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SAVE OUR SCHOOLS ARIZONA
TEMPE, AZ · EIN 352617978 · Form 990 · FY2020 · NTEE S21 · Community Improvement · Small ($100K-$1M) · sosarizona.org
revenue
$212K
expenses
$187K
net assets
$30K
employees
0
volunteers
5,000
program ratio
95%
mission · from form 990

SAVE OUR SCHOOLS AZ IS A NONPARTISAN, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION FOUNDED TO PROMOTE, ADVOCATE FOR, AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE VALUE OF AN ADEQUATELY RESOURCED, EQUITABLE, AND TRANSPARENT EDUCATION SYSTEM THROUGHOUT ARIZONA, PER ARTICLE XI, SEC 1(A) OF THE AZ CONSTITUTION.

profile · synthesized from sources

Save Our Schools Arizona is a nonpartisan, community-based advocacy organization founded in 2017 to oppose the expansion of universal education savings account (ESA) vouchers in Arizona. The group campaigns for equitable, transparent, and adequately resourced public education by raising awareness about voucher program costs, advocating for accountability reforms, and mobilizing grassroots action to protect public school funding.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2020

what they reported doing

Program narrative the organization filed with the IRS. Ordered by program spending.

  1. #1 primary $39K
    SOSAZ utilized its expertise and resources to coordinate press coverage, social media, and advertising to support joint initiatives supporting public education. This included working with the Invest in Ed coalition to promote the importance of funding public education, and orking with the Arizona Center for Economic Progress and Childrens Action Alliance to inform Arizona residents of the crisis facing public education in the state. This collaboration reinforced the value of public education with new and existing audiences, and helped to build strong bridges with organizations important to the future of public education in Arizona.
  2. #2 $37K
    SOSAZ advocated for increasing public school funding and fought against attempts to drain funding from public schools. Work consisted of lobbying, meeting with legislators, attending legislative committee meetings, and organizing others from an active, statewide volunteer network to do the same. SOSAZ has become an authoritative source for insight and information about education privatization and its impact on communities, the economy, and Arizonas social cehesion. Frequent consultation and collaboration with numerous organizations around Arizona, drawing on SOSAZs extensive research and national contacts, contributed to collective understanding of the innumberable ways that privatizers use to drain public education funding. SOSAZ frequently updates its website to include recent judicial decisions, news articles, research papers, press releases, and other recent information to education privatization.
named programs · 3 · from sources

what they call their work

Protect Education Act
Ballot initiative campaign to reform Arizona's ESA voucher program by establishing safety standards, spending transparency, income limits, accreditation requirements, and returning unused funds to public schools.
The Truth About ESA Vouchers
Public education campaign to inform Arizonans about the fiscal and educational impacts of universal ESA vouchers, including cost, fraud, and inequitable distribution.
Weekly Education Report
Ongoing publication providing updates on education policy, legislative actions, and voucher program developments in Arizona.
activities · 4 groups

what they do

  • Education Funding & School Choice Advocacy 6 activities
    • Community organizing for public education advocacy
      Builds grassroots support through community action teams and opportunities for public speaking to mobilize advocacy for Arizona’s public education system.
    • Exposing misuse and lack of accountability in ESA voucher program
      Documents and publicizes the misuse of ESA voucher funds for non-educational luxury purchases and highlights the projected expenditure of over one billion dollars in taxpayer funds without accountability or transparency.
    • Fundraising to support advocacy operations
      Accepts donations to fund advocacy initiatives aimed at protecting and improving public education in Arizona.
    • Organize ballot initiative to reform ESA voucher program
      Leading a volunteer-led coalition to qualify the Protect Education Act for the 2026 ballot, aiming to reform Arizona's ESA voucher program by increasing accountability and transparency in the use of public education funds.
    • Public awareness and donor engagement campaign
      Accepts donations and distributes email updates to sustain advocacy efforts, while highlighting concerns about ESA voucher fund misuse and the underfunding of Arizona’s public schools.
    • Public education advocacy through community organizing
      Organizes community action teams and a volunteer-led coalition to advance public education advocacy in Arizona, including efforts to qualify the Protect Education Act for the 2026 ballot to reform the ESA voucher program.
  • Education Policy & Funding Analysis 2 activities
    • Advocacy on public school underfunding
      Highlights the consequences of chronic underfunding in Arizona’s public schools, including reductions in teacher salaries, staff, programs, and essential services like nursing and counseling.
    • Research and reporting on Arizona's education system
      Produces weekly education reports that analyze and inform the public about issues within Arizona’s public education system, including funding and policy impacts.
  • State-Specific Education and Child Care Research Reporting 1 activity
    • Produce education policy reports
      Produces weekly reports on Arizona's education system to inform the public and support advocacy efforts with data and analysis.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Supporter engagement and communication
      Facilitates opportunities for individuals to speak in support of public education and provides email updates to keep supporters informed about ongoing advocacy efforts.
financials · form 990 · fy2020
revenue
Total revenue$212K
Contributions & grants$212K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$90%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$187K
Program expenses95%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$30K
Cash$30K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$30K
Liquid reserves1.9 mo
1 years on record · 2020–2020
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2020

who runs it

paid leadership · 6
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MARY TICE DIGITAL DIRECTOR 20 $34K
DAWN PENICH-THACKER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR 20 $34K
ELIZABETH LEWIS PRESIDENT 20 $31K
MELINDA IYER POLICY DIRECTOR 20 $30K
CATHERINE SIGMON FINANCE AND OPERATIONS DIRECT 20 $28K
SHARON KIRSCH RESEARCH DIRECTOR 20 $28K
relationships · 10

who they work with

  • AZ K12 Funding Partner — Partner organization providing detailed information on Arizona's K-12 education funding landscape.
  • CEBV.us Partner — Hosts the Request to Speak sign-up platform used by Save Our Schools Arizona.
  • FAQ Partner — Partner resource providing answers to frequently asked questions about public education in Arizona.
  • Learn Partner — Partner organization providing historical context about Save Our Schools Arizona.
  • Legislative Basics Partner — Partner providing foundational information on Arizona's legislative process as it relates to education policy.
  • Legislative Updates Partner — Partner organization delivering ongoing updates on Arizona legislative developments affecting public education.
  • Protect Education Act Coalition — Leading effort to qualify the Protect Education Act for the 2026 ballot
  • SOSAZ Policy Priorities Partner — Partner organization outlining Save Our Schools Arizona's 2025 K-12 policy priorities.
  • Substack Partner — Platform used to distribute weekly education reports.
  • Vouchers Hurt Partner — Partner organization focused on opposing school voucher programs in Arizona.