Ascendium Education Group Inc
Ascendium Education Group, inc. Operates for the support and benefit of ascendium education solutions, inc.
Ascendium Education Group Inc at a glance
- Total assets
- $3,921,777,659
- +10.3% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $118,061,993
- +24.4% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $117,606,272
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $16,127,018
- +12.9% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated November 2026.
Who Ascendium Education Group Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
1 grant across all recorded years
The most common grant size was $5M or more: 1 grant of 1 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2K (2023) to $61.1M (2022). In 2024 it reported $3K in grants paid, as a total without an itemized list.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ascendium Education Solutions Inc Madison, WI | Fund Ascendium Education Solution, Inc. grant program | $61,144,777 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,921,777,659 | $118,061,993 | $16,127,018 | — | — | $117,606,272 |
| 2024 | $3,555,116,130 | $94,918,940 | $14,289,952 | $2,500 | Total only | $94,078,627 |
| 2023 | $3,022,286,011 | $78,403,388 | $12,531,647 | $2,000 | Total only | $77,207,155 |
| 2022 | $2,599,459,075 | $25,305,849 | $70,596,121 | $61,144,777 | 1 | $24,465,304 |
| 2021 | $2,781,800,074 | $26,399,097 | $5,594,270 | — | — | $26,397,852 |
| 2020 | $2,297,580,826 | $30,305,077 | $2,468,782 | $10,000 | 1 | $30,305,069 |
| 2019 | $2,132,867,938 | $29,867,739 | $2,064,066 | — | — | $29,781,000 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
About Ascendium Education Group Inc
Based on IRS filings
Ascendium Education Group Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in Madison, WI. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $3.9B in total assets. Net investment income was $117.6M.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Ascendium Education Group Inc is led by Keith Witham -, President & CEO - Aeg since 2025 (on filings since 2022); all 25 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Keith Witham -
President & CEO - Aeg
Director - Education Grantmaking → Vice President - Education Philanthropy, 2023
Vice President - Education Philanthropy → President & CEO - Aeg, 2025
On filings since 2022
44 hrs/week
$179K (2022) → $484K (2025)
Richard A. Weiss -
Chairman, CIO, Treasurer & Director - Secretary
Chair, President, CIO, Treasurer, Director & Senior It Architectural Engineer → Chair, President, CIO, Treasurer & Director - Secretary, 2024
Chair, President, CIO, Treasurer & Director - Secretary → Chairman, CIO, Treasurer & Director - Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
33 hrs/week
$848K (2022) → $809K (2025)
David J. Hanson -
Director
Director & Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$9K (2022) → $46K (2025)
Joan Prince -
Director
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
$17K (2022) → $46K (2025)
Linda Hoeschler -
Director
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
$19K (2022) → $46K (2025)
Maria Gonzalez-Knavel -
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$10K (2023) → $46K (2025)
Matthew R. Harlowe -
Director - Internal Audit
Director Internal Audit → Director - Internal Audit, 2024
On filings since 2022
43 hrs/week
$240K (2022) → $265K (2025)
Roger Ervin -
Director
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
$22K (2022) → $51K (2025)
Scott Klug -
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$12K (2022) → $55K (2025)
Thomas Boldt -
Director
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
$24K (2022) → $55K (2025)
Darren King -
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$23K (2024) → $42K (2025)
Leslie Lenzo -
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$23K (2024) → $46K (2025)
Alyssa K. Dunsirn -
Director - It Security
New on the 2025 filing
45 hrs/week
$192K (2025)
Bethany M. Miller -
Vice President - Planning Learn Impact
Director - Learning & Impact → Vice President - Planning Learn Impact, 2025
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$169K (2022) → $198K (2025)
Brett G. Lindquist -
Vice President - Comms & Cmnty Engmt
Vice President - Strategic Communications → Vice President - Comms & Cmnty Engmt, 2024
On filings since 2022
6 hrs/week
$277K (2022) → $303K (2025)
Emerson Brumback -
Director - Vice Chairman
Director & Vice Chairman → Director - Vice Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$10K (2022) → $46K (2025)
Eric C. Maly -
Vice President - Info Security & Tech
Director Info, Technology & Security → Vice President - Info Security & Tech, 2023
