Illinois Casa

What Illinois Casa does

Illinois CASA (legal name: Illinois Association of Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a private nonprofit state-level coordinating body founded in 1993 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It coordinates a network of 29 local CASA programs operating in 85 of Illinois's 102 counties, recruiting, training, and supporting 3,057 volunteer advocates who were appointed by judges and served 9,907 children experiencing abuse or neglect in FY25. The organization's core deliverable is human advocacy services, not a technology platform: volunteers commit 5-15 hours per month per case, receive a minimum of 30 hours of initial training plus 12 hours of annual ongoing education, and produce court reports that inform judicial decisions on children's safety and permanency.

The organization's revenue model is dual-channel: donations and charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations, alongside government grants and support from DCFS, the Office of Illinois Courts, and the Illinois Attorney General's office (all three of which are listed as sponsors). Services are provided free of charge to children and families. The product portfolio centers on the CASA Volunteer Program, supplemented by the Advocacy Toolkits resource library (recorded webinars and training materials across six topic areas), CASA 101 virtual informational sessions, monthly training webinars, and the annual Illinois CASA Conference. Distribution is multi-channel: a self-serve website volunteer inquiry portal, monthly virtual information sessions, court appointments, and a federated local-program network.

Illinois CASA is part of the National CASA/GAL Association, a network of 939 state and local CASA/GAL programs operating in 49 states and the District of Columbia. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, has between 1 and 10 employees at the state level, and reports no venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment. FY25 footprint metrics include 128,849 volunteer hours contributed and 2,893 new children served during the year. The organization brands itself under the "Change a Child's Story" trademark and the nationally recognized CASA mark.

Name

Illinois Casa

Legal name

Illinois Association of Court Appointed Special Advocates

Website

https://illinoiscasa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Illinois CASA is a Chicago-based nonprofit that coordinates 29 local volunteer advocacy programs across 85 of Illinois's 102 counties, training and supporting 3,057 court-appointed advocates who serve children experiencing abuse and neglect.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Advocacy Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention) (BPAIAFAF)

Keywords

• Court appointed special advocates
• Child welfare advocacy
• Volunteer advocacy services
• Nonprofit child advocacy
• Foster care support

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Illinois CASA generates revenue through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations who support the organization's mission of advocating for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. The website features a donation portal and the organization acknowledges sponsors including DCFS, The Office of Illinois Courts, and the Illinois Attorney General.
2. Government Grants and Support: As a state-level organization supporting the Illinois child welfare system, Illinois CASA receives governmental support through partnerships with DCFS (Illinois Department of Children and Family Services), the Office of Illinois Courts, and the Illinois Attorney General's office.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Illinois CASA recruits, trains, and supports community volunteers who are appointed by Illinois judges to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for children navigating abuse and neglect cases in the child welfare system. Volunteers are assigned to one or two children at a time, conduct monthly visits, gather objective information, and write court reports to advocate for the child's safety, permanency, and well-being. The organization complements this advocacy with a comprehensive training curriculum (minimum 30 hours initial plus 12 hours ongoing annually) delivered through its Advocacy Toolkits resource library, CASA 101 informational sessions, and statewide network of 29 local programs.

Product overview

Illinois CASA operates as a statewide nonprofit organization (Illinois Association of Court Appointed Special Advocates) that supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. The core offering is the CASA Volunteer Program, where community volunteers are trained and appointed by judges to advocate for children's best interests. Supporting this are the Advocacy Toolkits—a comprehensive resource library containing recorded webinars and training materials across six topic areas (Trauma Informed Resources, Understanding Child Welfare, Youth-Centered Advocacy, Supporting Families, Health & Mental Health, and Self-Care Resources). The organization also provides CASA 101 informational sessions for prospective volunteers and coordinates a network of 29 local CASA programs across 85 Illinois counties. The portfolio is unified around volunteer advocacy services with training resources as the primary digital product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer Program The core service offering: a community volunteer program where trained volunteers are appointed by Illinois judges to advocate for children who have experienced abuse and neglect in the Illinois child welfare system. Volunteers are assigned to one or two children at a time, visit them at least monthly, gather objective information, and write court reports to advocate for the child's safety, permanency, and well-being.
• Advocacy Toolkits

