Harvey E. Najim Donates $1M towards CASA's Capital Campaign
With an 18% rise in cases of child abuse and neglect in Bexar County, Harvey E. Najim Commits $1,000,000 to Child Advocates San Antonio - Largest Gift in CASA’s History
San Antonio, TX--March 29, 2021 –As child abuse and neglect numbers rose 18% in 2020 compared to 2019 in Bexar County, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is excited to announce that CASA has received a commitment for its largest ever single financial gift. Mr. Harvey E. Najim, whose name is synonymous with generous philanthropic giving and his heart for children, has committed a $1 million gift toward the purchase of CASA’s new headquarters located at 1956 S. WW White Road, on the far East side. The new building will be named after Mr. Najim. The announcement comes in conjunction with the start of April's National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to bring awareness to our community’s concerning statistics.
“Mr. Najim truly cares about the children in our community. Harvey’s reputation, as a deeply compassionate man who seriously wants to improve the lives of children, meant that the Najim name was the one we wanted for the CASA home. Mr. Najim has supported CASA operationally for many years. The Board and team are simply delighted that he has chosen to partner with us in this endeavor. The building ensures we have room to grow, and ultimately give all children in Bexar County foster care the opportunity to have a dedicated and caring Advocate to amplify their voices and walk beside them,” said Angela White, President and CEO of CASA. “This gift is transformational for CASA. I personally know how important it is for a child to have someone who listens and believes in them, as our CASA Advocates do. It can change their lives forever. Mr. Najim’s support puts us another huge stride down the path to achieving the goal of serving all the children who need us. We cannot thank him enough.”
Founded in 1984, CASA works to recruit, train, and support volunteer Advocates for children in foster care who have experienced abuse and neglect. Last year 5,499 children in Bexar County were removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. At the Courts request, nearly 2,000 of those traumatized and lonely children were connected with a Volunteer Advocate, recruited, trained, and supported by CASA.
As CASA served more children, the organization had completely outgrown their previous San Pedro location. Formally a Holt Texas LLC training building, is now the new 22,382 square foot CASA headquarters. Holt Texas LLC has made the transition possible with a reduction in the building price, gifting furniture and technology, and a generous lease-to-purchase partnership. CASA moved into the office in September 2019.
"As a longtime supporter of CASA, their new headquarter building will accommodate the growth and expansion of CASA to meet the needs of 100% of the children in foster care in our community. CASA ensures each foster child has an advocate to be a mentor and amplify their voices in the court system. I am proud to support this wonderful agency" said Harvey E. Najim, President of the Najim Charitable Foundation.
The increased space includes enough office and training space to accommodate future growth. The building and grounds provide space for Volunteer Advocates to bring their CASA kids and spend time with them in a safe and secure environment. A library and dedicated indoor spaces for art programs are being created. The space will also allow for community events and for wider and continued collaboration with other local child welfare and community agencies. To finalize the procurement of the building to be able to serve more children, CASA has $420,000 left to raise.
CASA’s goal is to serve every foster child in Bexar County, to stand for them, amplify their voices, and walk beside them through a traumatic and lonely time. If you are interested in supporting vulnerable children and helping CASA finish our Campaign, please contact President & CEO Angela White at awhite@casa-satx.org or VP of Development Blair Ortmann at bortmann@casa-satx.org.
About Child Advocates San Antonio
The mission of Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is to recruit, train, and supervise court-appointed volunteer Advocates who provide constancy for abused and neglected children and youth while advocating for services and placement in safe and permanent homes. In FY2020, 751 CASA volunteers advocated on behalf of 1,883 children in foster care.
Link to Photos of CASA's New Building
A Message from Child Advocates San Antonio on National CASA/GAL Funding Termination On April 24, 2025, the National CASA/GAL Association announced that its federal funding through the U.S. Department of Justice has been terminated. As a result, National CASA is suspending subaward disbursements, training programs, and technical assistance. The organization is actively appealing the decision and assessing what services it can continue to provide during this transition. Info from National CASA can be found here. We understand that this announcement may raise concerns in the community, and we want to provide reassurance and clarity regarding how this news affects Child Advocates San Antonio. First and foremost: There is no impact to our organization or our services. We are fully operational and remain committed to serving the children and families in our community with the same excellence, integrity, compassion, and commitment we have always shown. Here are key facts we want our supporters and the public to know: Our funding remains secure. Child Advocates San Antonio has a diverse and stable funding base that includes a healthy mix of public and private funding. No one funding stream exceeds 50% of our budget. You can access our recent financials HERE. Our stability comes from strong state support and our dedicated Bexar County community, which keeps Child Advocates San Antonio resilient and focused on serving children. We do not receive subawards from National CASA. The suspension of subaward disbursements has no bearing on our funding or ability to operate. Our training programs continue without interruption. Our comprehensive and high-quality Advocate training programs are fully intact. We do not require technical assistance from National CASA. Our team is experienced, well-resourced, and prepared to continue all programming. No cuts, no hiring freezes, no changes to our operations. We remain fully staffed and actively engaged in our mission to advocate for children in foster care. Our commitment to advocating for children in foster care is unwavering, and our services continue as usual. We want to be clear: Child Advocates San Antonio is strong, stable, and here to stay. CASA programs in Texas are strong, independent, and fully committed to children in foster care. While we’re aware of the situation with National CASA/GAL, it doesn’t impact the critical advocacy happening here. Our commitment is clear: we will stand with the children we serve—until they are safe, their voices are heard, and their futures are secure. Our focus, as always, is on advocating for the best interests of children and ensuring they have a voice in court. Public support at all levels, including individuals, ensures we remain strong, regardless of national developments. No matter what, our mission stays the same – every child deserves to be safe, cared for, and have their voice heard. CASA’s mission is as important as ever— children in foster care need advocates who will stand by them. Start your Advocate Journey today!
Brittany Coppage