On filings since 2022
12 hrs/week
$227K (2022) → $297K (2025)
Hope E. Merry -
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2022
27 hrs/week
$409K (2022) → $463K (2025)
Jacqueline J. Fairbairn -
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Compliance Officer → Chief Operating Officer, 2025
On filings since 2022
44 hrs/week
$406K (2025)
Jennifer M. Krueger -
Deputy General Counsel
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$160K (2022) → $175K (2025)
Maureen 1144 Harrill -
Vice President - Human Resources
On filings since 2022
$224K (2022) → $128K (2025)
Rebecca E. Rapp -
General Cnsl & Chief Priv Ofc
General Cnsl & Assistant Secretary → General Cnsl, Chief Privacy Officer & Assistant Secretary, 2023
General Cnsl, Chief Privacy Officer & Assistant Secretary → General Cnsl & Chief Priv Ofc, 2025
On filings since 2022
31 hrs/week
$288K (2022) → $316K (2025)
Catherine M. Risseeuw -
Vice President - Human Resources
Mrg - Hr Technology & Comptroller → Vice President - Human Resources, 2025
On filings since 2023
12 hrs/week
$149K (2023) → $161K (2025)
Janice M. Hicks -
Deputy Director - Educ Grantmaking
New on the 2025 filing
45 hrs/week
$161K (2025)
Jessa L. Valentine -
Deputy Director - Learning & Imp
New on the 2025 filing
45 hrs/week
$184K (2025)
Former officers (34)
- Former: Alexander J Hammond (2023–2024) — Senior Security Architect
- Former: Carolynn E Lee (2024) — Dpty Director - Educ Grantmaking
- Former: Jessa L Valentine (2024) — Dpty Director - Learning & Impact
- Former: Amy S. Kerwin - (2022–2023) — Vice President - Education Philanthropy
- Former: Mary Burke - (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Alexander J. Hammond - (2022) — Senior Security Architect
- Former: Brian Kobishop (2019–2021) — Vice President - It, Secretary & Logi
- Former: Catherine Risseeuw (2019–2021) — Manager - Hr Technology & Comptroller
- Former: David J Hanson (2019–2021) — Director & Secretary
- Former: Emerson Brumback (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Fernando Delk (2019–2021) — Senior It & Busn Integ Anst
- Former: Hope Merry (2019–2021) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Jacqueline Fairbairn (2019–2021) — Vice President - Policy & Reg Compliance
- Former: Jeff Crosby (2019–2021) — President & Ceo-Aes
- Former: Jennifer Krueger (2019–2021) — Deputy General Counsel
- Former: Joan Prince (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Linda Hoeschler (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Mary Burke (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Matt Harlowe (2019–2021) — Director Internal Audit
- Former: Maureen Harrill (2019–2021) — Vice President - Human Resources
- Former: Rebecca Rapp (2019–2021) — General Cnsl, Chf Prvcy & Assistant Secretary
- Former: Richard A Weiss (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Richard D George (2019–2021) — Chair, President, CIO & Treasurer
- Former: Thoma Boldt (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Brett Lindquist (2020–2021) — Vice President - Strategic Communications
- Former: Eric Maly (2020–2021) — Director - Info Technology
- Former: Roger Ervin (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Amy KOBISHOP (2021) — Vice President - Education Philanthropy
- Former: Kira Cortese (2021) — Creative Director
- Former: Amy Kerwin (2020) — Vice President - Education Philanthropy
- Former: Barry Smith (2020) — Security Pol-Vend Rel Manager
- Former: Alex J Pollock (2019) — Director
- Former: Patricia Kingston (2019) — Senior Manager - Corporate Tax
- Former: Stephanie Hafermann (2019) — Senior Manager - Corporate Acctg
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $809K, to Richard D George - 23 (Chairman/CIO/Treasurer). 26 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ascendium Education Group Inc
How large is Ascendium Education Group Inc?
Ascendium Education Group Inc reported $3.9B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $118.1M.
What is Ascendium Education Group Inc?
Ascendium Education Group Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in Madison, WI. It holds $3.9B in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Ascendium Education Group Inc operate?
Ascendium Education Group Inc has awarded grants in Wisconsin.
What is Ascendium Education Group Inc's EIN?
Ascendium Education Group Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1090394. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 24, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 17, 2026)
Live grants for the work Ascendium Education Group Inc funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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