Founded in Boston in 1988 by Michael Brown and Alan Khazei (now CEO of Be the Change, Inc.), City Year seeks to build democracy through citizen service, civic leadership, and social entrepreneurship. The nonprofit organization provides 17- to 24-year-old men and women with the opportunity to earn money for their education by completing a year of full-time, rigorous community service and leadership development.

In 1999, after meeting with Brown and Khazei and many of City Year's corps members, Case Foundation co-founders Jean and Steve Case decided to bring a chapter of the nonprofit to their own community of Washington, D.C.

The first class of City Year DC corps members began its service in September 2000. In 2007, City Year DC honored Jean and Steve with a Lifetime of Idealism Award in recognition of their generous support over the years.

The Case Foundation is also a team sponsor of City Year DC's Young Heroes initiative. Young Heroes is a five-month service and leadership program for sixth- to eighth-graders. Each Saturday, the program unites diverse middle school students from public, private, and charter schools throughout the Washington area to learn about social issues in their community and then work on teams to address those problems through hands-on service.