Colorado State University Foundation
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 237098397
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Phone
- 9704917135
- Rating
- 78
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Single Organization Support
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $117,234,946
- Expenses
- $92,436,659
- Assets
- $864,944,732
- Liabilities
- $29,060,480
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
17 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- CHERI O'NEILL (PRESIDENT/CEO)
- ALLEN PADILLA (VICE PRESIDENT/CFO)
Highest reported compensation
- CHERI O'NEILL (PRESIDENT/CEO): $447,119 total reported compensation
- ALLEN PADILLA (VICE PRESIDENT/CFO): $340,699 total reported compensation
- TERILYN LARSON (CONTROLLER): $216,437 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
See schedule o Colorado state university foundation assists in the promotion, development, and enhancement of facilities and educational programs and enhancements of faculty, students, and alumni of Colorado state university (csu). This is accomplished through receiving, managing, and investing gifts. Principal and/or income from these gifts are used for scientific, literary or educational purposes which directly or indirectly aid and benefit csu.
What it reported doing in 2024
Csu foundation assisted in the promotion, development and enhancement of facilities and educational programs and opportunities of faculty, students, and alumni of Colorado state university (csu). During the year, the foundation transferred approximately $79,000,000 to csu and affiliates. Because of this aid, csu was able to award scholarships and fellowships to its students; provide for academic and instructional support, research efforts, institutional support; and operation and maintenance of facilities and equipment.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 91% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 99% of its reported program spending out as grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
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 some filed totals do not add up.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 73
- Transparency & Controls: 70
- Accountability: 95
- Sustainability: 86
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 78.6%; rating input score 79
- Program expense ratio: 86.8%; rating input score 87
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th 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: Pass
- Written employment contract: Missing
- 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: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 39th 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: 21.2%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.36; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 1.8%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 78.6% of revenue deployed · 86.8% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 10 of 11 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $80.2M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $447K · 17 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1.4M reported
- Consistency: 38 of 39 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 9 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: 8 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.