The Arizona Students' Association

What The Arizona Students' Association does

The Arizona Students' Association (ASA) is a 501c4 non-profit student advocacy organization founded in 1974 and domiciled in Arizona, USA. It advocates for affordable and accessible higher education and student voting rights on behalf of students at Arizona's three public universities — Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona — and, since 2014, the state's community college students. ASA operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees organized into four regional director roles (Northern, Central, Southern, and Yuma/San Luis) plus a co-executive director, and runs a paid fellowship program awarding three annual fellowships focused on grassroots organizing, lobbying, messaging, strategy, and campaign planning.

ASA's core offerings are programmatic rather than technological: voter registration drives powered by TurboVote, a portfolio of advocacy campaigns (Free My Higher Education, Student Voting Rights, Tuition Equity/Prop 308, I Am Pell), a monthly newsletter, and the Empower App for student civic engagement. The organization has registered nearly 100,000 students to vote cumulatively and has been a named plaintiff in voting-rights litigation challenging Arizona's dual voter-registration system and H.B. 2492, alongside partners including LUCHA, LULAC, the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, and Aliento. It was a supporting partner in the successful Prop 308 campaign for in-state tuition equity for Dreamers.

ASA is funded primarily through individual donations collected via ActBlue and through grants, with no commercial product revenue. Its go-to-market approach is community-led grassroots organizing, coalition building with allied advocacy organizations, and direct engagement with elected officials at local, state, and national levels. The organization does not sell products or services, and financial information is not publicly disclosed as a 501c4 non-profit.

Name

The Arizona Students' Association

Legal name

Arizona Students' Association

Website

https://azstudents.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Arizona Students' Association is a 501c4 non-profit founded in 1974 that advocates for affordable higher education and voter access among students at Arizona's three public universities and community colleges through grassroots organizing, fellowships, and legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Advocacy and Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Affairs Administration (Conduct, Wellbeing, Support Oversight) (EDADAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus Events, Programming & Student Engagement (EDALAHAC), Student Engagement & Belonging Initiatives (EDALABAJ)

Keywords

• Student advocacy services
• Voter registration programs
• Grassroots community organizing
• Higher education affordability
• Civic engagement fellowships

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: ASA operates as a 501c4 non-profit organization and receives funding through individual donations. The organization accepts donations through platforms like ActBlue, indicating a grass-roots fundraising model from supporters and community members who align with their mission of affordable higher education advocacy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Arizona Students' Association is a student-led 501c4 non-profit that advocates for affordable and accessible higher education and student voting rights in Arizona. Its deliverables center on three streams: (1) voter registration drives and civic engagement (including the Empower App and TurboVote portal), (2) policy advocacy and litigation on higher education funding, tuition equity (Prop 308), and voting rights, and (3) leadership development via the ASA Fellowship Program, which places paid student fellows in organizing and advocacy roles each semester.

