Adler University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
362515281
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, US
Phone
312.662.4141
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$50,681,925
Expenses
$48,129,729
Assets
$49,629,519
Liabilities
$26,317,259

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Dr Lisa Coleman (President)
  • Elena Quintana (Executive Director IPSSJ)
  • Dr Kevin A Osten-Garner (Executive Director IPSSJ)
  • DR RAYMOND E Crossman (FORMER PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DR RAYMOND E Crossman (FORMER PRESIDENT): $729,030 total reported compensation
  • Dr Lisa Coleman (President): $298,625 total reported compensation
  • Mark D Branson (VP, Enrollment/Communications): $257,427 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To continue the pioneering work of Alfred Adler by graduating socially responsible practitioners, engaging communities, and advancing social justice.

What it reported doing in 2024

Adler University is a private, non-profit institution of higher education that educates students to engage the world and create a more just society. Established in 1952, Adler University has enrolled more than 1,500 students in master's and doctoral programs on its campuses in Chicago (IL), Vancouver (BC), and online. Adler University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), and all the programs at the Vancouver campus are offered under the written consent of the British Columbia Minister of Advanced Education.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 95% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 84% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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: 62
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 65.1%; rating input score 65
  • Program expense ratio: 68.2%; rating input score 68
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.08 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • 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; 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; 77th 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: 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: 5%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.03; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.53; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.3%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 65.1% of revenue deployed · 68.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $32.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $729K · 33 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1.7M reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 18 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 27/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 57/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 40/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.