↑ parent cluster · ·
research dossier →

CALVIN K KAZANJIAN ECONOMICS

SCOTTSDALE, AZ · EIN 60665174 · Form 990PF · FY2022 · Small ($100K-$1M) · www.kazanjian.org
revenue
$201K
expenses
$80K
net assets
$7.7M
employees
—
profile · synthesized from sources

The Calvin K. Kazanjian Economics Foundation is a private grantmaking organization dedicated to improving economic literacy among all citizens. It funds innovative economic education programs, curriculum development, and teacher training, primarily focusing on K-12 schools and colleges. The Foundation also supports efforts to reach underserved populations and integrate financial literacy into social work and religious communities.

named programs · 9 · from sources

what they call their work

College Classroom Improvement
Works with organizations like the American Economic Association to improve economics instruction at the college level.
Economic Knowledge for Social Workers
Supports efforts to increase economic knowledge among social workers to improve the basic personal finance skills of their clients.
Economic Literacy for Clergy
Supports programs to help clergy of all denominations convey basic economic concepts to their congregations.
Grant Program
Provides grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with at least 5 years of history to support impactful and innovative economic education programs, often in collaboration with other economic education institutions.
National Awards Program
Initiated 40 years ago with a grant to the Joint (National) Council on Economic Education, later transferred to other foundations, to recognize excellence in economic education.
National Content Standards in Economics
Supported the development and publication of K-12 standards for teaching economics, ensuring it is a core subject in schools.
National Standards for Financial Literacy
Provides a framework for teaching personal finance in kindergarten through 12th grade, including 6 Content Standards and Benchmarks for grades 4, 8, and 12.
Teacher Education
Invests in programs to train teachers in economics and personal finance instruction, including supporting the Developmental Economics Education Program.
William A. Forbes Award
An annual award given to individuals and/or organizations that promote economic education.
activities · 2 clusters

what they do

  • Youth Financial Literacy Education 21 activities
    • Advocacy for Economic and Personal Finance Instruction
      Advocates for and has helped make economics and personal finance instruction a required part of the school curriculum in 38 states.
    • Advocacy for Required Economic and Personal Finance Instruction
      Helped make economics and personal finance instruction a required part of the school curriculum in 38 states.
    • Advocacy for economics education in state curricula
      Helped establish mandatory economics and personal finance instruction in the school curricula of 38 states.
    • Advocates for inclusion of economics and personal finance in state curricula
      Played a key role in advancing policy changes that made economics and personal finance instruction mandatory in 38 states.
    • Developing Educational Media and Tools
      Developed a nationally broadcast educational film series for schools and colleges from the 1950s to 1980s, developed computer-assisted instruction in the 1990s, and underwrote the development of online games and activities for students.
    • Developing K-12 Economic and Personal Finance Standards
      Provides guides with content standards and benchmarks for teaching personal finance and basic economics to K-12 students in grades 4, 8, and 12.
    • Development of Educational Materials and Tools
      Developed nationally broadcast educational film series, computer-assisted instruction, and online games and activities for students to teach economics and personal finance.
    • Development of K-12 Economic and Personal Finance Standards
      Provides guides with content standards and benchmarks for teaching personal finance and basic economics to K-12 students in grades 4, 8, and 12. This includes supporting the National Council on Economic Education in publishing a Framework for Teaching Economics and producing National Content Standards in Economics.
    • Development of K-12 economics and personal finance education standards
      Produced and supported the publication of national content standards and benchmarks for teaching economics and personal finance to K-12 students, including 20 standards for economics and 6 for personal finance, aligned to grades 4, 8, and 12.
    • Develops and disseminates K-12 economics and personal finance education standards
      Produces and publishes national content standards and benchmarks for teaching economics and personal finance to K-12 students, used in classrooms across the country.
    • Develops innovative educational tools and media for economic instruction
      Created a nationally broadcast film series, computer-assisted instruction systems, and online games and activities to enhance economics learning in schools and colleges.
    • Direct development of educational resources and tools
      Developed a range of educational materials including a nationally broadcast film series (1950s–1980s), computer-assisted instruction (1990s), and online games and activities for students.
    • Grantmaking for Economic Education
      Provides grants to organizations and initiatives that advance economic education.
    • Grantmaking for Economic Education
      Provides grants to organizations and initiatives that advance economic education.
    • Grantmaking to advance economic education
      Provides grants to organizations and initiatives that promote economic education, including support for curriculum development, teaching frameworks, and national education programs.
    • Provides grants to support economic education initiatives
      Offers funding to organizations and programs focused on advancing economic education, including curriculum development and instructional innovation.
    • Research on Economic Education Effectiveness
      Underwrites the development of instruments to measure economic and personal finance knowledge and supports research to determine the most effective ways to teach economics.
    • Research on Economic and Personal Finance Education
      Underwrote the development of various instruments to measure economic and personal finance knowledge and supported research to determine the most effective way to teach economics.
    • Support for research on economic education effectiveness
      Underwrote the development of assessment instruments and supported research to determine the most effective methods for teaching economics and personal finance.
    • Supporting Economic Education Curriculum Development
      Supported the National Council on Economic Education in publishing a Framework for Teaching Economics in 1977 and provided a gift to produce the National Content Standards in Economics, which became the basis for new classroom materials and curricula.
    • Supports research on economic education effectiveness and assessment
      Underwrites research to identify effective teaching methods and develops instruments to measure student knowledge in economics and personal finance.
  • Educator and Professional Recognition Awards 4 activities
    • Administers national recognition programs for economic education
      Runs the National Awards Program and annually presents the William A. Forbes Award to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to economic education.
    • National Awards Program for Economic Education
      Initiated a national awards program 40 years ago and annually awards the William A. Forbes Award to individuals or organizations that promote economic education.
    • National Awards Program for Economic Education
      Initiated the National Awards Program 40 years ago with a grant to the Joint (National) Council on Economic Education and annually awards the William A. Forbes Award to individuals or organizations promoting economic education.
    • Recognition of contributions to economic education
      Initiated and continues to administer national awards programs, including the annual William A. Forbes Award, recognizing individuals and organizations that promote economic education.
financials · form 990PF · fy2022

