September 2, 2009
Jean Case and Steve Case established the Case Foundation in 1997 to reflect their family’s commitment to giving. For the past decade they have sought to leverage their investment capital, broad network of passionate people, and their own talents to accomplish a simple mission: invest in people and ideas that can change the world.
The foundation’s first major initiative focused on addressing the "digital divide." As computers and the Internet became increasingly important aspects of everyday life, Jean and Steve grew concerned about the divide that was starting to develop between those who had access and those that did not. Jean and Steve had been involved with a local, community-based effort near AOL’s Virginia headquarters that they believed could be a model for after-school technology centers across the nation. They championed the cause of bridging the digital divide and brought together leading organizations from the private and public sector. Thus was born the first major cross-sector collaborative initiative of the Case Foundation — PowerUP: Bridging the Digital Divide, Inc. — which in less then five years established nearly 1,000 technology centers in underserved neighborhoods across the United States.
Jean and Steve were pioneers in the Internet industry, as both moved to the Washington, D.C. area in the early 1980s to be part of the online revolution, and they both played pivotal roles in building AOL into the leading online brand in the 1990s. Not surprisingly, since launching the Case Foundation they have consistently sought to tap the power of the Internet to transform the social sector. Through citizen-centered approaches, the Case Foundation has led a series of innovative, collaborative initiatives that leverage technologies to empower and engage citizens in the U.S. and around the globe. Through partnerships with hundreds of non-profits, private sector and corporate partners, as well as the public sector, these efforts have helped to expand the role of "citizen philanthropists" and bring about more robust civic engagement.
Recent examples include the Make It Your Own Awards which called on citizens to connect with others, form solutions and take action on community issues. The initiative provided participants with Web tools and training to advocate for their ideas and expand networks of support. The Case Foundation used a panel of community-based judges to narrow the nearly 5,000 ideas submitted down to the top 20 grant winners and the CaseFoundation.org site allowed the public to vote for the Final Four, which received the largest grants. More recently, the foundation partnered with Facebook Causes and Parade Magazine to introduce America’s Giving Challenge — an online based-campaign that engaged tens of thousands of Americans in causes they care about.