Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc. is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization based in New York, New York, formed in 2007. It advocates for education policies intended to help all students obtain a globally competitive education and supports education reform through coalition-building, voter engagement, candidate support, and policy advocacy.
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc at a glance
In short: Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc gave $920K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $54K), top state District of Columbia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $919,747
- +635.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +325.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $54,103
- +73.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $8,608,900
- -21.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (37% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 276 5Th Ave Ste 704 915, New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 614-3213
Website: https://ernadvocacy.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Dfer DC IEC ($190K). Together the top 10 received $860K.
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 81 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization describes its coalition-building and advocacy as state- and national-level work and says it lobbies federal, state, and local policymakers nationwide. Its 2024 grant dollars were reported across recipients in Washington, DC (37%), Colorado (27%), Connecticut (20%), Massachusetts (11%), and Texas (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc gives
- Giving fell 38% 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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $125K (2023) to $3.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $920K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dfer DC IEC Washington, DC | Political Expenditures | $190,000 |
| Dfer Ga Pac Guilford, CT | Political Expenditures | $184,747 |
| Blue Rising Together Superior, CO | GRANT | $100,000 |
| Citizens for a Great Denver Denver, CO | Political Expenditures | $100,000 |
| Denver Students Families and Teachers United for Excellent Schools Washington, DC | Political Expenditures | $85,000 |
| Colorado Communications Network Action Denver, CO | Sponsorship | $50,000 |
| Dfer Ma Pac Cambridge, MA | Political Expenditures | $50,000 |
| The Committee to Preserve Educational Standards for K-12 Students Boston, MA | Political Expenditures | $50,000 |
| Collective Future Washington, DC | GRANT | $35,000 |
| Legacy 44 Austin, TX | Political Expenditures | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The organization states that political expenditures accounted for less than 50% of total expenditures in both 2024 and 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,608,900 | $9,805,291 | $12,191,998 | $919,747 | 17 | $93,199 |
| 2023 | $10,965,722 | $12,604,714 | $12,390,265 | $125,000 | 4 | $83,140 |
| 2022 | $10,873,334 | $15,070,705 | $13,128,978 | $3,746,688 | 21 | $8 |
| 2021 | $9,049,502 | $13,254,867 | $8,698,389 | $1,473,729 | 12 | — |
| 2020 | $5,093,845 | $12,014,644 | $12,021,898 | $2,921,575 | 27 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to advocate for education policies that enable all students to obtain a globally competitive education. Its filing describes work to build coalitions, develop constituent groups advocating for reform, inform and mobilize voters, support aligned policymakers and candidates, and lobby policymakers on education reform. Its stated policy areas include public school choice, accountability, resource equity, human capital including teacher preparation, and higher education.
The 2024 grants show support for organizations with a range of stated missions. Blue Rising Together describes its mission as advocating for protections from high-potency marijuana, fentanyl, youth violence, and unregulated social media, as well as related educational and political activities. Colorado Communications Network Action describes its mission as social welfare purposes surrounding Colorado redistricting. Pennsylvania 2024 describes its mission as promoting social welfare, civic engagement, and the successful policies of the Shapiro-Davis administration. Third Way describes its mission as researching and developing centrist policy ideas.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the organization reported 17 grants totaling $919,747. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $190,000, with a median grant of $35,000. The largest reported awards included $190,000 to DFER DC IEC for political expenditures, $184,747 to DFER GA PAC for political expenditures, $100,000 to Blue Rising Together, and $100,000 to Citizens for a Great Denver for political expenditures. Other reported grants included $85,000 to Denver Students Families and Teachers United for Excellent Schools for political expenditures, $50,000 to Colorado Communications Network Action for sponsorship, and $50,000 each to DFER MA PAC and the Committee to Preserve Educational Standards for K-12 Students for political expenditures. The organization also reported $35,000 to Collective Future, $15,000 to Legacy 44 for political expenditures, $10,000 to Pennsylvania 2024 for sponsorship, and $10,000 to the Texas Democratic Party for sponsorship.
