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.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$12.1M
+46.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+221.3% YoY
Grant Count
38
+58.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$34K
+102.9% 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
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 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $12,112,928 | $8,285,000 | $7,514,431 |
| Revenue | $11,887,213 | $5,775,803 | $3,639,522 |
| Expenses | $8,644,877 | $5,388,389 | $3,636,767 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $114,522 | $1,041 | $518 |
| 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 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
141 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Mainstay ($624,799), College Possible ($86,706), Michigan College Access Network ($43,694).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MAINSTAY BOSTON, MA | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION | $624,799 |
| COLLEGE POSSIBLE SAINT PAUL, MN | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION | $86,706 |
| MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK LANSING, MI | CATALYZING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS SUPPORT AT SCALE, SUPPORTING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS FOR INCARCERATED OR FORMERLY INCARCERATED STUDENTS, & FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION | $43,694 |
| ONWARD WE LEARN PROVIDENCE, RI | CATALYZING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS SUPPORT AT SCALE & STRENGTHENING POSTSECONDARY TRANSITIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES | $37,397 |
| COMMUNITY PARTNERS LOS ANGELES, CA | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION & DEVELOP POLICY PROPOSALS TO HELP STUDENTS ACCESSING SAFETY NET BENEFITS | $37,388 |
| THE SEED FOUNDATION INC WASHINGTON, DC | STRENGTHENING POSTSECONDARY TRANSITIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES | $32,250 |
| UASPIRE BOSTON, MA | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION & CATALYZING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS SUPPORT AT SCALE | $32,056 |
| STUDENT U DURHAM, NC | STRENGTHENING POSTSECONDARY TRANSITIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES | $30,000 |
| EDUCATION FORWARD ARIZONA PHOENIX, AZ | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION & CATALYZING POSTSECONDARY PATHWAYS SUPPORT AT SCALE | $24,813 |
| SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP INC SAN ANTONIO, TX | FACILITATING FAFSA COMPLETION | $20,869 |
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 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEVE COLON | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| CANDY MARSHALL | VICE-PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| ADAM BERG | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| CATALINA CIFUENTES | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| NATHANIEL EASLEY | BOARD MEMBER (UNTIL 10/23) | 0.25 | — |
| JAMIE SEARS | BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| TINA FERNANDEZ | BOARD MEMBER (UNTIL 01/23) | 0.25 | — |
| SUJUAN BOUTTE | BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| CAROLINE ALTMAN SMITH | BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| JERIAN KEREKES | BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| RUTH WATKINS | BOARD MEMBER (FROM 05/23) | 0.25 | — |
| DOUG SHAPIRO | BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| BERNARD MCCUNE | BOARD MEMBER | 0.25 | — |
| BRAULIO COLON | BOARD MEMBER (FROM 05/23) | 0.25 | — |
| NICK LEE | BOARD MEMBER (FROM 10/23) | 0.25 | — |
| KEITH WITHAM | BOARD MEMBER (FROM 10/23) | 0.25 | — |
| KIMBERLY COOK | PRESIDENT/CEO | 37.5 | $229,969 |
| SARA MELNICK | CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER | 37.5 | $162,632 |
| ELIZABETH MORGAN | CHIEF EXTERNAL RELATIONS OFFICER | 37.5 | $183,523 |
| COLETTE HADLEY | SR. DIR, CONSULTING SERVICES | 37.5 | $155,339 |
| ZENIA HENDERSON | CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER | 37.5 | $140,125 |
| ELIZABETH KELLER | SR. DIR, SR. PROGRAMMING | 37.5 | $131,955 |
| JOHN DEBAUN | SR. DIR DATA & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES | 37.5 | $135,655 |
| CATHERINE BROWN | SR. DIR, POLICY & ADVOCACY | 37.5 | $141,922 |
| TONG LEE | SR MNGR, RETENTION & DATABASE MGMT | 37.5 | $102,486 |
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 2024, National College Attainment Network awarded 38 grants totaling $1.3M — an average of about $34K 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 2019–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in National College Attainment Network's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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