Education Forward Arizona logo

Education Forward Arizona

Public charity · Grantmaker Phoenix, AZ EIN: 20-2366755 Website

To advocate for high-quality education and training that aligns with career and workforce opportunities to advance the quality of life for all arizonans.

Education Forward Arizona at a glance

In short: Education Forward Arizona reported $68K in grants paid in 2025 (a total; its filing lists no individual grants). Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

Grants paid (2025)
$68,200 — reported as a total on the IRS filing, without an itemized list
+1036.7% vs 2024
Total assets
$19,811,044
-3.4% vs 2024
Revenue (2025)
$5,917,126
-18.7% vs 2024
Net investment income (2025)
$471,629
+31.6% vs 2024
Expenses (2025)
$7,834,621
-3.1% vs 2024
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

How to apply to Education Forward Arizona

Who Education Forward Arizona funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

19 grants across all recorded years

19<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 19 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

States

Cities

PhoenixFlagstaffNogalesSahuaritaTucsonTusconVailWinslowYumaAsh ForkGlendaleGlobeMiamiTempe

How Education Forward Arizona gives

  • Giving fell 95% from 2021 to 2024. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K0 grants2020 12 grants2021 2 grants2022 4 grants2023 1 grant2024 Total only2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $6K (2024) to $123K (2021). In 2025 it reported $68K 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

RecipientPurposeAmount
1 grant to individuals Recipients not named —$6,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025$19,811,044$5,917,126$7,834,621$68,200Total only$471,629
2024$20,515,483$7,276,177$8,085,895$6,0001$358,324
2023$20,694,562$6,266,542$7,219,589$24,0004$237,649
2022$20,619,225$9,242,134$6,164,873$17,0002$203,822
2021$19,037,884$6,349,882$5,744,557$123,25012$1,110,121
2020$16,402,429$4,944,911$5,175,508——$273,916

"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

About Education Forward Arizona

Based on IRS filings

Education Forward Arizona is a public charity, based in Phoenix, AZ. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $19.8M in total assets. In 2025, it reported $68K in grants paid as a total on its IRS filing, without an itemized list. Net investment income was $472K.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Education Forward Arizona is led by Rich Nickel, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 6 of 22 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Rich Nickel

    President & CEO

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $260K (2020) → $298K (2025)

  • John Fees

    Director & Chair

    Treasurer → Director & Vice Chair, 2023

    Director & Vice Chair → Director & Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Chevy Humphrey

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gonzalo De La Melena

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kate Hickman

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Paul Koehler

    Director

    Vice Chair → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tracy Bame

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Vince Roig

    Director

    Chairman → Director & Chairman, 2023

    Director & Chairman → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Scott Vanderpool

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Shelley Watson

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Daniel Corr

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Edmundo Hidalgo

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Shelley Mellon

    Director & Secretary

    On filings since 2023

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jason Coochwytewa

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Teniqua Broughton

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Cristie Street

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Diana Figueroa

    Senior Vice President Marcomm & Strategic

    On filings since 2022

    40 hrs/week

    $144K (2022) → $152K (2025)

  • Teena Olszewski

    Senior Vice President & Chief of Staff

    On filings since 2023

    40 hrs/week

    $130K (2023) → $152K (2025)

  • Jennifer M. Murphy

    Vice President of Postsecond. Access & Attainment

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $106K (2025)

  • Myrna M. Cardenas

    Vice President of Success Services Partnerships

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $109K (2025)

  • Stephen Hart

    Vice President of Finance & Administrator

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $122K (2025)

  • Ron Butler

    Vice Chair & Treasurer

    Director → Director & Treasurer, 2023

    Director & Treasurer → Vice Chair & Treasurer, 2024

    On filings since 2021

    0.3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (10)
  • Former: Deanna Salazar (2021–2024) — Director
  • Former: Teresa L. Ruiz (2023–2024) — Senior Vice President, Chief Program & Advisor
  • Former: Charles Monty Roessel (2021–2023) — Director
  • Former: Holly Baird (2022–2023) — Senior Director of Finance
  • Former: Patricia Welborn (2020–2022) — Secretary
  • Former: Richard Daniel (2020–2022) — Executive Vice President & COO
  • Former: Steve Seleznow (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Darcy Renfro (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Erin Hart (2021–2022) — Senior Vice President, Chief of Policy & Community Impact
  • Former: Rachel Yanof (2020) — Executive Director A60az

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

Rich Nickel — President & CEO: $298KRich NickelPresident & CEO$298KDiana Figueroa — Sr VP Marcomm & Strategic: $152KDiana FigueroaSr VP Marcomm & Strategic$152KTeena Olszewski — Sr VP & Chief of Staff: $152KTeena OlszewskiSr VP & Chief of Staff$152KStephen Hart — VP of Finance/Admin: $122KStephen HartVP of Finance/Admin$122KMyrna M Cardenas — VP of Success Services Partnerships: $109KMyrna M CardenasVP of Success Services…$109KJennifer M Murphy — VP of Postsecond. Access & Attainment: $106KJennifer M MurphyVP of Postsecond. Access &…$106K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $298K, to Rich Nickel (President & CEO). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Education Forward Arizona

How much does Education Forward Arizona give each year?

Education Forward Arizona reported $68K in grants paid in 2025 on its 2025 IRS Form 990, as a total without an itemized list of grants. In 2024 it gave $6K across 1 grant.

How large is Education Forward Arizona?

Education Forward Arizona reported $19.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.9M.

Where does Education Forward Arizona operate?

Education Forward Arizona has awarded grants in Arizona.

What is Education Forward Arizona's EIN?

Education Forward Arizona's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2366755. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

Data update history

(3)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
  2. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 19, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Education Forward Arizona'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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