Ashland University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
340714626
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Ashland, OH, USA
Phone
4192895011
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
University or Technological Institute

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$136,561,683
Expenses
$137,460,710
Assets
$314,475,731
Liabilities
$89,923,149

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

Leadership & pay

41 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR JON PARRISH PEEDE (PRESIDENT)
  • DR CARLOS CAMPO (FORMER PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DR CARLOS CAMPO (FORMER PRESIDENT): $409,819 total reported compensation
  • DR JON PARRISH PEEDE (PRESIDENT): $244,329 total reported compensation
  • JEFFREY SIKKENGA EXECUTIVE (DIRECTOR, ASHBROOK CENTER): $233,702 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Ashland university, guided by our christian heritage, is a comprehensive, private university that provides a transformative learning experience, shaping graduates who work, serve and lead with integrity in their local, national, and global communities.

What it reported doing in 2024

Ashland university offers more than 70 different academic programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctorate levels. The academic programs are diverse and rich in opportunities for our students. The integration of the liberal arts and career development is a major strength of ashland university. The university consists of the college of arts and sciences, college of business and economics, college of education, college of nursing and health sciences, eashland and ashland theological seminary. The academic affairs division also oversees library services, global education, and academic support including advising and tutoring services.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 77% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 74% for direct work, and 26% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 44
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 94.1%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 93.1%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • 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: 95.7%; rating input score 96; 49th 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: -0.7%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.29; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.29; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.1%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 94.1% of revenue deployed · 93.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 23 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $127.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $410K · 41 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $4.7M reported
  • Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 13 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 14 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 39/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 53/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 57/100.