Ascendium Education Solutions Inc
Ascendium Education Solutions, inc. Operates to provide for philanthropic support and cost effective enablement of access to and persistence in post-secondary education by providing full-range guaranty agency services and grant support to funding sources, educational institutions, charitable organizations, in pursuit of and participation in post-secondary education in accordance with the federal higher education act of 1965, as amended. This mission statement has been reviewed, acknowledged and informally approved by the board.
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc at a glance
In short: Ascendium Education Solutions Inc gave $145.2M across 265 grants in 2025 (avg $548K), top state New York. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $145,239,155
- +23.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 265
- -7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $548,072
- +33.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $100,788
- Total assets
- $213,349,472
- -4.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (53 of 264, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (17% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Ascendium Education Solutions Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jobs for the Future Inc ($6.9M). Together the top 10 received $47.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 412 grants of 1,113 (37%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 265 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ascendium Education Solutions Inc open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 53 of 264 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $429K; repeat grants $581K. How we count
Medians: $31K first-time, $105K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $71.5M (2023) to $145.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 265 grants totaling $145.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs for the Future Inc Boston, MA | Grant, fair chance to advance: transforming systems and building pathways from corrections to quality jobs | $6,854,650 |
| Teachers College Columbia University New York, NY | Grant, an applied research agenda to support community college reform and learner advancement grant, expanding and sharing the evidence base of key student success reforms grant, evaluation of scaling shortened academic terms initiative grant, national reporting by hechinger report on postsecondary education and workforce training | $5,850,576 |
| Merit America Washington, DC | Grant, accelerating workforce training pathways via merit America's opportunity fund contribution, ascendium rapid response support | $5,660,000 |
| MDRC New York, NY | Grant, accelerating impact: advancing evidence for postsecondary success and economic mobility grant, building & applying strong evidence about postsecondary success & economic mobility contribution, ascendium rapid response support | $5,545,531 |
| American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences Arlington, VA | Grant, identifying and scaling programmatic technical assistance in postsecondary education in prison programs grant, rural research support partner | $5,279,342 |
| Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Madison, WI | Grant, Supporting Low-Income Learners at Wisconsin Independent Colleges | $5,000,000 |
| Achieving the Dream Inc Silver Spring, MD | Grant, scaling shortened academic terms initiative grant, project success 2024-2025 grant, from opening doors to ushering in- strategic enrollment management for adult learner success grant, project success formative and summative assessment grant, beyond the college walls: principles and partnerships for the next community college decade | $3,701,781 |
| Universities of Wisconsin System Madison, WI | Grant, Supporting the Wisconsin Tuition Promise 2025 | $3,400,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Washington, DC | Grant, aspen prize, higher education board reform, and increasing focus on college leadership grant, the transfer intensive 2.0 grant, advancing community college students' post-graduation success | $3,391,300 |
| Blue Meridian Partners Inc New York, NY | Contribution, Blue Meridian Partners Impact Investment | $3,000,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ascendium Education Solutions Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $213,349,472 | $186,045,000 | $196,689,891 | $145,239,155 | 265 | $6,512,528 |
| 2024 | $222,593,303 | $266,994,248 | $169,298,500 | $117,463,805 | 287 | $10,801,794 |
| 2023 | $351,464,064 | $298,192,646 | $119,504,517 | $71,533,809 | 205 | $9,122,893 |
| 2022 | $289,805,860 | $388,928,491 | $166,575,071 | $107,677,443 | 175 | $1,390,574 |
| 2021 | $170,907,364 | $467,309,203 | $204,796,432 | $107,113,158 | 181 | $38,242 |
| 2020 | $288,144,309 | $427,280,088 | $313,241,055 | $100,067,488 | 149 | $914,737 |
| 2019 | $284,705,811 | $511,268,683 | $319,237,947 | $113,289,317 | 133 | $14,999,085 |
About Ascendium Education Solutions Inc
Based on IRS filings
