Ivy Tech Foundation

Legal name: Ivy Tech Foundation Inc

Overview

Mission

The Ivy Tech Foundation partners with donors and leaders to support Ivy Tech Community College's mission of providing accessible, high-quality education in Indiana. As the college's fundraising arm, the Foundation bridges financial gaps with scholarships, grants, and programs that promote academic success and career readiness.

What it reported doing in 2024

The ivy tech foundation provides scholarships, grants, and financial support to assist ivy tech students with tuition, educational related expenses, and non-tuition barriers. Awards are based on academic achievement and financial aid. The ivy tech foundation is responsible for soliciting and receiving the contributions, as well as administering and distributing the donations to the college for student support.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 76% for direct work, and 24% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237073977
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Indianapolis, IN, US
Phone
3179214749
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 86
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.2%; rating input score 73
  • Program expense ratio: 88.2%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $33.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 97.8%; rating input score 98; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 24.1%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.41; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 73.2% of revenue deployed · 88.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 45 of 46 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $27M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $688K · 51 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $166K reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: 5 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.

Leadership & pay

51 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • SUE ELLSPERMANN (PRESIDENT, COLLEGE): $688,111 total reported compensation
  • COURTNEY ROBERTS (PRESIDENT, FOUNDATION): $386,058 total reported compensation
  • THOMAS SKIDMORE (ASSISTANT TREASURER): $254,481 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024.