Highlights
- A4LE reported TY2023 revenue of $4,207,401 against expenses of $4,840,965, a deficit of $633,564.
- Assets fell from $1,944,457 in TY2021 to $1,172,267 in TY2023, a 40% decline over two years.
- CEO John Ramsey received $242,462 in compensation, equal to 5.8% of TY2023 revenue.
- The Scottsdale-based nonprofit, founded in 1921, employs 8 staff and focuses on education-facility professional development.
The Association for Learning Environments spent $633,564 more than it collected in tax year 2023, according to IRS Form 990 data published by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. The Scottsdale-based organization reported revenue of $4,207,401 against expenses of $4,840,965 for the period.
The deficit continues a deteriorating financial trend. In TY2021, the organization carried $1,944,457 in assets. By TY2022, that figure had dropped to $1,692,707. The TY2023 filing shows assets of $1,172,267, a 40% reduction over two years. Revenue has remained roughly flat across the same span: $2,501,282 in TY2021, $4,216,726 in TY2022, and $4,207,401 in TY2023. The expense line, however, has grown faster, rising from $2,230,941 in TY2021 to $4,840,965 in TY2023.
Officer compensation reported in the TY2023 filing was $242,462, representing 5.8% of total revenue for the year. That figure is within the rough 15% threshold watchdog analysts typically flag, but it has risen sharply in dollar terms: from $151,537 in TY2021 to $217,105 in TY2022 to $242,462 in TY2023, a 60% increase over the two-year period. According to Cause IQ, which aggregates IRS filings, John Ramsey serves as the organization's Chief Executive Officer and received compensation of $242,462 as of November 2024.
Founded in 1921 and headquartered at 11445 E Via Linda in Scottsdale, the organization describes its mission as establishing programs to support education facilities and providing professional development and training services to the field. It employs 8 staff members and operates as a 501(c)(3).
What does the asset decline signal?
A nonprofit drawing down its asset base to cover operating deficits can sustain that posture only as long as reserves last. At the TY2023 asset level of $1,172,267, a second consecutive deficit of similar magnitude would leave the organization with minimal financial cushion. The 990 data does not disclose the composition of those assets, whether liquid reserves, receivables, or fixed property, nor does it detail the revenue mix between membership dues, conference fees, and grants.
The organization's most recent IRS filing available through ProPublica covers TY2023. Cause IQ reports total revenues of $4,936,631 and total expenses of $5,097,721 for fiscal year 2024, suggesting the deficit pattern continued into the following year.
The TY2024 990, which would have been filed in 2025, is not yet reflected in the ProPublica database as of this reporting.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer retrieved 01/06/2026 15:06
- causeiq.com retrieved 01/06/2026 15:06
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 01/06/2026 15:06. Every claim traces to a source.
