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    Valley Guardians

    ActiveHuman Services
    SCOTTSDALE, AZWebsite4802056330EIN: 81-5386736

    About Valley Guardians

    Our Mission is to level the playing field for high-potential, underserved children in the Valley. We are committed to fostering a community of passionate entrepreneurs and business leaders who are dedicated to empowering children to reach their full potential.

    Focus Areas

    youth developmenteducationmentorshipscholarshipsfoster youth supportleadership training

    Who They Fund

    low-income studentsfoster care youth / youth transitioning from foster carechildren (early/childhood development)students with medical or personal financial need

    Funding Style

    scholarships / direct financial aid to individuals

    About Valley Guardians

    Valley Guardians Inc backs children and students in the Valley through scholarships, foster youth support, and direct help with medical and personal expenses. The largest recent award in the data was $400,000 to The Challenge Foundation Arizona in Phoenix for scholarships, followed by a $250,000 grant to The Challenge Foundation in Phoenix for the same purpose. Those grants sit alongside a broader pattern of support for youth development, education, mentorship, and leadership training. Their own program descriptions point to a multi-part approach: an executive leadership coaching program with scholarship support for at-risk students, a foster youth program offering direct resources, and a general scholarship program serving students from middle school through college. Valley Guardians Inc also funds support tied to dental education, childhood development, and empowerment initiatives for young people. Recent grants include sizable support for Leadership Society of AZ in Mesa and recurring help for Santo Nino Catholic Community and Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Phoenix. The foundation’s stated mission is to level the playing field for high-potential, underserved children in the Valley.

    What Valley Guardians Funds

    Scholarships are the core of Valley Guardians Inc’s grantmaking. In 2024, they gave $112,837 to Leadership Society of AZ in Mesa for scholarships, and in 2025 they continued that support with a $93,813 grant for the same purpose. Another strand of education funding appears in the $54,264 grant to Santo Nino Catholic Community in Phoenix for support for low-income students. The foundation also funds direct assistance tied to health and basic needs. Phoenix Children’s Hospital received $50,000 in 2024 and $25,000 in 2023 for medical and personal expenses, while Swappow Plus Foundation received $50,000 in 2025 for medical and personal support. Beyond that, Valley Guardians Inc has backed childhood development through a $30,000 grant to Jax Mac Foundation in Scottsdale and foster care youth coaching and business programming through a $25,000 grant to Swappow Plus Foundation in 2024.

    How Valley Guardians Gives

    Typical grants cluster around a middle size: the 25th percentile is $34,627, the median is $52,132, and the 75th percentile is $101,125. The recent record also includes a few much larger awards, including six-figure scholarship grants. The pattern looks ongoing rather than one-off, with some recipients appearing in multiple years, including The Challenge Foundation Arizona, Leadership Society of AZ, Santo Nino Catholic Community, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and Swappow Plus Foundation. Valley Guardians Inc does not fund individuals directly and does not make program-related investments. The active program descriptions also show that their grantmaking is organized through named scholarship, foster youth, and leadership programs, and the listed programs do not accept unsolicited requests.

    Financial Snapshot

    Annual Giving

    $402K

    Total Assets

    $600K

    Total Revenue

    $724K

    Total Expenses

    $458K

    Typical Grant Size

    Most grants fall between $35K and $101K, with a median of $52K.

    25th Percentile

    $35K

    Median

    $52K

    75th Percentile

    $101K

    Geographic Reach

    Local1 state funded

    About 100% of grants go to recipients in AZ.

    Funding intensity
    Low
    High
    Headquarters

    Leadership

    LOREN HOWARD

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    3 filings on record
    See If You're a Fit — FreeFree account · instant fit score · similar funders
    basic-needs and medical expense support
    program-specific youth development grants
    support for transition services (foster-to-independence)

    Topics

    higher-education scholarships for low-income studentspayment of medical and personal expenses for studentschildhood development programscoaching and business/entrepreneurship programs for foster youthsupport services facilitating educational persistence

    Where Valley Guardians Makes Grants

    Grantmaking is tightly concentrated in Arizona: 100% of grants in the data went to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Phoenix is the clearest hub, with multiple grants to organizations there, including The Challenge Foundation, The Challenge Foundation Arizona, Santo Nino Catholic Community, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and Swappow Plus Foundation. Mesa also appears as a recipient city through Leadership Society of AZ, and Scottsdale appears with Jax Mac Foundation. The only non-Arizona recipient in the recent-grants list is Centro Medico Del Noroesle in Corona, California, but the recipient country distribution remains entirely U.S.-based.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Valley Guardians

    What kinds of programs does Valley Guardians Inc support?

    Its listed focus areas include youth development, education, mentorship, scholarships, foster youth support, and leadership training. The active programs also show scholarship support, foster youth resources, executive leadership coaching, and empowerment initiatives for young people.

