American University in Bulgaria

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010466768
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Phone
3163051256
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$33,062,000
Expenses
$3,914,000
Assets
$76,617,000
Liabilities
$69,000

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Margaret Mary Ensign (President)
  • Jay Daniel Mininger (Provost, Interim President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Margaret Mary Ensign (President): $370,826 total reported compensation
  • Susan Johnson (Senior VP of Development): $186,656 total reported compensation
  • Jay Daniel Mininger (Provost, Interim President): $157,458 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of the American University in Bulgaria is to educate democratic citizens for leadership, service, and personal and professional success.

What it reported doing in 2024

Education: The American University in Bulgaria offers students an American-style education steeped in the tradition of liberal learning and characterized by close student-faculty engagement, a residential-life experience, and the opportunity to interact with a diverse student body. The University is dedicated to education in the democratic tradition, with an emphasis on open dialogue, choice of courses, and protection of academic freedom. Approximately 244 bachelor degree students graduated in May 2024 and joined the over 5751 alumni working and going to graduate schools world-wide. They are contributing to the economic, political, and social development of over 40 countries.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 58% for direct work, and 42% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 38
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 87
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 8.9%; rating input score 9
  • Program expense ratio: 72.1%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $96.26 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • 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: 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; 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: 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: 88.2%; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 19.58; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18.3%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.8% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 75.9% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 20.6% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 8.9% of revenue deployed · 72.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $371K · 21 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $107K reported
  • Consistency: 44 of 44 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 9/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.