Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
The Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education is a Phoenix-based public charity that promotes access to justice for Arizonans and supports law-related education. The organization was formed in 1978 by the State Bar of Arizona as a separate 501(c)(3).
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education at a glance
In short: Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education gave $6.0M across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $300K), mostly in Arizona. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,992,708
- +178.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- +17.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $299,635
- +137.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,346
- Total assets
- $27,224,905
- +96.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (2 of 20, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
- Review Cycle
- October 10, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Arizona time for the 2026 grant cycle; this deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- October 10, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4201 N 24Th Street Suite 210, Phoenix, AZ 85016
Phone: (602) 340-7356
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
Arizona Bar Foundation Community-Based Organization Scholarship
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling
Arizona Bar Foundation Grant Giving Program
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Foundation Grant Giving Program
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Community Legal Services ($2.8M). Together the top 10 received $5.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
91 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 91 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s grant program serves Arizona. All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 20 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $330K. How we count
Medians: $26K first-time, $23K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2022) to $6.0M (2024). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $6.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Legal Services Phoenix, AZ | Domestic Violence and Legal Services | $2,849,275 |
| Southern Arizona Legal Aid Tucson, AZ | Domestic Violence and Legal Services | $1,830,465 |
| DNA Peoples Legal Services Window Rock, AZ | Domestic Violence and Legal Services | $601,240 |
| William E Morris Institute Phoenix, AZ | Legal Services | $323,637 |
| Florence Immigrant & Refuge Tucson, AZ | Legal Services | $51,400 |
| Step up to Justice Tucson, AZ | Legal Services | $51,300 |
| Sojourner Center Phoenix, AZ | Domestic Violence Grant | $37,323 |
| Emerge Center Against Domestic VIO Tucson, AZ | Domestic Violence Grant | $32,625 |
| Defenders of Children Phoenix, AZ | Legal Assistance | $25,900 |
| Against Abuse Inc CASA Grande, AZ | Domestic Violence Grant | $25,491 |
Ready to take the next step with Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $27,224,905 | $23,793,539 | $9,829,809 | $5,992,708 | 20 | $679,605 |
| 2023 | $13,876,138 | $15,440,413 | $5,965,109 | $2,149,257 | 17 | $124,081 |
| 2022 | $3,979,281 | $5,548,454 | $4,505,833 | $1,704,260 | 19 | $16,010 |
| 2021 | $3,560,753 | $4,611,898 | $4,283,030 | $1,812,359 | 18 | $4,833 |
| 2020 | $4,022,636 | $4,941,307 | $4,902,157 | $2,482,545 | 17 | $15,445 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to promote access to justice for all Arizonans. Its website describes this work as preparing Arizona youth for civic responsibility and providing access to justice for Arizonans most in need.
The Foundation’s grantmaking supports nonprofit organizations providing civil legal services. Among its 2024 grantees, Community Legal Services describes its work as advocating, litigating, and educating on behalf of underserved communities. Southern Arizona Legal Aid says it provides legal services to people who otherwise would not have equal access to justice. The William E. Morris Institute for Justice describes its work as advocating for low-income Arizonans in historically marginalized communities. Other 2024 grantees include organizations whose stated missions address immigration legal services, domestic and sexual violence, and services for vulnerable children and families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 20 grants totaling $5,992,708. Grant amounts ranged from $6,525 to $2,849,275, with a median of $25,346. Its largest reported grants were $2,849,275 to Community Legal Services, $1,830,465 to Southern Arizona Legal Aid, and $601,240 to DNA People’s Legal Services. The stated purposes of these three grants were domestic violence and legal services. The Foundation also awarded $323,637 to the William E. Morris Institute for Justice for legal services.
The Foundation’s grant program is for nonprofit legal-service organizations providing free civil legal assistance to low-income Arizonans. Applicants must be approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors; some grants also require recognition by the Arizona Supreme Court as an approved legal-service organization. The application instructions call for a completed application and requested documents demonstrating organizational capacity and experience, how proposed services address the needs of low-income Arizonans, methods for evaluating services, and collaboration with other providers and community organizations. The instructions say successful applicants are notified of award amounts in mid-December and that recipients must submit regular statistical, narrative, and financial expenditure reports.