    How large are Valley Guardians Inc grants typically?

    The typical grant size is $34,627 at the 25th percentile, $52,132 at the median, and $101,125 at the 75th percentile. That places many awards in the mid-five-figure range, with some larger scholarship grants above $100,000.

    Does Valley Guardians Inc support recurring recipients?

    Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including The Challenge Foundation Arizona, Leadership Society of AZ, Santo Nino Catholic Community, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and Swappow Plus Foundation. That suggests an ongoing relationship with some grantees rather than a single round of support.

    What geographic area does Valley Guardians Inc fund?

    The foundation gives locally, and every grant in the data went to recipients in Arizona. Phoenix is the most frequent city in the recent grants list, with additional grants to Mesa and Scottsdale.

    Does Valley Guardians Inc accept unsolicited applications?

    The active program descriptions say no for unsolicited requests. The named programs are administered internally, including scholarship, foster youth, and leadership coaching initiatives.

    Latest 990 Filing

    2025

    Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.

    Recent Grants

    Most recent grants reported to the IRS.

    RecipientLocationAmountYearPurpose
    THE CHALLENGE FOUNDATIONPHOENIX, AZ$250,0002025SCHOLARSHIPS
    LEADERSHIP SOCIETY OF AZMESA, AZ$93,8132025SCHOLARSHIPS
    SWAPPOW PLUS FOUNDATIONPHOENIX, AZ$50,0002025MEDICAL AND PERSONAL
    CENTRO MEDICO DEL NOROESLECORONA, CA$7,9332025MEDICAL AND PERSONAL
    THE CHALLENGE FOUNDATION ARIZONAPHOENIX, AZ$250,0002024SCHOLARSHIPS
    LEADERSHIP SOCIETY OF AZMESA, AZ$112,8372024SCHOLARSHIPS
    SANTO NINO CATHOLIC COMMUNITYPHOENIX, AZ$54,2642024SUPPORT FOR LOW INCOME STUDENTS
    PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITALPHOENIX, AZ$50,0002024MEDICAL AND PERSONAL EXPENSES
    SWAPPOW PLUS FOUNDATIONPHOENIX, AZ$25,0002024FOSTER CARE YOUTH COACHING AND BUSINESS PROGRAM
    THE CHALLENGE FOUNDATION ARIZONAPHOENIX, AZ$400,0002023SCHOLARSHIPS
    LEADERSHIP SOCIETY OF AZMESA, AZ$65,9902023SCHOLARSHIPS
    SANTO NINO CATHOLIC COMMUNITYPHOENIX, AZ$48,5072023SUPPORT FOR LOW INCOME STUDENTS
    JAX MAC FOUNDATIONSCOTTSDALE, AZ$30,0002023CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
    PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITALPHOENIX, AZ$25,0002023MEDICAL AND PERSONAL EXPENSES

    THE CHALLENGE FOUNDATION

    $250,000
    PHOENIX, AZ2025

    SCHOLARSHIPS

    LEADERSHIP SOCIETY OF AZ

    $93,813
    MESA, AZ2025

    SCHOLARSHIPS

    SWAPPOW PLUS FOUNDATION

    $50,000
    PHOENIX, AZ2025

    MEDICAL AND PERSONAL

    CENTRO MEDICO DEL NOROESLE

    $7,933
    CORONA, CA2025

    MEDICAL AND PERSONAL

    THE CHALLENGE FOUNDATION ARIZONA

    $250,000
    PHOENIX, AZ2024

    SCHOLARSHIPS

    LEADERSHIP SOCIETY OF AZ

    $112,837
    MESA, AZ2024

    SCHOLARSHIPS

    SANTO NINO CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

    $54,264
    PHOENIX, AZ2024

    SUPPORT FOR LOW INCOME STUDENTS

    PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

    $50,000
    PHOENIX, AZ2024

    MEDICAL AND PERSONAL EXPENSES

    SWAPPOW PLUS FOUNDATION

    $25,000
    PHOENIX, AZ2024

    FOSTER CARE YOUTH COACHING AND BUSINESS PROGRAM

    THE CHALLENGE FOUNDATION ARIZONA

    $400,000
    PHOENIX, AZ2023

    SCHOLARSHIPS

    LEADERSHIP SOCIETY OF AZ

    $65,990
    MESA, AZ2023

    SCHOLARSHIPS

    SANTO NINO CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

    $48,507
    PHOENIX, AZ2023

    SUPPORT FOR LOW INCOME STUDENTS

    JAX MAC FOUNDATION

    $30,000
    SCOTTSDALE, AZ2023

    CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

    PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

    $25,000
    PHOENIX, AZ2023

    MEDICAL AND PERSONAL EXPENSES