Centenary University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
221500484
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2023
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2023, Form 990-T 2023
Location
Hackettstown, NJ, US
Phone
(908) 852-1400
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$53,300,151
Expenses
$54,083,099
Assets
$25,076,601
Liabilities
$39,704,880

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

40 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR DALE CALDWELL (PRESIDENT)
  • BRUCE MURPHY (FORMER PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DR DALE CALDWELL (PRESIDENT): $212,146 total reported compensation
  • DENTON STARGEL (VP BUSINESS & FINANCE/CFO): $210,593 total reported compensation
  • KERRY MULLINS-MONTANE (VP STUDENT LIFE/DEAN OF STUDENTS): $201,374 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of the Alumni Association Executive Board (AAEB) is to represent all alumni and to strengthen their commitment to Centenary University. The AAEB will assist the University in strengthening the connection between all alumni and between alumni and current students in order to create a strong sense of community and to raise the visibility of the University on a national and international level.

What it reported doing in 2023

Instructional: centenary university is a community of learners distinguished by a diverse student body, a dedicated faculty and staff and stimulating education opportunities. The university is committed to quality liberal arts and career studies education to engage students in learning and prepare them for a satisfying career, successful lives, community service and lifelong intellectual pursuits. As the primary educational and cultural resource of northwest New Jersey, centenary offers a range of undergraduate, graduate and doctorate programs, as well as non-degree courses for professional and personal development.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 92% 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 61% for direct work, and 39% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.1%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 90.7%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.51 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th 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: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1.5%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.46; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.58; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.2%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -9.3% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 92.1% of revenue deployed · 90.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $49.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $212K · 40 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $6.8M reported
  • Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 17/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 51/100.