Curtin University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
981014817
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Perth, Western Australia, AS
Phone
7134994600
Rating
54
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
University or Technological Institute

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$807,436,631
Expenses
$761,133,754
Assets
$1,423,863,968
Liabilities
$470,243,312

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

Leadership & pay

34 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Mr Ammar Kaka (Pro Vice-Chancellor & President, Curtin Dubai)
  • Mr Simon Leunig (Pro Vice-Chancellor & President, Curtin Malaysia)
  • Mrs Linda Pelliccione (Pro Vice-Chancellor & President, Curtin Mauritius)

Highest reported compensation

  • Mrs Harlene Hayne (Vice Chancellor): $645,073 total reported compensation
  • Mrs Fiona Notley (Chief Operating Officer): $400,756 total reported compensation
  • Mr Marco Schultheis (Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer): $390,585 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Curtin University is dedicated to making tomorrow better through its commitment to excellence in education, research, and engagement, fostering a culture of innovation and impact.

What it reported doing in 2024

The University's educational and research programs are spread across five teaching areas. Each teaching area equips its graduates with the knowledge, skills and industry experience needed to excel in their chosen profession. - Faculty of Business and Law: Curtin Law School, Curtin Business School - Faculty of Health Sciences: Curtin Medical School, Curtin School of Nursing, Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin School of Population Health - Faculty of Humanities: School of Design and the Built Environment, School of Education, School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry - Faculty of Science and Engineering: School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, WA School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering - Centre for Aboriginal Studies: The Centre for Aboriginal Studies offers a range of pathway, undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs which aim to broaden Indigenous knowledge and contribute to Aboriginal communities and their wellbeing. Curtin is a leading research institution, known for its strength in agriculture and environment, astronomy and astrophysics, business, defense, digital and emerging technologies, digital humanities, health and medicine, Indigenous studies, minerals and energy, society and culture, space and sustainability. Curtin has close links with business, industry, government and the community, and its courses have a strong applied focus, with many involving work-integrated learning. As a result, Curtin graduates are seen as highly desirable by employers, with skills that enable them to be successful and make a genuine and positive contribution in a continuously changing world.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 91% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

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

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 63
  • Accountability: 32
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.2%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 72.9%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.7%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.87; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.33; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.9%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • What they do: 6 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 3 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 70.2% of revenue deployed · 72.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 13 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $555.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $645K · 34 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $71.2M reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes foreign activity and executive pay
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 23 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.