Dean College

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042104149
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Franklin, MA, USA
Phone
5085411615
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Community or Junior Colleges

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$73,761,720
Expenses
$75,874,545
Assets
$117,337,692
Liabilities
$48,430,968

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

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARK BOYCE (INTERIM PRESIDENT (UNTIL 05/11/25))
  • SANDRA CAIN (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & SECRETARY)
  • KATHLEEN MCGUIRE (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT)
  • DARRELL KULESZA (INTERIM PRESIDENT (AS OF 05/12/25))
  • KENNETH ELMORE JD (PRESIDENT (UNTIL 05/19/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • KENNETH ELMORE JD (PRESIDENT (UNTIL 05/19/24)): $542,713 total reported compensation
  • MARK BOYCE (INTERIM PRESIDENT (UNTIL 05/11/25)): $253,829 total reported compensation
  • DARRELL KULESZA (INTERIM PRESIDENT (AS OF 05/12/25)): $235,699 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dean college is a private, residential new england college grounded in a culture and tradition that all students deserve the opportunity to discover and exceed their greatest aspirations. A personal and transformative community since 1865, dean tirelessly inspires our students to unimagined heights through personalized support and integrated delivery of academic, co-curricular and experiential learning. Our graduates are lifelong learners who thrive in their careers, embrace social responsibility and demonstrate leadership.

What it reported doing in 2024

Auxiliary services: the college has 13 residential facilities ranging from traditional dormitories, small houses, and apartments. The college also offers a full service dining hall for the students. Approximately 90% of students reside on campus.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 96% 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 55% for direct work, and 45% 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: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.5%; rating input score 99
  • Program expense ratio: 92.5%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th 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: 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: 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: 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: -2.9%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.55; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.41; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.5%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.5% of revenue deployed · 92.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $70.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $543K · 26 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $6.1M reported
  • Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 12 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.
  • 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: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 17/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 54/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 44/100.