Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is an organization that promotes “social and emotional learning” (SEL) in public education. It works to implement SEL programs in school districts and to build support among parents and educators.

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Education Policy
Website: casel.org
Founded:

1996

President and CEO:

Karen Niemi

Location: Chicago, IL View on map
Tax ID: 20-5884201
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $9,630,632 Revenue: $7,055,588 Expenses: $10,247,185

Contents

    The organization defines SEL as an integral part of education and human development. It is also defined as the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. 1

    CASEL has come under criticism for using SEL as a means of promoting far-left critical race theory in public schools. The president and CEO of CASEL has stated that SEL must “actively contribute to anti-racism” and “advances educational equity.” 2

    CASEL has contracts with numerous school districts all over the country. It has a Collaborating Districts Initiative that is funded by the left-of-center NoVo Foundation in 20 school districts across the country. 3

    Backgroun

    Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning and the term “social and emotional learning” were first used in a 1994 meeting hosted by the Fetzer Institute. From 1996 through 2006, CASEL was based at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In 2006, CASEL became an independent organization based in Chicago. 3

    CASEL provides four areas of services. First, it compiles and synthesizes research into SEL in addition to conducting its own research into the field. 3

    Second, it helps implement SEL programs, working with school districts to reach a purported 1.7 million students in more than 3,000 schools. It develops resources to guide implementation of SEL programs and its consultants helps develop materials to encourage stakeholders to make a compelling case for SEL in their school districts. 3

    Third, CASEL lobbies state and federal agencies through a network called the Collaborating States Initiative, which has 30 participating states. The initiative lobbies for increased funding and adoption for SEL programs. 3

    Fourth, CASEL assists in implementing SEL programs, providing training and seminars in school districts. 3

    Press and Media

    In March 2023, a CASEL press release stated the organization’s support for President Joe Biden’s FY24 Budget Proposal that would include increased funding for public education and social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. The release also details the proposal including a $90 billion request in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, a “13.6 percent increase over the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) enacted level.” 4

    Race Initiatives

    In 2020, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s president and CEO Karen Niemi announced an update to the definition of SEL to embrace far-left ideas of racial identity aligned with critical race theory. Among the changes was changing the framework to “affirm the identities” of students. 5

    CASEL also pitched SEL to advance “educational equity.” It also that it would work to address issues of identity and offer students opportunities to become activists and work alongside adults as a part of SEL. 5

    In a June 2020 webinar, Niemi and other colleagues criticized “color blind approaches” to education as “reproductive of the inequities” that people experience in their lives. Niemi also said that SEL must actively contribute to “anti-racism.” 2

    Leadership

    Karen Niemi is the president and CEO of CASEL. Prior to working at CASEL she was the CEO of ScholarCentric, a company focused on SEL and resiliency. Before that she was president of Cognitive Concepts Inc., a subsidiary of Houghton Mifflin Company. She received a bachelor’s degree from Augustana College and received a master’s degree in speech language pathology from Rush University. 6

    Finances

    According to its 2019 tax return, CASEL had $12,527,349 in revenue and $10,301,082 in expenses. It had $6,697,488 in assets. 7

    The largest expenditure was on supporting the implementation of SEL, followed by research. 7

    Among the left-of-center organizations that fund CASEL are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the NoVo Foundation, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 8

    According to its 2021 990 form, CASEL reported a revenue of $18,024,160, expenses at $9,436,367, and total assets at $19,191,596. 9

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $9,630,632 $7,055,588 $10,247,185 View
    2024 $12,690,973 $11,738,718 $11,928,978 View
    2023 $13,076,380 $4,968,694 $11,060,299 View
    2022 $19,191,596 $18,024,160 $9,436,367 View
    2021 $11,778,136 $7,196,352 $8,841,807 View
    2020 $8,857,920 $12,527,349 $10,301,082

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 49

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Aaliyah SamuelCEO$390,089
    Rob JagersVP OF RESEARCH$284,414
    Lakeisha SteeleVP OF POLICY$260,728
    Jennifer SchneiderCHIEF OF STAFF$249,044
    Tim CorbettVP OF FINANCE AND BUSINESS PLANNING$247,896
    Vanessa PetersonVP OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE$233,376

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $75,581,157
    • Number of Grants: 223
    • Number of Funders: 70

