University of Hawai‘i Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

Special programs - donor designated accounts support a range of academic and non-academic initiatives/programs. These include visiting distinguished lecturers and professorships, computer lab support, facilities funds, intramural sports, outreach programs that support lifelong learning and community education, health fairs, workshops, band and mentorship programs. Through fundraising and account management, uhf is a partner in capital improvement projects to bring state-of-the-art facilities, technology and equipment to campuses statewide. Quality facilities and resources nurture healthy learning and productive collaboration. From business education to advanced culinary training, donors are helping uh deliver world-class opportunities and facilities to hawai'i students. Donor funds make it possible for our public university to bring distinguished visiting lecturers and researchers to our campuses. Examples include bringing highly regarded cancer researchers from around the world, to work collaboratively in our research laboratories with uh scientists. While they are here, these researchers, including nobel laureates, deliver a major lecture at the university of hawai'i cancer center. Private support funds this extraordinary opportunity for uh faculty, students and staff, to meet and interact with prominent scientists whose work has saved many lives and establish research collaborations with them. Other distinguished lecture series support hawai'i's dialogue with the rest of the world in areas including local entrepreneurship, international women's leadership, global technology, the integration of science and culture, and indigenous language/cultural issues.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 50.7%; rating input score 51
• Program expense ratio: 78.7%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $13.08 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
  • 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; 77th 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; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • 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: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 48.7%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.1; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.6%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings