Court Appointed Special Advocates of San Luis Obispo County Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of San Luis Obispo CASA (SLO CASA) is to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children within the dependency court system. CASA recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers who advocate for this vulnerable population with the goal of ensuring that every child grows up in a safe, nurturing, and permanent home.
- Income
- $1.7 million
- Spending
- $1.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 73%
- Reserves
- 11.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 91%
- Employees
- 20
- Volunteers
- 219
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1573% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $1.1 million spent. Activities SLO CASA is accredited by the National CASA/GAL Association, and designated by the San Luis Obispo Superior Court, to serve all children and youth who are subject to the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Dependency Court in San Luis Obispo County and ordered to be placed in foster care. Last year, SLO CASA is celebrated 30 years of advocating for and supporting abused and neglected children in the foster care system in San Luis Obispo County. We recruit, screen, train, and supervise volunteers who advocate for this vulnerable population with the goal of ensuring that every child grows up in a safe, nurturing, and permanent home.CASA volunteers are trained to gather information and focus their advocacy to cover the needs of the whole child, including placement, physical and mental health, education, permanency, and well-being. All CASA volunteers receive coaching and ongoing support from one of SLO CASA's Advocate Supervisors. In 2023, SLO CASA supported 174 volunteers who were assigned to 254 foster children. Approximately 41 of those children were placed in the city of San Luis. We held 22 Information Sessions attended by 84 community members and interviewed 57 applicants. We trained 46 new CASA volunteers. In 2023, SLO CASA supported 174 volunteers who were assigned to 254 foster children. Of the 254 children: 53% were female and 47% were male; 16% were Hispanic/Latinx; 3% were Black, 58% were White, and the rest were other races, two or more races or unknown. 26% were ages 0-5, 31% were ages 6-12, 31% were ages 13-17, and 12% were ages 18-21.Last year, we adopted a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) project plan focused on improving the diversity, equity, and inclusion of our volunteer base, so that it better reflects thegender and ethnicity of the children we serve. We specifically identified the need to recruit andtrain more men and individuals of Latino descent. Our efforts have been successful and our volunteer pool today has more men and Spanish-speakers than ever before, allowing us to best meet the needs of all children in foster care.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1994.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.