Aurora University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
362166964
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Aurora, IL, USA
Phone
6308926431
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
University or Technological Institute

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$184,679,910
Expenses
$177,217,003
Assets
$255,356,798
Liabilities
$58,647,809

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

Leadership & pay

29 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUSANA RIVERA-MILLS (PRESIDENT)
  • DEBORAH MAUE (SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT AND MARKETING)
  • JEFFREY A KING (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER)
  • MARGARET HOWES (SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT)
  • REBECCA L SHERRICK (Former University President)

Highest reported compensation

  • SUSANA RIVERA-MILLS (PRESIDENT): $577,981 total reported compensation
  • JEFFREY A KING (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $394,606 total reported compensation
  • SHARON W MAXWELL (TREASURER & SVP FOR BUSINESS & FINANCE): $334,308 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

At Aurora University, our singular goal is to empower students to achieve lasting personal and professional success. We do this by being an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. As a teaching-centered institution, we encourage undergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes to build meaningful and purposeful lives.

What it reported doing in 2024

Aurora university (au) provides post-secondary education and related activities and support services to 4,629 undergraduate students and 2,674 graduate students in aurora, Illinois as well as on-line and various other locations. During the year, au graduated 1,240 students with bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees and 956 students with graduate degrees including education, social work and business. As part of its mission, the university offers cultural and educational opportunities to its students, faculty, staff and the neighboring community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 80% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 51% for direct work, and 49% for grants.

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: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.4%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 86.9%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • 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: 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: 4%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.44; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.6%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 85.4% of revenue deployed · 86.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $153.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $578K · 29 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $21M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • 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 scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 52/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.