Education Freedom Alabama is a public charity based in Birmingham, Alabama, formed in 2021. It supports scholarships for eligible low-income K–12 students, including scholarships for private-school tuition or transfer fees to a non-failing public school.
Key facts about Education Freedom Alabama
In short: Education Freedom Alabama gave $5.3M across 86 grants in 2025 (avg $61K), mostly in Alabama. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 86-1722407
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,277,811
- Grants made (2025)
- 86
- Average grant
- $61,370
- Median grant
- $31,780
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (5 of 85, 2025)
- Total assets
- $7,453,085
- Primary geography
- Alabama (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$7.5M
-25.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.3M
+6.2% YoY
Grant Count
86
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$61K
+6.2% YoY
Is Education Freedom Alabama open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 85 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $31K; repeat grants $64K. How we count
Medians: $17K first-time, $34K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to empower families to choose the school that best fits a child’s educational needs. It says it provides scholarships to low-income K–12 children who are not succeeding in their current environment, funded by donations of corporate and individual Alabama income tax liability.
The Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to eligible low-income students in grades K5–12, with priority for students zoned to attend a failing public school. The C2 Opportunity Scholarship Fund serves eligible low-income students whose families are interested in Catholic education within the Diocese of Birmingham, also giving priority to students zoned to attend a failing public school. These scholarships are funded by donations of income tax liability from individuals and corporations receiving an Alabama state income tax credit. They are payments for students’ education, rather than grants to outside applicants.
The 2025 grant list includes schools with varied missions. For example, Mobile Christian School describes its mission as providing a college preparatory education in a Christ-centered community, while Churchill Academy says it provides individualized academic programs for K–12 students who learn differently. Conecuh Springs Christian School describes its mission as guiding students to discover God’s truth while striving for academic excellence.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Education Freedom Alabama reported 86 grants totaling $5,277,811. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $746,057, with a median grant of $31,780. The largest grants included $746,057 to Success Unlimited Academy, $331,500 to McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, $294,875 to Faith Academy, and $255,366 to Evangel Christian Academy. Other notable grants included $192,967 to Most Pure Heart of Mary School and $153,955 to Mobile Christian School. The stated purpose for the largest grants was education.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization is based in Birmingham, Alabama. Its 2025 grant dollars were reported as 100% going to recipients in Alabama. Its filing states that the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund had awarded scholarships representing 46 of Alabama’s 67 counties over 9.5 years.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 86 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2022) to $5.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 86 grants totaling $5.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Success Unlimited Academy ($746K). Together the top 10 received $2.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
367 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 264 grants of 367 (72%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Success Unlimited Academy Montgomery, AL | Education | $746,057 |
| McGill-Toolen Catholic HS Mobile, AL | Education | $331,500 |
| Faith Academy Mobile, AL | Education | $294,875 |
| Evangel Christian Academy Montgomery, AL | Education | $255,366 |
| Most Pure Heart of Mary School Mobile, AL | Education | $192,967 |
| Mobile Christian School Mobile, AL | Education | $153,955 |
| Montgomery Catholic Prep School Montgomery, AL | Education | $140,500 |
| Oakwood Adventist Academy Huntsville, AL | Education | $124,363 |
| Government Street Christian School Mobile, AL | Education | $121,435 |
| Cottage Hill Christian Academy Mobile, AL | Education | $114,691 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,453,085 | $3,466,945 | $6,076,690 | $5,277,811 |
| 2024 | $10,059,609 | $8,947,277 | $5,434,493 | $4,968,497 |
| 2023 | $6,545,008 | $7,106,923 | $4,862,516 | $4,469,313 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,453,085 | $10,059,609 | $6,545,008 |
| Revenue | $3,466,945 | $8,947,277 | $7,106,923 |
| Expenses | $6,076,690 | $5,434,493 | $4,862,516 |
| Net Investment Income | $360,989 | $344,239 | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- 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 March 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Andrew Ryan as Executive DI, Julie Benz as Treasurer, and Rev HK Matthews and Lesley Searcy as directors.
Education Freedom Alabama's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lesley Searcy
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hk Matthews
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Ryan
Executive Di
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$46K (2021) → $146K (2025)
Julie Benz
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$20K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $146K, to Andrew Ryan (Executive Di).
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 59188, Birmingham, AL 35259
Phone: (205) 206-7808
Frequently asked questions about Education Freedom Alabama
How much does Education Freedom Alabama give each year?
Education Freedom Alabama gave $5.3M across 86 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.0M across 86 grants.
What is Education Freedom Alabama's typical grant size?
Education Freedom Alabama's median grant in 2025 was $31,780, and its average grant was $61,370, across 86 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Education Freedom Alabama that year got $31K on average.
Where does Education Freedom Alabama give grants?
Education Freedom Alabama gives mostly in Alabama: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Mobile, AL (19 grants), Montgomery, AL (11 grants), Huntsville, AL (8 grants) and Birmingham, AL (7 grants).
Does Education Freedom Alabama give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 86 grants with a stated purpose on Education Freedom Alabama's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (86 grants).
Who are Education Freedom Alabama's largest grantees?
Education Freedom Alabama's largest 2025 grantees include Success Unlimited Academy ($746,057), McGill-Toolen Catholic HS ($331,500) and Faith Academy ($294,875), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Education Freedom Alabama?
Education Freedom Alabama reported $7.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.5M.
What does Education Freedom Alabama fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to empower families to choose the school that best fits a child’s educational needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Education Freedom Alabama?
Education Freedom Alabama has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Education Freedom Alabama's EIN?
Education Freedom Alabama's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-1722407. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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