Maryland State Education Association
The Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) is a member-driven organization based in Annapolis, Maryland. It supports educators and public education through member training, advocacy, professional development, and grants to local associations and other recipients.
Maryland State Education Association at a glance
In short: Maryland State Education Association gave $1.4M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $38K), mostly in Maryland. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,420,532
- +9.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +2.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $38,393
- +6.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $59,256,326
- +5.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (5 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Maryland State Education Association
- Contact
Mailing address: 140 Main St, Annapolis, MD 21401-2003
Phone: (410) 263-6600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Maryland State Education Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Montgomery County Education Association ($369K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
163 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 133 grants of 163 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland and 1% to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Maryland State Education Association open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 37 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $43K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $972K (2022) to $1.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County Education Association Rockville, MD | Early career educator grants, field service grant, innovative membership grant, membership grant, other grants, professional, development & training grant, regulatory compliance grant | $368,882 |
| Teachers Association of Baltimore County Towson, MD | Field service grant, membership grant, other grants, public advocacy grant, regulatory compliance grant, sparks training grants | $169,027 |
| Prince George's County Educators' Association Forestville, MD | Field service grant, membership grant, other grants, public advocacy grant, regulatory compliance grant, sparks training grants | $139,960 |
| Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County Annapolis, MD | Field service grant, local board retreat grants, membership grant, other grants, regulatory compliance grant | $85,335 |
| Howard County Education Association Ellicott City, MD | Field service grant, membership grant, professional, development & training grant, regulatory compliance grant, special request grant | $74,338 |
| Harford County Education Association Bel Air, MD | Early career educator grants, field service grant, innovative membership grant, membership grant, other grants, professional, development & training grant, public advocacy grant, regulatory compliance grant, special request grant | $72,979 |
| Minority Scholars Program Ashton, MD | Other Grants | $57,300 |
| Frederick County Teachers Association Frederick, MD | Field service grant, membership grant, professional, development & training grant, public advocacy grant, regulatory compliance grant, special request grant | $37,050 |
| Education Association of St Mary's County Leonardtown, MD | Innovative membership grant, local board retreat grants, membership grant, public advocacy grant, regulatory compliance grant, special request grant | $32,305 |
| Education Association of Charles County La Plata, MD | Field service grant, membership grant, public advocacy grant, regulatory compliance grant, special request grant | $29,222 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
MSEA is listed as a public charity filing Form 990.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59,256,326 | $28,312,946 | $26,138,128 | $1,420,532 | 37 | $1,482,023 |
| 2024 | $55,950,580 | $27,386,297 | $23,726,988 | $1,292,488 | 36 | $1,370,185 |
| 2023 | $50,420,632 | $26,024,884 | $21,699,248 | $1,082,462 | 31 | $866,230 |
| 2022 | $45,309,810 | $26,467,904 | $22,573,304 | $972,139 | 27 | $407,167 |
| 2021 | $43,355,730 | $24,648,510 | $20,272,331 | $1,142,187 | 32 | $428,572 |
| 2020 | $38,113,943 | $24,146,309 | $20,027,263 | $1,042,870 | 27 | $514,676 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
MSEA’s stated mission is to empower members to make a positive difference in their professional lives and elevate the quality of public education for all students. Its bylaws describe purposes including improving universal free public education, building a strong profession of educational workers, representing education employees, and advocating economic, human, and civil rights.
Its grantmaking supports activities including local affiliate services and membership, professional development and training, public advocacy, early-career educator initiatives, and racial and social justice. MSEA also describes grants for classroom and community work, including human and civil rights and Black Lives Matter at School activities.
In 2025, MSEA’s grantees included local education associations. For example, the Teachers Association of Baltimore County says it promotes educators’ general welfare and protects their professional interests; the Howard County Education Association says it works to improve educators’ work and related employment concerns. The Calvert Association of Educational Support Staff describes itself as a labor union supporting and defending the contract between Calvert County Public Schools and educational support professionals. MSEA also made a grant to the Minority Scholars Program.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, MSEA reported 37 grants totaling $1,420,532. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $368,882, with a median of $15,000. The largest awards included $368,882 to the Montgomery County Education Association, $169,027 to the Teachers Association of Baltimore County, and $139,960 to the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association. Other notable awards were $85,335 to the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, $74,338 to the Howard County Education Association, and $57,300 to the Minority Scholars Program.
The organization’s filing describes an application and evaluation process for grants to affiliates: applicants state the grant’s purpose and its alignment with the affiliate’s plan and MSEA’s strategic objectives, and explain how the activity will be assessed. Recipients submit an evaluation and assessment within 60 days of completing the activity. MSEA’s website also describes member and local-affiliate grant opportunities for specified activities. It gives application availability and deadlines for the 2024–2025 school year, but these are dated opportunities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paul Lemle as president, Anzer Nikki Woodward as vice president, Colleen Morris as treasurer, Michelle Alexander and Matthew Gresick as NEA directors, and Ronnie Beard, Jacob Bennett, Donna Christy, Sonia D’Urbano, and James Henderson as members-at-large.