Product overview

The Arizona Students' Association operates as a student-led 501c4 non-profit advocacy organization offering a suite of programs and campaigns focused on affordable and accessible higher education. Its core offerings include the ASA Fellowship Program (3 annual paid fellowships for student leadership development), voter registration and civic engagement tools, and multiple advocacy campaigns including Free My Higher Education, Student Voting Rights, Tuition Equity (Prop 308), and I Am Pell. The organization also provides an Empower App for student engagement and publishes a monthly newsletter. These programs work together to advance ASA's mission of empowering student voices through grassroots organizing, lobbying, and advocacy at local, state, and national levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ASA Fellowship Program A paid student fellowship program offering 3 annual fellowships (Fall Organizing, Summer Organizing, Spring Advocacy) to students enrolled at Arizona public universities or community colleges, with course credit and stipends for qualifying fellows.
• Empower App A mobile application designed to empower students with civic engagement tools and resources.
• Voter Registration Program Student voter registration drives and civic engagement program, including voter education, Get Out The Vote efforts, and anti-suppression advocacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100,000 students registered to vote since 1974
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Student Debt Crisis CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2024ASA partners with the Student Debt Crisis Center to host student debt clinics on Arizona university campuses. These clinics provide training and one-on-one support for borrowers to understand their student debt options and enroll in repayment or forgiveness programs like the SAVE Plan.
• Civic NationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2024Civic Nation partners with ASA and Student Debt Crisis Center to host the SAVE on Student Debt Clinic, providing resources and registration support for borrowers seeking student debt relief.
• Flagstaff Abortion Alliance (FAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA is a member of the Flagstaff Abortion Alliance, a community-based partnership advocating for abortion rights and reproductive healthcare. FAA was formed in October 2021 and includes ASA, Coconino County Democratic Party, Indivisible Northern Arizona, Women's March Flagstaff, and NAU chapter of Planned Parenthood Next Generation.
• AlientoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAliento, an Arizona-based organization supporting undocumented individuals, spearheaded Prop 308 which provides in-state tuition to all Arizona high school graduates regardless of immigration status. ASA served as a supporting partner in canvassing, tabling, educating students, and Get Out The Vote efforts for this initiative.
• Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA partners with LUCHA on voting rights advocacy and anti-suppression efforts. Both organizations joined Campaign Legal Center in filing lawsuits challenging Arizona's anti-voter laws (H.B. 2492). LUCHA brings community organizing capacity and grassroots mobilization to joint advocacy efforts.
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA partners with LULAC Arizona on voting rights litigation and advocacy. Both organizations were plaintiffs in lawsuits challenging Arizona's dual voter registration system and H.B. 2492, working together through the Campaign Legal Center to protect voting rights.
• Arizona Democracy Resource Center (ADRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA partnered with ADRC as a plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging H.B. 2492, an anti-voter law that undermines the freedom to vote in Arizona.
• Arizona Dream Act CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA collaborates with the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, which promotes civic engagement among Latinos and mixed-status families. The coalition works to help people register to vote and shares information on issues impacting DACA recipients and undocumented communities.
• Aliento (Immigration Support)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASA works alongside Aliento to support Dreamers and undocumented students. Aliento helped Dreamers obtain scholarships and works with ASA on door-to-door canvassing to encourage voters to support pro-immigrant candidates and those fighting to lower higher education costs.
• Society of St. Vincent De PaulminorOthersWhile not a formal partnership, ASA-aligned volunteers like Milagros Heredia volunteer with this organization, demonstrating the intersection of ASA's work with broader community service organizations supporting migrants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA): Arizona-based community organizing coalition focused on immigrant rights, voting rights, and civic engagement; directly comparable to ASA through shared voter rights litigation, coalition campaigns, and grassroots mobilization in Arizona.
• Arizona PIRG: Arizona-based student civic engagement organization; directly comparable to ASA in geography and core activities (voter registration, campus organizing) though with broader consumer advocacy scope.
• Oregon Student Association: Statewide student advocacy organization for Oregon's public universities and community colleges; directly comparable to ASA in structure, mission (higher education affordability), and grassroots organizing model.
• California Student Association (CalSA): California's statewide student association advocating for the CSU system on higher education affordability and access; directly comparable to ASA as a state-level student advocacy body with similar legislative and voter engagement missions.
• Aliento: Arizona-based organization supporting undocumented students and mixed-status families; directly comparable to ASA as a Prop 308 coalition partner serving the same Dreamer student constituency through advocacy and educational access campaigns.

Broad incumbents

• United States Student Association (USSA): National student advocacy federation; comparable to ASA as a student-led organization running voter registration and higher education affordability campaigns, but operating at the federal/national level rather than Arizona-only.
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC): National Latino civil rights organization; comparable to ASA through joint litigation on voter rights (H.B. 2492 challenges) and shared advocacy for tuition equity and civic engagement among Latino students.
• Civic Nation: Nonprofit that builds civic engagement campaigns and partners with organizations like ASA on student debt clinics and voter mobilization; comparable through shared student-facing civic engagement infrastructure.
• PIRG (U.S. Public Interest Research Group): Federation of state PIRGs running student civic engagement, voter registration, and consumer advocacy campaigns on campuses; comparable to ASA's voter mobilization and student-facing advocacy functions at greater national scale.

Emerging players

• Student Debt Crisis Center: National student debt advocacy organization partnering with ASA to host student debt clinics on Arizona campuses; comparable as a peer in the higher education affordability advocacy ecosystem with overlapping student-constituency engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Arizona Students' Association