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,907 children served in FY25
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National CASA/GAL AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois CASA is part of the National CASA/GAL Association network, which supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for children. National CASA/GAL is a network of 939 state and local organizations operating in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Illinois CASA receives support, standards, and resources from the national organization.
• DCFS (Illinois Department of Children and Family Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCFS is a key government partner for Illinois CASA. The organization works with DCFS caseworkers assigned to children in care. CASA volunteers work as team members with caseworkers to advocate for children's safety, permanency, and well-being. DCFS is listed as a sponsor of Illinois CASA.
• The Office of Illinois CourtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Office of Illinois Courts is a sponsor of Illinois CASA. Judges appoint CASA volunteers to cases and rely on their reports to make decisions about children's safety and permanency. The relationship is fundamental to the CASA model.
• Illinois Attorney GeneralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Illinois Attorney General's office is listed as a sponsor of Illinois CASA, indicating a governmental partnership to support child advocacy efforts across the state.
• YouthCare HealthChoice IllinoisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouthCare is the managed care organization responsible for administering Medicaid benefits for Illinois DCFS youth in care and former youth in care. Illinois CASA provides training on navigating YouthCare resources to advocates assisting children with healthcare needs.
• Judge David W. SoukupcoreOthersJudge Soukup of Seattle, Washington founded the national CASA movement in 1977. He recognized the need for community volunteers to serve as a 'voice in court' for children experiencing abuse and neglect. His legacy continues through CASA programs nationwide.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CASA of New Jersey: State-level CASA organization coordinating local volunteer advocate programs across New Jersey counties; operates the same state-association-plus-local-programs structure as Illinois CASA, making it a closely comparable peer.
• CASA of Philadelphia: Urban CASA program providing volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children in Philadelphia's dependency courts; comparable in scale, court-integrated volunteer model, and child welfare mission to Illinois CASA's local programs.
• National CASA/GAL Association: The national umbrella body that Illinois CASA is affiliated with; National CASA/GAL supports 939 state and local CASA/GAL programs across 49 states and DC, making it the closest structural and operational peer to Illinois CASA's state-association model.
• CASA of Travis County: Texas-based CASA program serving children in the child welfare system through trained court-appointed volunteer advocates; structurally identical to Illinois CASA's local programs with similar training requirements and case assignment ratios.
• CASA of Los Angeles: A large metropolitan CASA program recruiting, training, and supervising volunteer advocates for foster children in dependency court; operates the same court-appointed volunteer advocacy model as Illinois CASA's local programs in a different state.
• Voices for Children (CASA of San Diego): A California-based CASA/GAL organization providing trained volunteer advocates for children in foster care; directly comparable mission, volunteer model, and court-integration approach to Illinois CASA's local member programs.

Emerging players

• FosterClub: A national nonprofit supporting current and former foster youth through peer connection, training, and advocacy; complements CASA's mission with a youth-led engagement model rather than adult volunteer advocacy.

Others

• Childhelp: National nonprofit focused on child abuse prevention, treatment, and advocacy; operates residential treatment programs and the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, making it an adjacent nonprofit in the broader child welfare ecosystem Illinois CASA serves.

Broad incumbents

• AdoptUSKids: A federally funded project supporting the adoption and permanency of children in the U.S. foster care system; while not volunteer-driven, it is a national incumbent operating in the same child welfare and foster care advocacy space as Illinois CASA.
• National Children's Alliance: National accrediting body and membership organization for Children's Advocacy Centers serving child abuse victims; operates broadly in the child welfare advocacy space and works alongside CASA programs in many jurisdictions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IllinoisCasa
• Facebookfacebook.com/IllinoisCASA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinoiscasa
• Instagraminstagram.com/illinoiscasa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois Casa