OVERVIEW: The Marguerite Casey Foundation funds organizations and initiatives that broadly align with its mission to advance a just, multiracial democracy through grassroots social movements.
IP TAKE: The Marguerite Casey Foundation is a major social justice funder that’s long been known as a progressive supporter of community-based and grassroots programs, as well as individual leaders and scholars. The foundation was an early proponent of inclusive practices and participatory grantmaking; IP noted that MCF was a “pioneer” in ensuring the diversity of its own staff and board. Across its funding areas, MCF prioritizes “increasing community power” through “locally based community organizing,” a strategy it believes is under-supported in philanthropy. Aside from its grantmaking, MCF is a major proponent of achieving its goals through impact investing. In a recent interview with IP’s Mike Scutari, MCF president Carmen Rojas highlighted the importance of both impact investing and high endowment payout, saying, “I came into this role with the belief that all philanthropic capital should be working in service of the public good.” MCF ramped up funding in 2025 with a $130 million influx to “help nonprofits respond to policy changes from the Trump administration.”
Marguerite Casey’s grantmaking includes a marked propensity for multi-year, general operating grants, and the foundation establishes collaborative relationships with grantees, providing access to resources beyond grantmaking, which include advocacy, research, technical support and connections to other grantmakers. MCF is transparent about its financials, with detailed grant information included in its annual 990s. However, this funder isn’t particularly approachable. Organizations and individuals are considered for funding on an invitation-only basis, and there aren’t any avenues for unsolicited funding requests. Still, for those hoping to make inroads, the website does include a phone number, as well as a general email address.
PROFILE: The Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF) was established in 2001 by the Casey Family Programs, which was the inaugural philanthropy of Jim Casey, the founder of UPS. Today, MCF (named for Jim’s sister, Marguerite) is part of The Casey Philanthropies, which also includes the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Headquartered in Seattle, the Marguerite Casey Foundation’s mission is to “support organizations, scholars, leaders and initiatives focused on shifting the balance of power toward communities, families and individuals who continue to be excluded from shaping society and from sharing in its rewards and freedoms.” The foundation’s vision centers on building a representative economy and democracy amongst historically excluded communities.
MCF’s grantmaking focuses on organizational leadership and community empowerment across social justice areas; however, it does not have programs dedicated to specific causes, preferring a more holistic, intersectional approach to grassroots power-building. The foundation also invests in leaders and scholars from underrepresented communities who “nurture movements for justice and freedom.” MCF’s main core grantmaking program supports Community Organizing, but the foundation also runs programs for Program Related Investing, Freedom Scholars, and Public Dollars for Public Good, which supports organizations advancing economic justice.
As a signatory of the GUTC Pledge, this funder views the world through a relationship between democracy and an economy that works to “represent the contributions, dreams and desires of communities that have been historically excluded from sharing in the resources and benefits of society.” Casey’s inclusion efforts remain an overarching grantmaking priority.
Grants for Community Development, Racial Justice, Civic Engagement and Democracy
All four of Casey’s grantmaking vehicles center on movement-building for a just, multiracial democracy. Funding intersects with everything from LGBTQ causes to immigrants and refugees and human rights.
- Casey’s core Community Development grantmaking program “fuels the work of community organizers who bring people together to tackle the deep-rooted inequalities that impact their daily lives.” Giving prioritizes groups that are representative of and led-by marginalized people.The foundation articulates three main priorities for this work:
- Leadership Development that helps individuals “see themselves as agents of change”;
- Education initiatives that help communities develop a deeper understanding of the “political, economic, and historical context of the issues they’re working on”; and
- Initiatives focused on Growing Community by “[b]uilding grassroots membership and deepening local engagement to strengthen campaigns.”
- Grantees include Chicago’s Crossroads Fund, Native Americans in Philanthropy, the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education and Florida Rising Together, among others.
- MCF’s Freedom Scholars program recognizes the research by “movement leaders who entered academia and academics with a demonstrated commitment to supporting social movements” with unrestricted funding of $250,000. The award is intended for research that benefits “movements led by Black and Indigenous people, migrants and queer people, poor people, and people of color.”
- Casey’s Public Dollars for Public Good program was launched in 2023 to support organizations that advance economic justice. Specifically, this program focuses on channeling public funding to just causes and preventing the interference of “special interest” groups that “tip the scales and direct these funds into programs that cause further harm.” The foundation names the American Rescue Plan Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as sources of funding that could be “used to build a thriving multiracial society.”
- The foundation also makes Program Related Investments in for-profit enterprises that support its mission. Funding is earmarked for community development financial institutions, impact funds for “disinvested communities,” investment vehicles that advance economic justice and other mission-aligned projects.
Important Grant Details:
The Marguerite Casey Foundation’s grants range widely from $1,000 to several million. In a recent year, MCF gave $34,812,614, but MCF is ramping up giving.
This funder’s grantmaking is national in scope, supporting national, state-level and regional organizations and projects across the U.S.
MCF tends to offer unrestricted grants, and many grantees receive multi-year support.
MCF does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry, requests for funding, or grant proposals. It also does not field requests for funding, but it will answer questions about its work.
For information about past giving, see the news page or use the drop-down menu at the bottom of the website to access financial reports.
- Grant seekers may contact the foundation at info@caseygrants.org or (206) 691-3134.
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