Research and provide nonpartisan information on all areas of elementary and secondary education in AZ

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 1,000 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $40K a year · 8% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
79%
of spending
Looks good: 79% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$70K
to officers and key staff · 11% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 11% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
9
named funders · $662K
Looks good: 9 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$1K
0.5% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
15
of 16 voting members
Looks good: 15 of 16 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$851K
+83% vs prior year
Spent
$618K
To programs
79%
Net assets
$254K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$851K
FY2024▲ +83%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$485K
FY2021$210K
FY2022$366K
FY2023$465K
FY2024$851K
Expenses
$618K
FY2024▲ +19%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$435K
FY2021$278K
FY2022$327K
FY2023$521K
FY2024$618K
Net assets
$254K
FY2024▲ ×13
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$113K
FY2021$38K
FY2022$77K
FY2023$20K
FY2024$254K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Feb 2020.

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

Where the money goes

79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 79% · $489K Management & general 12% · $75K Fundraising 9% · $53K

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

16 people listed on the 990; $70K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Co-Executive Director
$70,000Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Executive Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Elizabeth Lewis’s $70K as Co-Executive Director is at the 62nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 6 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Elizabeth Lewis$70,000$65,000$50,000$25,000$25,000
Melinda Iyer——$31,250$15,000$15,000
Dawn Penich-Thacker————$25,000
Sharon Kirsch————$25,000
Catherine Sigmon————$25,000
Mary Tice————$20,000

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Save Our Schools Arizona Network 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Researches and shares nonpartisan information on Arizona K-12 education.

Questions for Save Our Schools Arizona Network

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Your first name shows with your question. Save Our Schools Arizona Network answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $464K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Sosaz network seeks to educate and engage communities about the importance of public education by collaborating with stakeholders such as teachers, parents, students, local and statewide organizations, and other groups.

$293Kprogram expense
02

Sosaz network develops and delivers webinars, workshops, forums, discussions, and presentations that inform a wide variety of audiences and media about the conditions and opportunities for public education throughout arizona.

$122Kprogram expense
03

Sosaz network develops, organizes, and disseminates research, resources, and information relative to public education in arizona. Sosazn network delivers factual information around school funding, under-resourced communities, efforts to privatize and monetize public education, and how inequities in funding formulas disadvantage…

$49Kprogram 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
See all 9 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$851K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$851K
Money outPt IX
$618K
Ln 25
Programscol B$489K
Managementcol C$75K
Fundraisingcol D$53K
Owns and owesPt X
$254K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$255K
Total assetsLn 16$255K
LiabilitiesLn 26$1K
PeoplePt VI, VII
16
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a16
IndependentVI 1b15
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$851K
Total revenueLn 12$851K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$255K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$255K
Total assetsLn 16$255K
LiabilitiesLn 26$1K
Net assetsLn 32$254K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 61,000
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$70K$255K
Total assetsLn 16$70K$255K
LiabilitiesLn 26$50K$1K
Net assetsLn 32$20K$254K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$70K$42K$20K$8K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$295K$247K$37K$11K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$15K$14K$757
Payroll taxesLn 10$28K$24K$3K$1K
Legal feesLn 11b$375$375
Accounting feesLn 11c$9K$9K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$33K$33K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$96K$96K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$16K$8K$8K
OccupancyLn 16$29K$22K$7K
TravelLn 17$3K$3K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$3K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$6K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$11K$11K
All other expensesLn 24e$1K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$618K$489K$75K$53K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $851K$618K$234K$254K 990 PDF
FY2023 $465K$521K−$57K$20K 990 PDF
FY2022 $366K$327K$39K$77K 990 PDF
FY2021 $210K$278K−$68K$38K 990 PDF
FY2020 $485K$435K$51K$113K 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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $851,367 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $464,571$851,367
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $464,571$851,367
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 $395,462$407,441
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $14,823$33,038
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $110,994$177,305
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $521,279$617,784
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$56,708$233,583
Part VI · Governance 15 of 16 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body16
VI-1b Independent voting members15
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $851,367 across 3 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$851,367
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$851,367
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$851,367
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $617,784 across 17 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $42,000 · Management $19,890 · Fundraising $8,110$70,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $246,941 · Management $36,701 · Fundraising $10,874$294,516
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $14,390 · Management $757$15,147
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $23,611 · Management $2,778 · Fundraising $1,389$27,778
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $375$375
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $9,445$9,445
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $33,038$33,038
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $95,617$95,617
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,831$1,831
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,897$1,897
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $8,076 · Management $8,075$16,151
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $21,725 · Management $7,242$28,967
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,695$2,695
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,607$2,607
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,983$5,983
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $10,574$10,574
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,163$1,163
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $488,930 · Management $75,443 · Fundraising $53,411$617,784
Part X · Balance sheet $254,994 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $69,749$254,994
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $500$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $70,249$254,994
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $51$1,213
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $50,000$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $50,051$1,213
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $20,198$253,781
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $70,249$254,994
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $253,781 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$851,367
XI-2 Total expenses$617,784
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$233,583
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$20,198
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$253,781

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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