Ascendium Education Solutions 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 $213.3M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 265 grants totaling $145.2M. Net investment income was $6.5M.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc is led by Jeffery E. Crosby -, President & CEO - Aes since 2024 (on filings since 2022); 9 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffery E. Crosby -
President & CEO - Aes
President & Ceo-Aes → President & CEO - Aes, 2024
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$547K (2022) → $573K (2025)
Richard D. George -
Director - Secretary, Chairman & Treasurer
Director, Chairman & Treasurer → Director - Secretary, Chairman & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
17 hrs/week
$11K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Barbara A. Wilhelm -
Director - Claims Review
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$161K (2022) → $169K (2025)
Carmen N. Rieg -
Director - Recovery Administrator
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$138K (2022) → $156K (2025)
Cynthia Walsh -
Director
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
$19K (2022) → $46K (2025)
David J. Hanson -
Director
Director & Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$9K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Maria Gonzalez-Knavel -
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$10K (2023) → $0 (2025)
Roger A. Eldridge -
National Sales Director
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$137K (2022) → $155K (2025)
Scott Klug -
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$12K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Darren King -
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$23K (2024) → $0 (2025)
Leslie Lenzo -
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$23K (2024) → $0 (2025)
Emerson Brumback -
Director - Vice Chairman
Director & Vice Chairman → Director - Vice Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$10K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Jeffrey S. Dick -
Systems Analyst
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$171K (2022) → $185K (2025)
Beth A. Erickson -
Vice President - Repayment Solutions
On filings since 2023
45 hrs/week
$317K (2023) → $333K (2025)
Benjamin C. Lee -
Vice President - Guaranty Support Svcs
New on the 2025 filing
45 hrs/week
$162K (2025)
Kristi K. Myers -
Systems Integration Anlst
New on the 2025 filing
45 hrs/week
$147K (2025)
Hope E. Merry -
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2022
23 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (35)
- Former: Caralyn A Hansen - (2022–2024) — Attigo Senior Mktg Strategist
- Former: Jacqueline J Fairbairn - (2022–2024) — Vice President - Pol & Reg Compliance
- Former: Brett G Lindquist - (2024) — Vice President - Strategic Communications
- Former: Eric C Maly - (2024) — Vice President - Info Security & Tech
- Former: Matthew R Harlowe - (2024) — Director - Internal Audit
- Former: Maureen L Harrill - (2024) — Vice President - Human Resources
- Former: Rebecca E Rapp - (2024) — General Cnsl & Assistant Secretary
- Former: Mary Burke - (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Beth A. Erickson (2019–2022) — Vice President - Repayment Solutions
- Former: Thomas Scarett - (2022) — Director
- Former: Amy Kobishop (2019–2021) — Vice President - Education Philanthropy
- Former: Barbara Wilhelm (2019–2021) — Director - Claims Review
- Former: Brian Kobishop (2019–2021) — Vice President - It, Security & Logistics
- Former: Cynthia Walsh (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: David J Hanson (2019–2021) — Director & Secretary
- Former: Emerson Brumback (2019–2021) — Director
- 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: Jeffrey Dick (2019–2021) — Systems Analyst
- Former: Mary Burke (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Maureen Harrill (2019–2021) — Vice President - Human Resources
- Former: Rebecca Rapp (2019–2021) — General Cnsl, Chf Prvcy & Assistant Secretary
- Former: Rebecca Villarreal (2019–2021) — Director Education Philanthropy
- Former: Richard A Weiss (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Richard D George (2019–2021) — Chair & Treasurer
- Former: Thomas A Scarlett (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Brett Lindquist (2020–2021) — Vice President - Strategic Communications
- Former: Caralyn Hansen (2020–2021) — Attigo Senior Mktg Strategist
- Former: Matthew Harlowe (2020–2021) — Director Internal Audit
- Former: Bethany Miller (2021) — Deputy Director - Learning & Imp
- Former: Eric Wilson (2020) — Deputy Director - Edn Philanthropy
- Former: Jason Rasmusen (2019) — Director Strategic Committee
- Former: Kira Cortese (2019) — Creative Director
- Former: Matt Harlowe (2019) — Director Internal Audit
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 $573K, to Jeffery E Crosby - 3 (President & CEO - AES). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ascendium Education Solutions Inc
How much does Ascendium Education Solutions Inc give each year?