Maryland State Education Association is led by Sean Johnson, Executive Director since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 16 of 30 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sean Johnson
Executive Director
Assistant Executive Director → Executive Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$180K (2020) → $267K (2025)
Paul Lemle
President
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$16K (2025)
Bernadette Maddox
Managing Director
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$166K (2020) → $191K (2025)
Joshua Ardison
Managing Director
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$165K (2020) → $188K (2025)
Elaine Crawford
Managing Director
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$149K (2024) → $170K (2025)
Samantha Zwerling
Managing Director
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$162K (2024) → $169K (2025)
Marinus Van Kuilenburg
Uniserv Director
New on the 2025 filing
50 hrs/week
$162K (2025)
Michelle Alexander
Nea Director
Member-At-Large → Nea Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tanya Martin
Nea Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Gresick
Nea Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adam Mendelson
Assistant Executive Director
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$181K (2020) → $201K (2025)
Cheryl Bost
Former President
President → Former President, 2025
On filings since 2020
$39K (2020) → $27K (2025)
Colleen Morris
Treasurer
Member-At-Large → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$7K (2024) → $20K (2025)
Kristy Anderson
General Counsel
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$188K (2020) → $215K (2025)
Sarah Wilkerson
CFO
Chief Financial Officer → CFO, 2025
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$173K (2020) → $224K (2025)
Theresa Dudley
Former Vice President
Nea Director → Vice President, 2021
Vice President → Former Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2020
$20K (2022) → $33K (2025)
Geraldine Duval
Assistant Executive Director
On filings since 2022
50 hrs/week
$155K (2022) → $182K (2025)
Paula Voelker
Assistant Executive Director
Managing Director → Assistant Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
50 hrs/week
$177K (2022) → $196K (2025)
Anzer Nikki Woodward
Vice President
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$8K (2025)
Donna Christy
Member-At-Large
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Russell Leone
Member-At-Large
Nea Director → Member-At-Large, 2024
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ronnie Beard
Member-At-Large
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Danillya Wilson
Member-At-Large
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ivory Smith Sr.
Member-At-Large
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Henderson
Member-At-Large
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sonia D'urbano
Member-At-Large
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tony Martinet
Member-At-Large
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cindy Porter
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jacob Bennett
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Sloane
Member-At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (23)
- Former: Damon Felton (2020–2024) — Assistant Counsel
- Former: Justin Heid (2020–2024) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Veronica Henderson (2020–2024) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Felixberto Lazaro (2022–2024) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Neil Becker (2022–2024) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Cathy Perry (2020–2023) — Assistant Executive Director
- Former: Joseph Coughlin (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Philimena Owona (2020–2023) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Daniel Chambers (2023) — Org. Specialist
- Former: Tanya Johnson-Martin (2023) — Nea Director
- Former: Denise Beattie (2021–2022) — Uniserv Director
- Former: Erika Strauss Chavarria (2021–2022) — Nea Director
- Former: David Helfman (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Doug Prouty (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Helen Wilkerson (2020–2021) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Toni Mejias (2020–2021) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Clayton Rutkauskas (2021) — It & Network Specialist
- Former: Felix Lazaro (2021) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Casey Newton (2020) — Organizational Specialist & Publications
- Former: Erika Strauss-Chavarria (2020) — Nea Director
- Former: Jerome Fountain (2020) — Uniserv Director
- Former: Linda Firman (2020) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Robin Beers (2020) — Member-At-Large
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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $267K, to Sean Johnson (Executive Director). 16 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Maryland State Education Association
How much does Maryland State Education Association give each year?
Maryland State Education Association gave $1.4M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 36 grants.
What is Maryland State Education Association's typical grant size?
Maryland State Education Association's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $38,393, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Maryland State Education Association that year got $9K on average.
Where does Maryland State Education Association give grants?
Maryland State Education Association gives mostly in Maryland: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Annapolis, MD (3 grants), Towson, MD (2 grants), Frederick, MD (2 grants) and Prince Frederick, MD (2 grants).
Does Maryland State Education Association give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on Maryland State Education Association's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Regulatory Compliance" (4 grants) and "Membership Grant, Regulatory Compliance Grant" (3 grants).
Who are Maryland State Education Association's largest grantees?
Maryland State Education Association's largest 2025 grantees include Montgomery County Education Association ($368,882), Teachers Association of Baltimore County ($169,027) and Prince George's County Educators' Association ($139,960), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Maryland State Education Association?
Maryland State Education Association reported $59.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $28.3M.
What does Maryland State Education Association fund?
MSEA’s stated mission is to empower members to make a positive difference in their professional lives and elevate the quality of public education for all students. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Maryland State Education Association?
Maryland State Education Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Maryland State Education Association's EIN?
Maryland State Education Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-0607919. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Maryland State Education Association's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Maryland State Education Association funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/maryland-state-education-association-morg_92eb235fe6a94fc18bf0ffe04ec21e15
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_520607919_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Maryland State Education Association funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/maryland-state-education-association-morg_92eb235fe6a94fc18bf0ffe04ec21e15},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Maryland State Education Association'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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