MHA Foundation Inc
MHA Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Payson, Arizona. It supports rural health and education in Rim Country communities through programs, activities, grants, and scholarships, and states that it also seeks to develop a multi-university campus for rural higher education.
MHA Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: MHA Foundation Inc gave $385K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in Arizona. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $384,896
- -6.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +30.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,804
- -28.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,290
- Total assets
- $46,536,470
- -0.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (8 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to MHA Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The stated scholarship process is to contact MHA Foundation’s scholarship contact and submit the required application materials.
- Review Cycle
- The 2023 filing lists an annual scholarship deadline of March 29.
- Deadline
- The 2023 filing lists an annual scholarship deadline of March 29.
- Contact
Application contact: Mha Foundation- Attn Scholarship Ch
Mailing address: 431 S Beeline Hwy 1, Payson, AZ 85541
Phone: (928) 472-2588
Website: https://www.mhafoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who MHA Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rim Country Education Alliance SLE ($172K). Together the top 10 received $319K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($7,640), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
125 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 125 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were concentrated in Arizona (97%), with 3% going to Montana. The foundation is based in Payson, and its stated mission refers to Rim Country communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is MHA Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 26 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 42% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $334K (2022) to $723K (2020). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $385K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rim Country Education Alliance SLE Payson, AZ | General Support | $172,294 |
| Eastern Arizona Area Health Education Center Inc Payson, AZ | Scholarships to Individuals | $37,660 |
| Various Community Organizations 5000 Payson, AZ | General Support | $35,156 |
| Time Out Inc Payson, AZ | General Support | $30,000 |
| Payson High School Payson, AZ | General Support | $19,416 |
| Friends of Rim County GCC Inc Payson, AZ | General Support | $18,000 |
| Aspire Arizona Foundation Payson, AZ | General Support | $17,700 |
| National Forest Foundation Missoula, MT | General Support | $10,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $7,640 |
| Marine Corps League Payson, AZ | General Support | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $46,536,470 | $2,023,766 | $3,000,060 | $384,896 | 26 | $2,676,348 | $1,154,899 |
| 2024 | $46,672,336 | $3,400,944 | $3,314,708 | $411,215 | 20 | $6,270,936 | $2,438,079 |
| 2023 | $55,355,936 | $2,226,340 | $2,720,336 | $381,385 | 15 | $4,669,163 | $1,972,189 |
| 2022 | $55,069,911 | $3,526,501 | $2,090,277 | $333,782 | 32 | $6,042,469 | $3,111,349 |
| 2021 | $50,053,749 | $3,027,171 | $1,828,755 | $369,141 | 32 | — | $2,780,124 |
| 2020 | $47,239,433 | $419,968 | $2,305,354 | $723,398 | 31 | — | $1,004,193 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states its mission is to promote rural health and education for Rim Country communities through programs, activities, grants, and scholarships, and to develop a multi-university campus for rural higher education.
Its stated activities include health-occupation scholarships, need-based assistance grants for dialysis patients’ ancillary needs, and support for fire-department and other community-health efforts. The foundation reports supporting Payson Fire Department ambulance equipment and expenses, insurance, training equipment, and AEDs, as well as free CPR and AED training.
Its 2025 grants included support for education, health, and community organizations. For example, an individual recipient Area Health Education Center says its mission is to improve rural health services and support people entering the medical field. Aspire Arizona Foundation says it supports higher-education needs in Payson and surrounding Rim Country communities. Time Out Inc describes its mission as providing a safe sanctuary from abuse and domestic violence for healing and growth.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $384,896. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $172,294, with a median grant of $3,290. The largest award was $172,294 to Rim Country Education Alliance SLE for general support. Other large awards included $37,660 to an individual recipient Area Health Education Center Inc for scholarships to individuals, $35,156 to various community organizations for general support, and $30,000 to Time Out Inc for general support.
Other 2025 grants included $19,416 to Payson High School, $18,000 to Friends of Rim County GCC Inc, $17,700 to Aspire Arizona Foundation, and $10,000 to National Forest Foundation. The foundation also awarded $7,640 to Eastern Arizona College Foundation for scholarships and general support.
The foundation’s website describes an MHA Auxiliary Scholarship program investing approximately $20,000 in health-occupation scholarships. Its stated application cycle is January through March, with awards paid in July. This participant scholarship program is distinct from grants to outside organizations. The 2023 filing states that scholarship applicants must pursue human-health-related studies and submit an application, high school/GED/college transcripts, two recommendation letters, and an applicant statement.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Heather Stage as CEO; Kenny Evans as president; Cliff Potts as vice president; John Naughton as treasurer; and Jonnie Geen as secretary. It also lists Jennifer Smith, BJ Bollier, Bobby Davis, Jolynn Schinstock, and Alan Michels as board members. Jennifer Smith is additionally identified as CERE executive director.
MHA Foundation Inc is led by Heather Stage, CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 3 of 10 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Heather Stage
CEO
Chief Administrative Officer → CEO, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$55K (2021) → $91K (2025)
Jennifer Smith
Board Member & Cere Executive Director
Member at Large → Executive Board Member, 2021
Executive Board Member → Board Member & Cere Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$32K (2023) → $137K (2025)
Kenny Evans
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$68K (2024) → $113K (2025)
Alan Michels
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cliff Potts
Vice President
Board Member → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Naughton
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bj Bollier
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonnie Geen
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bobby Davis
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jolynn Schinstock
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Gary Cordell (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Kim Alten (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Sanja Long (2020) — CEO
- Former: Sheila Deschaaf (2020) — Secretary
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 $137K, to Jennifer Smith (Board Member, Cere Executive Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about MHA Foundation Inc
How much does MHA Foundation Inc give each year?
MHA Foundation Inc gave $385K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $411K across 20 grants.
What is MHA Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
MHA Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $3,290, and its average grant was $14,804, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from MHA Foundation Inc that year got $11K on average.
Where does MHA Foundation Inc give grants?
MHA Foundation Inc gives mostly in Arizona: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Payson, AZ (16 grants).
Does MHA Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of MHA Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (7 grants).
Who are MHA Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
MHA Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Rim Country Education Alliance SLE ($172,294), Eastern Arizona Area Health Education Center Inc ($37,660) and Time Out Inc ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($7,640), which are not listed by name. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is MHA Foundation Inc?
MHA Foundation Inc reported $46.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $2.0M.
What does MHA Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation states its mission is to promote rural health and education for Rim Country communities through programs, activities, grants, and scholarships, and to develop a multi-university campus for rural higher education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from MHA Foundation Inc?
The stated scholarship process is to contact MHA Foundation’s scholarship contact and submit the required application materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is MHA Foundation Inc's EIN?
MHA Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-3980933. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). MHA Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mha-foundation-inc-morg_8c20409a2dd1472a96c1bf49521e198e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_473980933_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{MHA Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mha-foundation-inc-morg_8c20409a2dd1472a96c1bf49521e198e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 MHA Foundation 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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