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc gave $145.2M across 265 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $117.5M across 287 grants.
What is Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's typical grant size?
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's median grant in 2025 was $100,788, and its average grant was $548,072, across 265 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ascendium Education Solutions Inc that year got $429K on average.
Where does Ascendium Education Solutions Inc give grants?
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's top state is New York, with 17% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were District of Columbia (16%) and Wisconsin (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (39 grants), Washington, DC (29 grants), New York, NY (10 grants) and Boston, MA (7 grants).
Does Ascendium Education Solutions Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 265 grants with a stated purpose on Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Good Neighbor Giving 2025" (13 grants), "Triple Your Impact Match 2025" (10 grants) and "Contribution, Ascendium Rapid Response Support" (5 grants).
Who are Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's largest grantees?
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Jobs for the Future Inc ($6,854,650), Teachers College Columbia University ($5,850,576) and Merit America ($5,660,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ascendium Education Solutions Inc?
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc reported $213.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $186.0M.
What is Ascendium Education Solutions Inc?
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in Madison, WI. It holds $213.3M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's EIN?
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1853833. 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 31, 2022)
- 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 Solutions Inc funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ascendium Education Solutions Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Similar funders in Wisconsin
Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing
Appleton, WI
Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing distributes donor-directed and program donations to a broad range of causes and organizations in local, national, and global communities. Its 2024 grants had a median of $11,520 and ranged from $5,006 to $5 million. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
3,145
Total Given
$99.2M
Alliant Energy Foundation Inc
Madison, WI
Assets
$28.5M
Grants
929
Total Given
$2.4M
Greater Milwaukee Foundation Inc
Milwaukee, WI
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation funds nonprofit programs, projects, general operations and capital needs, with priorities including early childhood education, housing, basic needs, health, arts and culture, and scientific research. Its competitive grants primarily serve Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties; in 2024, the median grant was about $27,800, though awards varied widely. It runs competitive grant cycles, but whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
838
Total Given
$66.8M
Give Back Foundation
Madison, WI
Give Back Foundation distributes donor-designated contributions through workplace giving and other giving platforms to selected 501(c)(3) charities, rather than setting its own cause areas. In 2025, grants had a median of $9,066, with recipient organizations concentrated in Virginia, California, and Washington, D.C.; it does not accept unsolicited requests or work directly with charities.
Assets
$31.3M
Grants
639
Total Given
$40.1M
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Inc
Milwaukee, WI
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County funds local human services and community programs focused on housing stability, digital access, employment, teen mental wellness, and community resilience. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,000 to about $2 million, with a median of about $34,000, and most funding went to Wisconsin, especially its four-county region. It requires a Letter of Intent before a full application; the listed 2026–27 Letter of Intent deadline has passed.
Assets
$50.8M
Grants
639
Total Given
$42.7M
Green Bay Packers Foundation
Green Bay, WI
The Green Bay Packers Foundation funds Wisconsin charities working in areas such as families, athletics, children’s safety and education, animal welfare, and other focus areas that vary by year. Its 2026 announcement describes typical awards of $3,000–$8,000, though some grants are larger; it accepts online applications during its stated cycle, February 2–April 1, 2026.
Assets
$57.2M
Grants
530
Total Given
$3.6M
More similar funders
More Funders in Wisconsin
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Ascendium Education Solutions Inc'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.
Ascendium Education Solutions Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?