CASA First

What CASA First does

CASA First (legal name: Court Appointed Special Advocates, First Judicial District) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1977 and headquartered at 466 W. San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The organization recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer advocates who serve as the voice for abused, neglected, and system-involved children in foster care within the First Judicial District, covering Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Los Alamos counties. CASA First operates four core programs: Court-Appointed Special Advocates (judges appoint trained volunteers to advocate for children's best interests in court proceedings), Abrigo Advocates (community-based support for trauma-impacted youth), Youth Ambassadors (ages 8-21 leadership and advocacy pipeline), and the Young Professional Philanthropists group (ages 22-40 fundraising cohort). In 2018, the organization matched more than 170 foster children with CASA volunteers, supported by 60+ active volunteers annually.

The organization's technology stack is modest and operational rather than transformational. CASA First uses Optima (Evintio Solutions) as its volunteer and case management database, supplemented by standard web infrastructure, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), Constant Contact for email newsletters, and Canva for impact reporting. There is no proprietary technology, mobile application, or AI/ML component.

CASA First's revenue model is entirely donation-dependent, drawing on four streams: individual donations (one-time, recurring, and a Legacy Circle for planned giving), foundation and corporate grants (Santa Fe Community Foundation, Thornburg Foundation, Lineberry Foundation, United Way, LANL Foundation, Century Bank), event fundraising (benefit nights at local restaurants such as Harry's Roadhouse and Boxcar, plus piano concerts and community events), and corporate sponsorships. Services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries; the organization charges no fees and is funded entirely through philanthropic contributions. Operational governance is provided by an Executive Director (Annie Rasquin, a Licensed Independent Social Worker) and a Board of Directors chaired by Peyton Young. The organization holds the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, awarded to less than 1% of U.S. nonprofits.

Name

CASA First

Legal name

Court Appointed Special Advocates, First Judicial District

Website

https://casafirst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CASA First is a Santa Fe-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains and supervises volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children in foster care across Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Los Alamos counties in Northern New Mexico. It operates CASA, Abrigo Advocates, and Youth Ambassador programs funded entirely through donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Advocacy

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Child advocacy services
• Volunteer court advocacy
• Foster care support
• Youth mentorship programs
• Nonprofit child welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, including monthly giving circle members. Donors can give electronically, by check, or cash. The organization also has a Legacy Circle for planned giving.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations including Santa Fe Community Foundation, Thornburg Foundation, Lineberry Foundation, and various corporate sponsors. Also includes grants from organizations like United Way.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from benefit events such as restaurant benefit nights (Harry's Roadhouse, Boxcar), piano concerts, and other community fundraising events.
4. Business/Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships where businesses donate or sponsor events, receiving logo placement on website, marketing materials, and social media.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CASA First is a nonprofit that recruits, trains, and supports volunteer advocates who serve abused, neglected, and system-involved children and youth in Northern New Mexico. Its core offerings are the Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, where judges appoint trained volunteers to represent the best interests of foster children in court; the Abrigo Advocates program, which provides sustained community-based support to trauma-impacted youth; and the Youth Ambassadors program for young people ages 8-21 to develop leadership and advocacy skills.

Product overview

CASA First operates as a unified nonprofit service organization offering multiple interconnected volunteer advocacy programs. The core offerings include Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for court-based child advocacy, Abrigo Advocates for sustained youth support, and Youth Ambassadors for youth-led community engagement. Supporting programs include the Young Professional Philanthropists group for next-generation fundraising support and a newsletter subscription for community updates. The organization also produces educational resources like the Fostering Care Panel Conversation Series. These programs collectively serve Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, and Los Alamos counties in New Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Children with CASA volunteers are more likely to end up with their families and receive necessary services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Boxcar Santa FeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 February 2024Local business that organized a benefit night event to support CASA First. Board member Robert Mesa helped organize.
• National CASA AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASA First is an active member of the National CASA Association and the New Mexico CASA Network, providing access to best practices, training resources, and national advocacy standards.
• New Mexico CASA NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level network connecting CASA programs across New Mexico for shared resources and advocacy.
• CYFD (Children, Youth and Families Department)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency that refers children to CASA services and coordinates on child welfare cases. CASA First participates in CYFD events like the annual Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Event.
• Harry's RoadhouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal restaurant that hosts benefit events, donating 10% of sales to CASA First. Board President Peyton Young is co-owner.
• Las Cumbres Community ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that provides services to children and families. Mentioned in case stories as a resource for families served by CASA First.
• Christ ChurchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue for youth benefit piano concert and other community events supporting CASA First.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• National Children's Alliance: National accreditation body and membership association for Children's Advocacy Centers responding to child abuse and neglect. Comparable as a child-welfare ecosystem organization that CASA First interacts with at the referral and advocacy level, though it operates a different (forensic-interview / multidisciplinary team) model.
• FosterClub: National nonprofit led by foster care alumni providing peer support, leadership development, and advocacy for youth currently in and aging out of foster care. Comparable because it serves a similar beneficiary population and complements CASA First's Youth Ambassador work, though it is not a CASA affiliate.

Direct peers

• Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Jersey: State CASA network coordinating court-appointed volunteer advocacy for foster children across New Jersey counties. Directly comparable as a CASA affiliate operating in the same Northeast child-welfare ecosystem, sharing training, court-liaison, and volunteer-advocacy model.
• Voices for Children (CASA San Diego): San Diego County's CASA program recruiting court-appointed volunteers to advocate for foster children. Directly comparable because it operates the identical CASA advocacy model in a defined California jurisdiction, with similar funder base and volunteer recruitment mechanics.
• CASA of Travis County: Local CASA affiliate serving Travis County, Texas, recruiting and training court-appointed volunteer advocates for foster youth. Directly comparable as a same-model, county-level CASA program with the same referral pipeline from local courts and child welfare agencies.
• CASA of Maryland: State-level CASA organization serving multiple Maryland counties with court-appointed volunteer advocates for foster youth. Directly comparable as a CASA affiliate using the same volunteer-advocate service model and court-referral pipeline, just at a multi-county scale.
• CASA of Sacramento County: Local CASA affiliate recruiting and training court-appointed volunteer advocates for foster children in Sacramento County, California. Directly comparable as a same-model, county-jurisdiction CASA program sharing volunteer-recruitment, court-liaison, and donor-funding mechanics.
• CASA of Los Angeles: One of the largest local CASA affiliates in the U.S., providing court-appointed volunteer advocates for foster children in Los Angeles County. Directly comparable as it executes the same CASA model in a different jurisdiction with similar court-referral intake and volunteer-driven service delivery.

Emerging players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National nonprofit providing one-to-one mentoring relationships for youth, including those impacted by the foster care and child welfare system. Comparable because it relies on trained volunteers matched with at-risk youth and competes for the same donor and volunteer pools as CASA First.

Broad incumbents

• National CASA Association: The national umbrella for all state and local CASA programs, including CASA First. Comparable because it sets the operating standards, training curricula, and advocacy framework that CASA First follows, and represents the broader CASA category CASA First operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@casafirstjudicialdistrictn50
• Facebookfacebook.com/casafirst13
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casa-first
• Instagraminstagram.com/casa_first_

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CASA First