal name

CASA of Cook County

Website

https://casacookcounty.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CASA of Cook County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 in Chicago that recruits, trains, and supervises court-appointed volunteer advocates for children in foster care. It currently serves roughly 700 children in Cook County through its core CASA Advocate program and four specialized advocacy tracks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Advocacy Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO)

Keywords

• Child advocacy services
• Court-appointed advocates
• Foster care support
• Volunteer training programs
• Nonprofit child welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to CASA of Cook County through an online donation portal. Donations support recruitment, training, and supervision of volunteer advocates who provide services to children in foster care.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including Allstate, White Sox Charities, DLA Piper, Smokeball, and CTC provide financial support and sponsorships for events and programs.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including the Fall Gala (The Good Act), Homeward Bound cocktail event, and Chicago Marathon Team CASA generate significant revenue. The 2019 Homeward Bound event raised over $30,000.
4. Corporate Matching Gifts: The Double the Donation program enables donors to have their employers match their contributions, effectively doubling the impact of individual donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CASA of Cook County recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) who serve as one-on-one advocates for children in foster care in Cook County, Illinois. Each trained volunteer is sworn in by the court, matched with a single child, and provides monthly visits, case research, courtroom representation, and case monitoring until the child achieves a safe, permanent home. The program is delivered at no cost to the children and families served and is supplemented by four specialized advocacy programs targeting infants, medically fragile children, aging-out youth, and large sibling groups.

