Bowdoin College

Overview

Mission

It is the mission of the college to engage students of uncommon promise in an intense full-time education of their minds, exploration of their creative faculties, and development of their social and leadership abilities in a four-year course of study and residence that concludes with a baccalaureate degree in the liberal arts. The full text of the college's mission statement is available on the organization's website at https://www.bowdoin.edu/about/mission/index.html (all lower case).

What it reported doing in 2024

During fiscal year 2025, bowdoin enrolled 1,858 full-time equivalent (fte) students, not including 173 fte students who studied off campus; 95% complete the degree within five years; the student/faculty ratio is 9:1; 98% of faculty has a ph.d. Or equivalent. As of june 2025, 43,978 students have matriculated at bowdoin college, and 35,896 degrees in academic programs have been awarded.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 62% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 73% for direct work, and 27% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010215213
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Headquarters
Brunswick, ME, USA
Phone
2077215078
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 99.6%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 81.7%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.52 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 97.5%; rating input score 98; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 27.5%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 10.93; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.9%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 99.6% of revenue deployed · 81.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 39 of 40 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $266.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $2.1M · 60 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $15.6M reported
  • Consistency: 52 of 52 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 14 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 26 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 6 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

60 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • K NILES BRYANT (SVP/CHIEF INVESTMENTS OFFICER): $2,143,819 total reported compensation
  • SAFA ZAKI (PRESIDENT): $1,120,866 total reported compensation
  • BORIS RAYKIN (DIRECTOR OF INVESTMENTS): $1,104,156 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.