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Challenge Foundation Arizona

Tax-deductible

Phoenix, AZ501(c)(3)Education EIN 83-1349329Revenue $1.1M in FY2025

On file with the IRS6300 N Central Ave, 85012-1109 · Phoenix, AZTax-exempt since Nov 2018Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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To help economically disadvantaged children attain college readiness.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
93¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 125 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $958K a year · 64% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
93%
of spending
Looks good: 93% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
11 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $4.5M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 11.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $354K
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$14K
0.3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.1M
-1% vs prior year
Spent
$779K
To programs
93%
Net assets
$5.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.1M
FY2025▼ -1%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.1M
FY2021$1.3M
FY2022$3.5M
FY2023$939K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.1M
Expenses
$779K
FY2025▲ +18%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$341K
FY2021$383K
FY2022$445K
FY2023$645K
FY2024$658K
FY2025$779K
Net assets
$5.2M
FY2025▲ +8%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$154K
FY2021$1.0M
FY2022$4.1M
FY2023$4.4M
FY2024$4.8M
FY2025$5.2M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending May 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

990 PDF Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 2018.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

93 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 93% · $722K Management & general 4% · $34K Fundraising 3% · $22K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

9 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
John Birkelbach
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Gene Myers
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Erin Verneris
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Mary Ellen Dalton
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Kari Davis
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Mark Livingston
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Alan Smiley
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
See Challenge Foundation Arizona executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Helps disadvantaged children prepare for and attend college.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $722K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Tutoring, Mentoring and Advising

The challenge foundation arizona matches students with a volunteer mentor who partners with the family and the staff to provide on-going support, encouragement and meaningful educational experiences. The mentor is a professional in our community who is trained to serve as a role model and team member in the scholars' educational journey.

$722Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Valley Guardians INCFY2024$250K
John F Long Foundation INCFY2024$50K
Arizona Community FoundationFY2024$24K
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFY2024$20K
Donor Advised Charitable Giving INCFY2024$10K
Total grants receivedfrom 5 funders$354K
See all 5 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Investment incomeLn 3$88K
Money outPt IX
$779K
Ln 25
Programscol B$722K
Managementcol C$34K
Fundraisingcol D$22K
Owns and owesPt X
$5.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$724K
Total assetsLn 16$5.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$14K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$150K
Investment incomeLn 3$88K
Gains on assetsLn 7$2K
Total revenueLn 12$1.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$724K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$724K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$4.5M
Total assetsLn 16$5.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$14K
Net assetsLn 32$5.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 6125
Fiscal year endsHeaderMay
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$287K$724K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$4.5M$4.5M
Total assetsLn 16$4.8M$5.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$32K$14K
Net assetsLn 32$4.8M$5.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$311K$311K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$8K$8K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$20K$20K
Payroll taxesLn 10$24K$24K
Management feesLn 11a$25K$25K
Accounting feesLn 11c$16K$16K
Office expensesLn 13$9K$9K
Information technologyLn 14$6K$6K
TravelLn 17$4K$2K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$892$892
InsuranceLn 23$8K$8K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$340K$318K$22K
All other expensesLn 24e$8K$8K
Total functional expensesLn 25$779K$722K$34K$22K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.1M$779K$317K$5.2M 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.1M$658K$452K$4.8M 990 PDF
FY2023 $939K$645K$294K$4.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $3.5M$445K$3.0M$4.1M 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.3M$383K$888K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.1M$341K$775K$154K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,095,582 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,061,529$1,007,509
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $48,941$88,073
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,110,470$1,095,582
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $341,009$362,288
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $316,985$416,359
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $657,994$778,647
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $452,476$316,935
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,095,582 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,007,509
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$150,382
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,007,509
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $86,263$86,263
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $1,810$1,810
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $88,073$1,095,582
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $778,647 across 13 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $310,597$310,597
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $8,328$8,328
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $19,589$19,589
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $23,774$23,774
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $24,996$24,996
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $15,653$15,653
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $8,837$8,837
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $6,107$6,107
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,152 · Management $1,959$4,111
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $892$892
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $7,707$7,707
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $317,981 · Fundraising $22,250$340,231
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $7,825$7,825
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $722,241 · Management $34,156 · Fundraising $22,250$778,647
Part X · Balance sheet $5,196,802 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $287,002$723,850
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $1,742,528$2,039,072
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $2,806,840$2,433,880
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $4,836,370$5,196,802
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $12,639$11,955
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $19,353$2,292
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $31,992$14,247
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $4,804,378$5,182,555
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $4,836,370$5,196,802
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $5,182,555 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,095,582
XI-2 Total expenses$778,647
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$316,935
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$4,804,378
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$61,242
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$5,182,555

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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