Our History

In tribute to his mother, Annie E. Casey — a widow who raised four children — Jim Casey has created an enduring legacy of service to children and families in America.

The Legacy Continues

Focusing on the work of the Foundation from 1990 to 2010, this film tells powerful personal stories of lives, families and communities transformed through the loving bequest of UPS founder Jim Casey.

(15:38)

1907

Aboutus history 1907

The eldest of the Casey kids, Jim, starts a messenger service to help support his mother and siblings. This service later becomes UPS.

1948

Jim and his siblings establish the Annie E. Casey Foundation to honor their mother. They start by supporting a camp for disadvantaged kids near their Seattle home.

Aboutus history 1948

1973

Aboutus history 1973

UPS shifts its headquarters from New York City to Connecticut. With the move, Jim makes a bequest to a child welfare agency started by the Foundation seven years earlier in Seattle. This gift allows the organization, now called Casey Family Programs, to operate as an ongoing independent philanthropy.

1976

Aboutus history 1976

Now in Greenwich, Conn., we establish foster care services in Connecticut and Vermont, an innovative practice in a time of orphanages. Eventually named Casey Family Services, it expands to serve children and families throughout New England and Maryland until its closing in 2012.

1983

Aboutus history 1983

Jim dies at age 95. His final bequest allows the Foundation to greatly expand its support of organizations, agencies and communities that help disadvantaged kids.

The End of an Era

Before his death, Jim said:

What is needed is a renewed determination to think creatively, to learn from what has succeeded and what has failed, and, perhaps most important, to foster a sense of common commitment among all those concerned with the welfare of children.

We continue to use data and evidence as a way of bringing communities together on behalf of children and families.

1985

Aboutus history 1985

Coming from UPS, Marty Schwartz is named the organization's first executive director in June. His tenure saw the launch of the Foundation's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative® and its signature work in child welfare reform.

1988

With the launch of New Futures, an effort to support urban youth transitioning to adulthood, we begin to establish several multiyear, multisite initiatives during the next two decades, making long-term commitments to a number of vulnerable communities. The Foundation continues to share lessons from many of these efforts.

Aboutus history 1998

1990

Aboutus history 1990

Douglas W. Nelson is named executive director, eventually becoming our first president and CEO. In this year, he oversees the first KIDS COUNT Data Book.

1994

Aboutus history 1994

We move our headquarters from Greenwich to Baltimore, as we continue to lead multiyear, multisite reform initiatives in key communities.

2014

Aboutus history 2014

We join with other national foundations to support a White House effort aimed at improving the lives of young men of color. We also release Race for Results, a landmark report detailing the progress of children in America.

2020

Two moms embrace each other as spend time with their son and daughter.

We partner with pub­lic, pri­vate and phil­an­thropic insti­tu­tions and orga­ni­za­tions on Thriving Families, Safer Children, which advances approaches that cre­at­e the con­di­tions for strong, thriv­ing fam­i­lies where chil­dren are free from harm.

2021

A multi-racial group of university students sit outside and smile and laugh.

We launch Thrive by 25, ded­i­cat­ing at least half of our invest­ments over the next decade to improv­ing the well-being and prospects of youth and young adults ages 14–24. By work­ing ­with young peo­ple, we seek to ensure they have the fam­i­ly con­nec­tions, rela­tion­ships, com­mu­ni­ties and edu­ca­tion­al and employ­ment oppor­tu­ni­ties they need to successfully transition into adulthood.

2021

A photo of the Nia Building at Pittsburgh Yards

We open The Nia Building™, at Pittsburgh Yards® — an innovative development project to grow equitable career, entrepreneurship and wealth-building opportunities for residents in Atlanta’s south side.

2023

We debut the Rising Leaders for Results Fellowship, a new program for emerg­ing lead­ers rep­re­senting the pub­lic, non­prof­it and for-prof­it sec­tors, who wish to work with­in their com­mu­ni­ties toward spe­cif­ic, mea­sur­able improve­ments for young peo­ple and families.

An image of the 2023–2025 cohort of Rising Leaders for Results

Today

Aboutus history present

With a focus on results, we continue to build on our agenda, ambitions and vision in ways that would make Jim proud.