Arizona Foundation for Educational
Arizona Foundation for Educational is a private foundation based in Phoenix, Arizona. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations supporting activities such as scholarships, student achievement, education programs, and homelessness intervention services.
Arizona Foundation for Educational at a glance
In short: Arizona Foundation for Educational gave $673K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $26K), top state Arizona. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $672,500
- +15.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +18.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $25,865
- -2.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,750
- Total assets
- $18,044,990
- +4.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (7 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (27% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Arizona Foundation for Educational
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 10417, Phoenix, AZ 85064-0417
Phone: (208) 841-7310
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Arizona Foundation for Educational funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Colorado League of Charter Schools ($60K). Together the top 10 received $413K.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($181,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 123 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Arizona received 27% of grant dollars, Colorado 20%, New Mexico 19%, Idaho 11%, and Oregon 9%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Arizona Foundation for Educational open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 21 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $19K repeat.
- 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $557K (2022) to $757K (2020). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $673K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 5 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $181,500 |
| Colorado League of Charter Schools Denver, CO | To Support Charter School Student Achievement | $60,000 |
| Human Services Campus DBA Keys to Change Phoenix, AZ | To Support Homelessness Intervention Services | $60,000 |
| Hutchinson Community College Endowment Assoc Hutchinson, KS | To Support College Transfer and Workforce Programs | $58,000 |
| Jesuit High School Portland, OR | To Provide Tuition Assistance Scholarships | $50,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum Golden, CO | To Support Quilt Education and Preservation | $50,000 |
| St Thomas the Apostle Phoenix, AZ | To Support Campus Capital Improvements | $45,000 |
| Pat Tillman Foundation Chicago, IL | To Provide Scholarships for Veterans and Spouses | $25,000 |
| U of a - BIO5 (Keys) Tucson, AZ | To Provide High School Research Opportunities | $25,000 |
| University of Idaho Moscow, ID | To Support Environmental Education Programs | $25,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $18,044,990 | $1,837,061 | $1,036,413 | $672,500 | 26 | $876,453 | $1,684,621 | $854,355 |
| 2024 | $17,263,365 | $1,391,176 | $902,213 | $585,000 | 22 | $746,342 | $1,259,582 | $829,677 |
| 2023 | $16,281,223 | $698,051 | $859,459 | $557,000 | 22 | $717,184 | $577,596 | $766,396 |
| 2022 | $15,439,958 | $691,719 | $854,718 | $557,000 | 24 | $715,735 | $521,874 | $801,041 |
| 2021 | $18,382,397 | $1,906,609 | $1,004,940 | $667,000 | 29 | $835,101 | $1,772,925 | $844,945 |
| 2020 | $16,638,483 | $734,213 | $1,056,035 | $757,000 | 37 | — | $610,639 | $750,869 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Arizona Foundation for Educational reported a distributable amount of $854K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of education-related activities, including university scholarships through a youth ministry, charter school student achievement, tuition assistance, college transfer and workforce programs, and high school research opportunities. The foundation also supported homelessness intervention services, quilt education and preservation, and campus capital improvements.
Examples of grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Colorado League of Charter Schools says its mission is to improve student achievement by supporting Colorado’s charter schools and advancing opportunities for innovation and high-quality public school choice. The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum says its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and educate the public about quilts. Idaho State University Foundation says its mission is to stimulate private support for the benefit of the university and its students.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $672,500. Individual grants ranged from $2,500 to $105,500, with a median of $13,750. It made 22 grants totaling $585,000 in 2024 and 22 grants totaling $557,000 in 2023.
Notable 2025 grants included $105,500 to an individual recipient for university scholarships through youth ministry; $60,000 to the Colorado League of Charter Schools for charter school student achievement; $60,000 to Human Services Campus DBA Keys to Change for homelessness intervention services; and $58,000 to Hutchinson Community College Endowment Association for college transfer and workforce programs. Other grants included $50,000 to Jesuit High School for tuition assistance scholarships, $50,000 to Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum for quilt education and preservation, and $41,500 to Idaho State University Foundation for athletic summer scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John Muessle as president/secretary; Jake Butterfield as executive assistant; and Leo Valdez, Scott Butterfield, Thomas Duncan, and Lee Burton as directors.
Arizona Foundation for Educational is led by John Muessle, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; all 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John Muessle
President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$106K (2020) → $92K (2025)
Lee Burton
Director
Vice Chairman & Treasurer → Chairman & Treasurer, 2024
Chairman & Treasurer → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$13K (2020) → $15K (2025)
Leo Valdez
Director
Vice Chairman → Chairman, 2023
Chairman → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $13K (2025)
Thomas Duncan
Director
Vice Chairman & Assistant Treasurer → Assistant Treasurer, 2022
Assistant Treasurer → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$13K (2020) → $25K (2025)
Scott Butterfield
Director
Director → Vice Chairman, 2024
Vice Chairman → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$8K (2021) → $13K (2025)
Jake Butterfield
Executive Assistant
New on the 2025 filing
6 hrs/week
$20K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Clancy Woods (2020) — Director · Filing note: Thru 082020
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $92K, to John Muessle (President/Secretary). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Arizona Foundation for Educational
How much does Arizona Foundation for Educational give each year?
Arizona Foundation for Educational gave $673K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $585K across 22 grants.
What is Arizona Foundation for Educational's typical grant size?
Arizona Foundation for Educational's median grant in 2025 was $13,750, and its average grant was $25,865, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Arizona Foundation for Educational that year got $23K on average.
Where does Arizona Foundation for Educational give grants?
Arizona Foundation for Educational's top state is Arizona, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (20%) and New Mexico (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Phoenix, AZ (4 grants), Portland, OR (2 grants), Tucson, AZ (2 grants) and Espanola, NM (2 grants).
Does Arizona Foundation for Educational give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 26 grants with a stated purpose on Arizona Foundation for Educational's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Arizona Foundation for Educational's largest grantees?
Arizona Foundation for Educational's largest 2025 grantees include Colorado League of Charter Schools ($60,000), Human Services Campus DBA Keys to Change ($60,000) and Hutchinson Community College Endowment Assoc ($58,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($181,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Arizona Foundation for Educational?
Arizona Foundation for Educational reported $18.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $876K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $854K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Arizona Foundation for Educational fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arizona Foundation for Educational?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Arizona Foundation for Educational's EIN?
Arizona Foundation for Educational's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-0664560. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Arizona Foundation for Educational accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 24, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 24, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Arizona Foundation for Educational funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/arizona-foundation-for-educational-morg_9a2f072887c54a49a3d52955ab60fe0e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_860664560_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Arizona Foundation for Educational funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/arizona-foundation-for-educational-morg_9a2f072887c54a49a3d52955ab60fe0e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Arizona Foundation for Educational's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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