The application period for 2026 grant awards ran from September 15 through October 10, 2025, and is past. The Foundation’s grant-program information says it is not currently accepting applications.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kevin Ruegg as CEO/Executive Director, Alvaro Flores as CIO, Lara Slifko as CRO, Christine Groninger as CSO, Stephanie Sandner as CFO, Jennifer Castro as Senior Director of Education, Susan Brichler Trujillo as Vice-President, and Lance Broberg as President Elect. It also lists Hon. Robert Brooks and Peter Davis as board members.
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education is led by Kevin Ruegg, Ceoexecutive Director on every filing since 2020; 6 of 31 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kevin Ruegg
Ceoexecutive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$197K (2020) → $240K (2024)
Joseph Kreamer
President
Vice President → President Elect, 2022
President Elect → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Castro
Senior Director of Education
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$110K (2023) → $158K (2024)
Alvaro Flores
CIO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$105K (2020) → $187K (2024)
Christine Groninger
Cso
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$105K (2020) → $191K (2024)
Lara Slifko
Cro
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$105K (2020) → $187K (2024)
Stephanie Sandner
CFO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$107K (2020) → $189K (2024)
Anni Hill Foster
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Furuya
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Rosenbaum
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Lee-Cota
Past President
President Elect → President, 2022
President → Past President, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joel England
Ex-Officio Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelsi Lane
Board Member
Board Memberpr Chair → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lance Broberg
President Elect
Secretary → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → President Elect, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark McCall
Board Member
Board Memberlre Chair → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Davis
Board Member
Board Member → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Brooks
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Samuel Thumma
Ex-Officio Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Brichler Trujillo
Vice President
Board Member → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd Lang
Board Member
President → Past President, 2022
Past President → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Craig Lewandowski
Treasurer
Board Member → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Bell
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Adams
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Ross
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ted Schmidt
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Diana Varela
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kerry Melcher
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mignonne Hollis
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Parks
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Sherman
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Porter
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Bradley Pack (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Gina Godbehere (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Dennis Fitzgibbons (2021–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Damon Ashcraft (2020–2021) — Past President
- Former: German A. Salazar (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Hector Figueroa (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Susan Conrad (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Tom Giallanza (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Doreen N. McPaul (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Jennifer Rebholz (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Joannie Collins (2020) — CAO
- Former: Rachel Hernandez (2020) — Past President
- Former: Rodney Glassman (2020) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $240K, to Kevin Ruegg (Ceoexecutive Director). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
How much does Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education give each year?
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education gave $6.0M across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $2.1M across 17 grants.
What is Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education's typical grant size?
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education's median grant in 2024 was $25,346, and its average grant was $299,635, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education that year got $26K on average.
Where does Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education give grants?
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education gives mostly in Arizona: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Phoenix, AZ (6 grants) and Tucson, AZ (5 grants).
Does Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Domestic Violence Grant" (9 grants), "Domestic Violence" (3 grants) and "Domestic Violence and Legal Services" (3 grants).
Who are Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education's largest grantees?
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education's largest 2024 grantees include Community Legal Services ($2,849,275), Southern Arizona Legal Aid ($1,830,465) and DNA Peoples Legal Services ($601,240), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education?
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education reported $27.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $23.8M.
What does Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to promote access to justice for all Arizonans. Its website describes this work as preparing Arizona youth for civic responsibility and providing access to justice for Arizonans most in need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education?
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education's EIN?
Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3351710. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education funds
Crime & Legal Related Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/arizona-foundation-for-legal-services-and-education-morg_3de5de4de23b4adf9bc455be35a4d224
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953351710_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Arizona Foundation for Legal Services \& Education funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/arizona-foundation-for-legal-services-and-education-morg_3de5de4de23b4adf9bc455be35a4d224},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Legal Services & Education'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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