Colby-Sawyer College

Overview

Mission

Colby-Sawyer College is a private, independent, residential, college with a mission to offer undergraduate and graduate educational programs based in the liberal arts and health, social, and natural sciences, with a focus on vocational exploration and experiential learning, which prepare students to thrive in, and make a positive impact upon a dynamic, diverse, and interdependent world. Engaged robust partnerships will support students' academic, intellectual, personal and professional growth, align with workforce development needs, and enhance individual and community well-being and resilience. Colby-Sawyer College was founded as an academy in 1837 and has been integrated in higher education since 1928.

What it reported doing in 2024

The institution offered a comprehensive, private, liberal arts education, with degrees granted at the associates, bachelors, masters and doctorate level. Traditional undergraduate students in the bachelor degree programs completed a liberal arts core and chose from nineteen majors and twenty-six minors, many of which focused on pre-professional preparation. All traditional undergraduates were required to complete at least one internship and a senior capstone project. The Class of 2022 reported a 100 percent success rate (employed or in graduate school) six months after graduation. Many of the graduate and professional programs focused on health science related fields that supported regional workforce needs. Graduate and professional programs were offered in person as well as online. Students enrolled in the traditional and graduate nursing programs completed clinical experiences at a hospital classified as a Level 1 trauma center. The institution supported all degree programs with academic support services (library, tutoring, career development) and financial assistance through gifts, grants, endowment income and college resources, which assisted students in financing the cost of their attendance.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 69% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 75% for direct work, and 25% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
020222120
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Headquarters
New London, NH, USA
Phone
6035263000
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 59
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.9%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 74%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 95%; rating input score 95; 25th 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th 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: 3.2%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.28; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.4%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -4.6% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.9% of revenue deployed · 74% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $34.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $221K · 28 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $14.3M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 38 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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

28 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Eden Wales (VP Academic): $221,214 total reported compensation
  • Laura Sykes (Past Interim President): $212,036 total reported compensation
  • Valerie Leclair (VP Enrollment Management): $203,065 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.