The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional association headquartered in Washington, DC. Founded in 1995, NCAN operates as a membership-based organization rather than a traditional grantmaking foundation. The organization serves as a convening body and resource hub for nearly 600 member organizations across the United States that work to help students prepare for, apply to, and succeed in college. NCAN member organizations collectively touch the lives of more than 2 million students and families each year across the education, nonprofit, government, and civic sectors.
Key facts about National College Attainment Network
- EIN
- 31-1793562
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $579,586
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- Average grant
- $16,100
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $7,305,249
- Primary geography
- New York (8% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who National College Attainment Network funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for National College Attainment Network's 36 itemized 2025 grants were New York (8%), California (7%) and Texas (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Paul, MN (2 grants), Los Angeles, CA (2 grants), Denver, CO (2 grants) and Dallas, TX (2 grants). None of its 36 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Catalyzing Postsecondary Pathways Support at Scale" (10 grants) and "Facilitating Fafsa Completion" (6 grants).
How National College Attainment Network gives
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with National College Attainment Network
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$7.3M
-39.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$580K
-55.6% YoY
Grant Count
36
-5.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$16K
-53.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The National College Attainment Network's mission is to support members and influence leaders, organizations, policies, and systems across the country to increase equity and excellence in postsecondary degree access and attainment.
Vision: All students—especially first-generation students, students from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds, and those from low-income backgrounds—have an equitable opportunity to achieve social and economic mobility through higher education.
NCAN's work centers on addressing persistent opportunity gaps in college enrollment and completion. The organization defines "college" as education after high school that leads to an associate degree, bachelor's degree, or other high-quality credential. Key focus areas include:
- FAFSA Completion: Supporting increased completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
- Early Awareness: College planning and awareness initiatives for middle grades and beyond
- College Affordability: Advocacy and resources related to college costs and financial aid
- State Policy: Influencing state-level policies that affect college access and attainment
- Postsecondary Outcomes Data: Expanding usage and understanding of data related to student success
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 36 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024 (as of most recent filing):
- Revenue: $11.9 million
- Expenses: $8.64 million
- Total Assets: $12.1 million
- Total Liabilities: $4.41 million
Organization Status:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- Tax-exempt since June 2002
- EIN: 31-1793562
- Four-Star rating with 98% score
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,305,249 | $12,112,928 | $8,285,000 |
| Revenue | $6,586,460 | $11,887,213 | $5,775,803 |
| Expenses | $9,439,267 | $8,644,877 | $5,388,389 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $154,384 | $114,522 | $1,041 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
169 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Goddard Riverside Community Ctr ($48,450), Michigan College Access Network ($36,725), College Now Greater Cleveland ($30,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| GODDARD RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY CTR New York, NY | SUPPORTING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS FOR INCARCERATED OR FORMERLY INCARCERATED STUDENTS | $48,450 |
| MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK Lansing, MI | CATALYZING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS SUPPORT AT SCALE, UPPORTING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS FOR INCARCERATED OR FORMERLY INCARCERATED STUDENTS, & FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION | $36,725 |
| COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND Cleveland, OH | SUPPORTING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS FOR INCARCERATED OR FORMERLY INCARCERATED STUDENTS | $30,000 |
| EDUCATION FORWARD ARIZONA Phoenix, AZ | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION & CATALYZING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS SUPPORT AT SCALE | $28,106 |
| COLLEGE SUCCESS FOUNDATION - DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington, DC | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION | $27,331 |
| ALABAMA POSSIBLE Birmingham, AL | CATALYZING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS SUPPORT AT SCALE | $20,000 |
| CHICAGO SCHOLARS FOUNDATION Chicago, IL | SUPPORTING ACCESS TO FINANCIAL AID FOR PELL-ELIGIBLE STUDENTS | $19,606 |
| GREAT ASPIRATIONS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (GRASP) Richmond, VA | SUPPORTING ACCESS TO FINANCIAL AID FOR PELL-ELIGIBLE STUDENTS | $19,606 |
| COLLEGE POSSIBLE Saint Paul, MN | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION | $18,450 |
| SOCALCAN Los Angeles, CA | SUPPORTING ACCESS TO FINANCIAL AID FOR PELL-ELIGIBLE STUDENTS | $18,450 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Kim Cook: Chief Executive Officer
- Carmen Zoraida Claudio: President
- Zenia Henderson: Chief Program Officer
- Elizabeth Morgan: Chief of External Relations
- Edward Conroy: Senior Director Communications
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Cifuentes | Board President (Beg. 09/24) | 1 | — |
| Steve Colon | Board President (End 09/24) | 1 | — |
| Caroline Altman Smith | Board Vice President | 1 | — |
| Bernard McCune | Board Secretary | 1 | — |
| Braulio Colon | Board Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Adam Berg | Board Treasurer (End 09/24) | 0.25 | — |
| Jarian Kerekes | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Doug Shapiro | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Ruth Watkins | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Keith Witham | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Nick Lee | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Jacob Fraire | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Alison Delucca | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Nick Watson | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Traci Rue White | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Chandra Scott | Board Member | 0.25 | — |
| Candy Marshall | Board Member (End 12/24) | 0.25 | — |
| Jamie Sears | Board Member (End 09/24) | 0.25 | — |
| Sujuan Boutte | Board Member (End 05/25) | 0.25 | — |
| Kimberly Cook | President/CEO | 37.5 | $247,128 |
| Sara Melnick | Chief Finance Officer | 37.5 | $194,415 |
| Joy King | CHF. Talent, Strat. and Ops. Off. | 37.5 | $192,501 |
| Elizabeth Morgan | Chief External Relations Officer | 37.5 | $194,481 |
| Zenia Henderson | Chief Program Officer | 37.5 | $174,705 |
| Colette Hadley | Sr. Director, Consulting Services | 37.5 | $166,548 |
| Catherine Brown | Sr. Director, Policy & Advocacy | 37.5 | $164,120 |
| John Debaun | Sr. Dir., Data & Strat. Initiatives | 37.5 | $154,968 |
| Elizabeth Keller | Sr. Director, Senior Programming | 37.5 | $125,337 |
| Tong Lee | Sr MNGR, Retention & Database Mgmt | 37.5 | $114,278 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
NCAN and member organizations received awards to support summer FAFSA completion efforts
NCAN and Members Receive Awards to Support Summer FAFSA ...The organization announced 2024 Award of Excellence winners
NCAN Announces 2024 Award of Excellence Winners in AnaheimTen projects were funded to expand postsecondary outcomes data usage
10 Projects Funded to Expand Postsecondary Outcomes Data Usage - NationalNCAN rebranded to highlight its attainment mission at the start of its 25th year
NCAN Rebrands to Highlight Attainment Mission and Mark Start of 25th Year -The organization responded to the Department of Education's abrupt ending of Student Support and Basic Needs Grants, with new competition including AI-enabled advising
ED Abruptly Ends Student Support, Basic Needs Grants - NCANSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does National College Attainment Network fund?
**Mission:** The National College Attainment Network's mission is to support members and influence leaders, organizations, policies, and systems across the country to increase equity and excellence in postsecondary degree access and attainment. **Vision:** All students—especially first-generation students, students from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds, and those from low-income backgrounds—have an equitable opportunity to achieve social and economic mobility through higher education.…
What size grants does National College Attainment Network award?
In 2025, National College Attainment Network awarded 36 grants totaling $580K — an average of about $16K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is National College Attainment Network's EIN?
National College Attainment Network's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1793562. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.