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $10,000,0002022 The Chicago Community TrustGeneral operating support
    $1,500,0002023 Oak FoundationTo provide support to CASEL, a US based not-for-profit organisation that seeks to ensure that evidence-based social and emotional learning is an integral part of education.
    $1,000,0002024 W.K. Kellogg Foundationprovide general operating support to help the organization advance its mission of making evidence based social and emotional learning an integral part of education from preschool to high school
    $750,0002025 Gates FoundationTo improve math instructional materials by expanding guidance and technical assistance around integrating social emotional learning into digital math products in order to increase student motivation, engagement, and persistence.
    $750,0002024 Salesforce FoundationSUPPORT YOUTH EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT
    $750,0002023 Raikes FoundationBELE Network: CASEL District Network & Field Leadership
    $750,0002021 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $650,0002025 W.K. Kellogg FoundationEarly Care and Education
    $570,0002022 Raikes FoundationBELE Network: Design, Implementation and Management of Building
    $500,0002024 The Allstate FoundationSCALING AND SUSTAINING HIGH QUALITY SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AS A NATIONAL PRIORITY
    $500,0002023 The Allstate FoundationMULTI-YEAR GRANT: REDEFINING EDUCATION THROUGH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING
    $500,0002022 Raikes FoundationBELE Network: Collaborating Districts Initiative: Network of Equity Districts
    $500,0002022 The Allstate FoundationRedefining Education through Social and Emotional Learning
    $500,0002021 Raikes FoundationThis Grant provides support for CASEL?S Collaborating Districts Initiative (CDI): Network of Equity Districts which is focused on bringing access to a variety of districts and school contexts in which to learn and test what paths and resources lead to optimal developmental outcomes for elementary, middle, and high school students. Through an aligned and coordinated partnership among schools, families, and students, this Initiative will expand the reach of the knowledge base and synergize action-research efforts, deepening the collective understanding of how to promote equitable learning environments and equitable developmental outcomes in varying contexts.
    $500,0002020 The Paul Tudor Jones Family FoundationCharitable purposes
    $500,0002020 Raikes FoundationCollaborating Districts Initiative: Network of Equity Districts (BELE Network)
    $420,0002021 Raikes FoundationThis Grant will provide support for Collaborative For Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) to continue its role as a Learning Partner (LP) over the next 3 years of the BELE Network in collaboration with the University of Chicago's Consortium on School Research (CCSR), Project for Education Research that Scales (PERTS), National Equity Project (NEP), RALLY, and Educationcounsel (Edcounsel).
    $400,0002020 The Allstate FoundationSEL FELLOWS ACADEMY
    $330,0002020 The Allstate FoundationCREATING BROADER UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN SUPPORT OF YOUNG PEOPLE
    $301,9002023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $300,0002024 Seattle Foundationto provide unrestricted general support for CASEL for the period of Sept 1, 2024 through August 31, 2027.
    $300,0002022 Oak FoundationTo provide support to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), a US based not-for-profit focused on ensuring that evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education from preschool through high school.
    $300,0002020 Raikes FoundationDesign, Implementation and management of Building Equitable Learning Environments Network NEXT GEN (2020-2023)
    $253,0642020 Seattle FoundationEquitable Learning & Development Project support.
    $250,0002023 Ibis GroupEDUCATIONAL GRANT

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Fundamentals Of SEL.” CASEL. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/.
    2. Robbins, Jane. “How ‘Socio-Emotional Learning’ Became Anti-White Racism In Schools.” The Federalist. February 8, 2021. https://thefederalist.com/2021/02/08/how-socio-emotional-learning-became-another-vehicle-for-anti-white-racism-in-schools/.
    3. “Collaborative For Academic, Social, And Emotional Learning (CASEL).” Parents Defending Education. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://defendinged.org/report/casel/.
    4. “Press Release: CASEL Applauds President Biden’s FY24 Budget Proposal and Investments in SEL.” CASEL, March 24, 2023. https://casel.org/casel-applauds-president-bidens-fy24-budget-proposal-and-investments-in-sel/
    5. Niemi, Karen. “Niemi: CASEL Is Updating The Most Widely Recognized Definition Of Social-Emotional Learning. Here’S Why.” The74million. December 15, 2020. https://www.the74million.org/article/niemi-casel-is-updating-the-most-widely-recognized-definition-of-social-emotional-learning-heres-why/.
    6. “Supporters.” CASEL. Accessed November 1, 2020. https://casel.org/about-us/supporters/.
    7. Collaborative For Academic, Social, And Emotional Learning, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/205884201/04_2021_prefixes_20-22%2F205884201_202006_990_2021041317936296.
    8. Supporters.” CASEL. Accessed November 1, 2021. https://casel.org/about-us/supporters/.
    9. Collaborative For Academic, Social, And Emotional Learning (CASEL), Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205884201/202320899349301412/full