Initial Teaching Alphabet
The Initial Teaching Alphabet Foundation is a private operating foundation incorporated in New York in March 1965 and designated as tax-exempt in December 1966. Based in New York City, the foundation is organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes. The foundation focuses on promoting literacy through the development, standardization, propagation, dissemination, teaching, and use of the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA)—a phonetic alphabet designed to improve reading and writing skills.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.3M
-35.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$563K
+28.8% YoY
Grant Count
9
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$63K
+28.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The mission of the ITA Foundation is to promote literacy by providing independent funding for the development and dissemination of best teaching practices in the use and support of the initial teaching alphabet (ITA).
Primary Focus Areas:
- Promotion of the Initial Teaching Alphabet through development of ITA lesson development systems
- Development of related software and teaching publications
- In-service training to grant recipients
- Providing informational services about ITA and the ITA lesson development system to non-recipients
- Support for K-12 schools, charter schools, and Head Start programs
- Remediation of dyslexia and reading disabilities
- Programs serving struggling middle and high school students
- Support for Latino middle school students learning English
- Title I and ADSIS student programs
Grantmaking
The foundation made seven grants in 2024. Recent grant recipients include:
Grant Range
** Typical awards range from $8,917 to $139,624.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grant-making focuses primarily on Minnesota, Illinois, and Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $1,289,371
- Total Revenue: $179,178
- Total Expenses: $917,024
- Net Income: -$737,846
- Total Liabilities: $16,500
- Number of Employees: 1
EIN: 11-2074243
Contact Information:
- Address: 630 3rd Ave, Floor 18, New York City, NY 10017-6940
- Mailing Address: PO Box 231295, New York, NY 10023
- Telephone: 507-458-5402
- Website: www.itafoundation.org
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,289,371 | $1,986,915 | $467,058 |
| Revenue | $179,178 | $2,099,844 | $504,329 |
| Expenses | $917,024 | $596,117 | $546,086 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $917,081 | $596,117 | $506,181 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,376 | $4,349 | $4,329 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Members and Officers (as of 2020):
- Shelley Jerviss, President
- Dr. Jane Anderson, Vice President/Treasurer
- Erin Hemstead, Director
- Margaret Westlund, Secretary
- Edith Galvez, Director
- Linda Vaplon, Director
The foundation notes that Dr. Jane Flynn Anderson and other ITA intervention pioneers have joined the Board to promote the use of ITA for struggling students. The foundation's research history includes work by Dr. Anderson on using ITA for remediation of dyslexia beginning in 1985.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHELLEY JERVISS | DIRECTOR | 8 | $2,500 |
| DR JANE ANDERSON | DIRECTOR | 30 | $74,833 |
| ERIN HEMSTEAD | SECRETARY | 2 | $1,500 |
| MARGARET WESTLUND | PRESIDENT | 4 | $13,500 |
| EDITH GALVEZ | TREASURER | 2 | $11,500 |
| LINDA VAPLON | VICE-PRESIDENT | 2 | $1,500 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has maintained active grant-making focused on ITA literacy programs. Recent grant awards have supported schools and literacy clinics implementing ITA methodologies. The foundation continues to support research and implementation of ITA for reading instruction and remediation, with particular emphasis on serving struggling readers and students with dyslexia across various educational settings.
Saint Mary\u2019s i.t.a. Literacy Clinic receives $75,172 grant | News |\Related Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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