The organization states that it supports candidates through direct contributions, independent expenditures, and promotion to its supporter base. It also says grant funding is used for activities intended to educate and encourage electoral participation, such as preparing and distributing policy papers and conducting non-advocacy outreach. The filing states that the organization sends recipients contribution-notification letters identifying its tax status and the intended use of contributions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Boykin Curry as chair; Joseph Cohen, Whitney Tilson, and Joseph Williams as directors; Jorge Elorza as chief executive officer; Thaddecia Smith as chief operations officer and general counsel; Patrick Van Keerbergen as chief program officer; Charles Barone as vice president, policy; Nicole Pollock as chief of staff and strategy; and Amy Dowell as Connecticut state director.
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc is led by Jorge Elorza, Chief Executive Officer on every filing since 2023; 8 of 12 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jorge Elorza
Chief Executive Officer
On filings since 2023
12 hrs/week
$93K (2023) → $131K (2024)
Boykin Curry
Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy S. Dowell
Ct State Director
Connecticut State Director → Ct State Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
34 hrs/week
$197K (2020) → $183K (2024)
Jacquelyn Martell
Ny State Director
New on the 2024 filing
32 hrs/week
$182K (2024)
Joseph Cohen
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Williams
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Whitney Tilson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Barone
Vice President & Policy
Vice President & K- Policy → Policy Director, 2023
Policy Director → Vice President & Policy, 2024
On filings since 2020
36 hrs/week
$231K (2020) → $223K (2024)
Thaddecia J. Smith
Chief Operations Officer & General Counsel
National Director of Operations → Chief Operations Officer & General Counsel, 2024
On filings since 2022
28 hrs/week
$181K (2022) → $192K (2024)
Nicole Pollock
Chief of Staff & Strategy
Chief Operating Officer → Chief of Staff & Strategy, 2024
On filings since 2023
28 hrs/week
$86K (2023) → $210K (2024)
Patrick Van Keerbergen
Chief Program Officer
New on the 2024 filing
10 hrs/week
$59K (2024)
Robert Stephens
Chief of State & Regional Impact
New on the 2024 filing
28 hrs/week
$183K (2024)
Former officers (13)
- Former: Dan Gerstein (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Walmer (2020–2023) — Colorado State Director
- Former: John Gargiulo (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Marlon Marshall (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Kathleen Nugent Hughes (2021–2023) — Chief of Staff
- Former: Michael T. Bland (2021–2023) — National Director of the Leaders of Color Initiati
- Former: Shakira Petit (2022–2023) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Sheri Adebiyi (2022–2023) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Shavar Jeffries (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Tanya Mitchell (2020–2021) — Chief Financial Officer
- Former: Jessica Giles (2021) — District of Columbia State Director
- Former: Kathleen Nugent-Hughes (2020) — Chief of Staff
- Former: Michael Dannenberg (2020) — Director of Strategic Init
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 $223K, to Charles Barone (Vice President, Policy). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc
How much does Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc give each year?
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc gave $920K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $125K across 4 grants.
What is Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc's typical grant size?
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc's median grant in 2024 was $35,000, and its average grant was $54,103, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc give grants?
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc's top state is District of Columbia, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Colorado (27%) and Connecticut (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (7 grants), Denver, CO (2 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants).
Does Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Political Expenditures" (8 grants) and "Sponsorship" (7 grants).
Who are Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc's largest grantees?
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Dfer DC IEC ($190,000), Dfer Ga Pac ($184,747) and Blue Rising Together ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc?
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc reported $8.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.8M.
What does Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to advocate for education policies that enable all students to obtain a globally competitive education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc?
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check ernadvocacy.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc's EIN?
Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0596684. 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 September 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 October 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 9, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/education-reform-now-advocacy-inc-morg_d7e938b9815f4d3fae56fa64f30bc9bc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260596684_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Education Reform Now Advocacy Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/education-reform-now-advocacy-inc-morg_d7e938b9815f4d3fae56fa64f30bc9bc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Education Reform Now Advocacy 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.
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