Marguerite Casey Foundation makes grants to organizations working in advocacy and organizing; leadership development; public policy change; and cross-sector collaboration.

The Foundation’s programs staff consider a number of criteria when deciding which organizations will be asked to apply for a grant. These include:

They are established “cornerstone” organizations in low-income communities;
They work with a base of low-income families and have the desire to expand that base;
They are training local parents as leaders, advocates and/or organizers;
They have a track record of success in achieving policy change.

Funding Regions
Marguerite Casey Foundation makes grants in the following regions and sub-regions of the United States:

• West beginning with California
• Southwest AZ, TX, NM
• Deep South AL, FL, MS, AR, GA, LA
• Midwest beginning with Chicago, IL
• Home State Fund Washington State
• Mississippi Delta 19 northern most Delta counties in MS
• Texas/Mexico Border 4 southern most border counties in Texas

Grant Amounts
A majority of the Foundation’s grants are made over several years and range in size from $100,000 to $650,000. Grants made to organizations in the state of Washington range from $25,000 to $50,000 annually.

Conditions
The Foundation's grantmaking is focused on three areas: education, advocacy and activism. The Foundation's support is primarily distributed to cornerstone organizations for core operating support, although some support is project-specific or capacity building focused. The Foundation does not fund individuals, capital campaigns, endowments or fundraising drives, litigation, religious activity or film/video production.

Applying for a Grant
The Foundation does not accept or respond to unsolicited grant proposals, inquiries or letters of intent. In doing so, our staff is better able to provide additional time and resources to our grantees and their constituencies in each of our target regions.