Arizona Community Action Association Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ACAA addresses poverty across Arizona. Through a collaboration of nearly 300 organizations and individuals, ACAA develops and implements strategies to address and ultimately eliminate poverty.
- Income
- $12.0 million
- Spending
- $9.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 5.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 43%
- Employees
- 10
- Volunteers
- 28
- Highest pay
- $158,684, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 81 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 27% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 22% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 23 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (6)
- $4.2 million spent. SNAP OUTREACH AND EDUCATION Wildfires 71 community partners explained the SNAP eligibility process and requirements to clients, assisted with the completion of Healthy Arizona Plus HEAplus applications, and individuals received assistance with Arizona Self Help prescreening to determine eligibility and assist with enrollment in the SNAP program where appropriate. In FY 25, Wildfire and its partners provided application assistance to 59,060 households.
- $3.4 million spent. HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE FUND - The Home Energy Assistance Fund partners with 44 organizations made up of non-profits, faith-based organizations and governmental entities to serve vulnerable families in all 15 counties. Individuals received utility bill and deposit assistance, weatherization services, utility appliance repair and replacement support. The outcome of these programs is more affordable utility bills and housing safety and sustainability. In FY 2025, Wildfire served 7,862 households and 21,834 individual household members.
- $779,663 spent. DIAPER DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH PILOT DDRP With federal funding provided by the Health Human Services, Wildfire is administering Arizonas DDRP program. The program is the first federally funded diaper distribution pilot and is working to leverage existing community resources and provide wraparound services for low-income families experiencing diaper need. Wildfire partnered with 8 Arizona Community Action Agencies to distribute 1.34 million diapers in FY 25.
- Program Service Expenses 174,667, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 CSBG Wildfire supports the Community Action Agency network as they implement the CSBG organizational performance standards, Results-Oriented Management and Accountability Standards, transformational case management models, and advocates on their behalf with various state and federal entities for funding support. The Community Action Network provides direct support to over 120,000 low-income Arizonans through the provision of emergency services and case management, helping to lift families out of poverty. Our work supports the CAAs ability to provide the services necessary, focusing on critical needs and programmatic and community-based solutions to poverty in their service territory.
- Program Service Expenses 118,619, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 EVICTION AND ADVOCACY Wildfire works on policy issues to address the causes and consequences of poverty. Policy work includes legislative modifications needed and partnerships with organizations throughout Arizona working to develop and implement programmatic support. In 2025, Wildfire achieved several significant milestones in our energy and housing affordability work. Most notably, we secured a major increase in SRPs bill assistance funding from 1 million to 5 million and, through our advocacy in SRPs rate case proceeding, successfully advanced the implementation of a tiered rate discount program to improve long-term affordability for low-income customers. We also partnered with the Governors Office and the Dept of Economic Security to allocate 4 million to Arizonas Community Action Agencies to support families with rental assistance and eviction prevention during a period of growing need.
- Program Service Expenses 44,604, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 ROMA AND RPIC The RPIC grant supports Wildfires ability to provide training and technical assistance to our Community Action Agency members. Additionally, it allows us to learn from and partner with our sister organizations in California, Hawaii, and Nevada. We collaborate on training as well. One of the focused uses of this grant funding is to provide training for ROMA and encourage and support members of our network to become ROMA-certified trainers.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1976.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.