the money

revenue
Total revenue$201K
Contributions & grants——
Program service revenue——
Investment income$168K84%
Other revenue$33K
expenses
Total expenses$80K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$60K
Grants paid out$322K
balance sheet
Total assets$7.70M
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$7.69M
3 years on record · 2020–2022 · YoY revenue -55.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022

who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ELENA ZEE Managing Dtr 10 $60K
board members · 6
  • CALVIN LLOYD ELSTON — Trustee
  • EPHRAIM ELSTON — Trustee
  • JOHN F VAN GORDER — Trustee
  • MARY BERNAL — Trustee
  • MICHAEL A MACDOWELL — Trustee
  • SCOTT WOLLA — Trustee
relationships · 13

who they work with

  • AT & T Foundation Funder — Supports the production of the National Content Standards in Economics.
  • American Economic Association Partner — Worked with to improve economics instruction in college classrooms.
  • EconEd Link Partner — Highlights EconEd Link as a resource offering free personal finance and economics lesson plans, videos, activities, tools, and more for K-12 teachers and students.
  • EconoFact Tufts University Partner — Highlights EconoFact for Educators from Tufts University, which delivers concise and nonpartisan economic analyses and data visualizations for classroom integration.
  • Federal Reserve Education Resources Partner — Highlights Federal Reserve Education Resources as a source for free economics and personal finance lessons, activities, and readings.
  • International Paper Company Foundation Partner — Sponsorship of the National Economic Education Awards Program was transferred to this organization.
  • Joint (National) Council on Economic Education Partner — Received a grant from the Foundation to start the National Awards Program 40 years ago.
  • MIT Partner — Highlights MIT's MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Development Policy, an online program providing coursework in data analysis, economic theory, and policy applications.
  • NASDAQ Foundation Partner — Sponsorship of the National Economic Education Awards Program was transferred to this organization.
  • National Council on Economic Education Partner — Supported by the Foundation in publishing a Framework for Teaching Economics in 1977.
  • OpenStax Partner — Highlights OpenStax Principles of Economics 3e as a comprehensive and accessible textbook for college-level economics courses.
  • The Foundation for Teaching Economics Funder — Supports the production of the National Content Standards in Economics.
  • University of Maryland Partner — Highlights the University of Maryland's Financial Social Work Certificate Program, which equips social workers with skills to integrate financial literacy and social work practices.