University of Alaska Foundation

Overview

Mission

The University of Alaska Foundation supports the University of Alaska system by raising and managing private funds to enhance educational opportunities, research, and service for the people of Alaska.

What it reported doing in 2024

Student & public support: the foundation administers charitable gifts intended by donors to enhance student life, community engagement, and public learning. These include ua athletics, radio/tv stations, library, museum, and cooperative extension services among others. Support is accomplished through reimbursement of ua personnel costs, travel, operating expenses, and capital expenditures.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 77% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237394620
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Headquarters
Anchorage, AK, United States
Phone
(907) 786-1800
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 80
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.6%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 76%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.63 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th 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: Scored; rating input score 0

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 80.8%; rating input score 81; 16th 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: 11.3%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 17.43; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.32; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.8%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: Mission, programs, and operating context captured from the official website.
  • Where the money goes: 93.6% of revenue deployed · 76% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 26 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $26.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $483K · 36 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $4.6M reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 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.

Leadership & pay

36 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • PAT PITNEY (DIRECTOR): $483,243 total reported compensation
  • SEAN PARNELL (DIRECTOR): $426,262 total reported compensation
  • DAN WHITE (DIRECTOR): $393,215 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.