Product overview

CASA of Cook County operates as a nonprofit child advocacy organization offering a volunteer-based advocacy program for children in foster care. The core offering is the CASA Advocate Volunteer Program, which recruits, trains, and supervises court-appointed volunteers to advocate for children. The organization runs specialized programs including the Early Childhood Court Team (Safe Babies Court) for infants 0-3 years, the Medically At-Risk Kids (M.A.R.K.) Program for medically fragile children, the Creating Independent Transitions for Youth (C.I.T.Y.) program for youth aging out of foster care, and the Large Sibling Groups Program. All programs are provided free of charge to children in Cook County's foster care system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CASA Advocate Volunteer Program A volunteer program that trains ordinary citizens to become court-appointed special advocates for children in foster care, providing one-on-one support including monthly visits, case research, courtroom representation, and case monitoring until case resolution. Provided at no cost to the children and families served.
• Early Childhood Court Team (E.C.C.T.) / Safe Babies Court A specialized advocacy program targeting the most vulnerable infants (zero to three years old) served by child welfare case management, with the goal of reducing time in foster care and decreasing recurrence of maltreatment, with special emphasis on infant mental health and trauma recognition.
• Medically At-Risk Kids (M.A.R.K.) Program A specialized program that assigns CASA volunteers to medically fragile children identified by local hospitals as victims of abuse and neglect, monitoring cases to ensure appropriate medical care and minimize potential for re-abuse.
• Creating Independent Transitions for Youth (C.I.T.Y.) Program A specialized program that assigns trained CASA volunteers to older youth (16+) still in child protective custody, empowering them with tools for successful independence including education, job training, financial planning, housing, and healthcare.
• Large Sibling Groups Program A specialized program that ensures sibling groups of two or more (average family size of seven siblings) are assigned to CASA volunteers, ensuring siblings separated with different housing placements are reconnected for visitations, support, therapy, and additional resources.
• The Good Act Gala The organization's single largest fundraising event, an annual virtual gala held via Zoom to raise funds for child advocacy services.
• Team CASA Chicago Marathon A charity team program for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon that allows runners to receive a guaranteed marathon entry slot in exchange for raising funds (suggested $2,500, minimum $1,750) to support CASA of Cook County's child advocacy mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than 1% re-entry rate to protective custody for children with CASA advocates (vs higher rates without)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Erikson InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Erikson Institute announced its sixth cohort of Executive Fellows program with participation from CASA of Cook County, aimed at elevating early childhood development to top decision-makers.
• Bank of America Chicago MarathoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Bank of America Chicago Marathon selected CASA of Cook County as a charity team allocated 10,000 slots reserved for charity runners who agree to raise funds in exchange for guaranteed marathon entry. This partnership enables significant fundraising and awareness for CASA's mission.
• AllstatecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Corporate sponsor of CASA of Cook County as shown in corporate sponsors section on website.
• White Sox CharitiescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Corporate sponsor of CASA of Cook County as shown in corporate sponsors section on website.
• DLA PipercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Corporate sponsor of CASA of Cook County as shown in corporate sponsors section on website.
• CTCcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Corporate sponsor of CASA of Cook County as shown in corporate sponsors section on website.
• Amazon SmileminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Amazon Smile program allows donors to link their Amazon account to CASA of Cook County and receive 0.5% donation of all eligible purchases.
• National CASA/GAL AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CASA of Cook County is a member of the National CASA/GAL Association that is recognized and supported by the US Department of Justice and the Violence Against Women Act of Congress.
• Unison HomeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 January 2020Unison Home donated 50% of net proceeds of online sales on Martin Luther King Day, January 20, 2020, to CASA of Cook County.
• SmokeballminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2019Smokeball's Season of Giving donated $100 for each short software demonstration attended by a small law firm until Thanksgiving 2019. Last year raised $8,000 for CASA, which allowed CASA to hire additional training resources. Smokeball is committed to doubling last year's gift.
• Mitchell Gold & Bob WilliamscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Presenting sponsor of Homeward Bound: Cocktails for CASA event, underwrote and hosted the entire event at their facility. This event raised over $30,000.
• Kappa Alpha ThetacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Since 1989, Kappa Alpha Theta has been a philanthropic partner of CASA, leveraging the power of the sisterhood's collective impact. Theta's Chicago-area college and alumnae chapters sponsor events to support CASA of Cook County which allow us to recruit, train, and supervise CASA Advocates. Many Team CASA runners are Kappa Alpha Theta alumnae who continue their support through marathon fundraising.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CASA of Los Angeles: Largest CASA program in California, operating a volunteer court-appointed special advocate model for foster children in LA County. Like CASA of Cook County, it sits inside a major metropolitan court system and runs specialized advocacy programs (early childhood, transition-age youth), making it structurally and operationally comparable.
• Children's Home & Aid: Illinois-based child welfare nonprofit serving foster and at-risk children across the state, including the Chicago metro. Operates a broader portfolio (residential, early childhood, adoption services) but shares CASA of Cook County's child welfare mission, donor base (corporate Chicago), and commitment to permanency outcomes.
• CASA of Travis County: Texas CASA chapter providing volunteer court-appointed advocacy for children in the Travis County child welfare system. Mirrors CASA of Cook County in being a county-specific CASA chapter with corporate funding partnerships, volunteer recruitment infrastructure, and similar specialized program offerings.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago: Chicago-area volunteer mentoring nonprofit serving at-risk youth. Operates a comparable volunteer-recruitment-and-supervision engine, relies on individual/corporate donations and special events, and serves overlapping populations (vulnerable youth in Chicago). Comparable scale and GTM motion.
• National CASA/GAL Association: National umbrella organization for the CASA network. CASA of Cook County is an affiliated state/local program under its affiliation, recognized by the US Department of Justice. Same mission (volunteer court-appointed advocacy for foster children), same outcome metrics, same brand family.
• Voices for Children (San Diego): CASA-equivalent organization serving San Diego County's foster children through court-appointed volunteer advocates. Operates within a single large county court system with the same volunteer-referral-supervision architecture as CASA of Cook County, including specialized programs for high-needs populations.
• Child Advocates (Houston): Houston-based nonprofit running the second-largest CASA/CASA-style court-appointed volunteer advocate program in the country. Operates the same core model — volunteer court advocates for abused/neglected children in foster care — with similar specialized program lines (e.g., medical advocacy, aging-out youth). Closest functional peer to CASA of Cook County outside Illinois.

Regional players

• CASA of Lake County (Illinois): Sister Illinois CASA program serving Lake County (north of Chicago) through volunteer court-appointed advocacy for foster youth. Same model, same state regulatory environment, but a different geographic service area than CASA of Cook County.
• CASA of DuPage County (Illinois): One of the other 30 CASA programs in Illinois serving a suburban Chicago-area county. Operates the same volunteer court-appointed advocate model under the same National CASA/GAL umbrella as CASA of Cook County, but in a smaller, more suburban jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• Prevent Child Abuse America: National 501(c)(3) focused on child abuse prevention, parent support, and child welfare advocacy. Operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope than CASA of Cook County but addresses the same root problem (child abuse/neglect) and overlaps on policy advocacy and donor pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CASAofCookCo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/casacookcounty
• Facebookfacebook.com/CASAofCookCo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casa-of-cook-county
• Instagraminstagram.com/casaofcookcounty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CASA of Cook County