East Texas Baptist University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
750859801
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Marshall, TX, USA
Phone
9039357963
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
University or Technological Institute
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$59,986,096
Expenses
$62,117,519
Assets
$162,683,502
Liabilities
$25,438,731

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

Leadership & pay

52 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR BLAIR BLACKBURN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DR BLAIR BLACKBURN (PRESIDENT): $622,298 total reported compensation
  • DR THOMAS SANDERS (SECRETARY/PROVOST/VP FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS): $222,842 total reported compensation
  • RYAN ERWIN (SENIOR VP FOR CAMPUS LIFE): $203,243 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

East Texas baptist university (etbu) was founded in 1912 as a fully accredited institution of higher education. Affiliated with the baptist general convention of Texas, etbu educates students by integrating biblical faith and learning to develop mind, body and soul through community engagement to prepare graduates to be christian servant leaders in their calling to god and humanity. Our primary focus is on quality academic programs in the humanities, natural and social sciences, fine arts, and business. We are committed to christian stewardship and to providing and maintaining an environment conducive to learning, leadership development, and academic excellence, serving students of varied ages and of diverse socioeconomic, geographic, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. We affirm that the liberal arts form the surest foundation for education and that the christian faith provides the surest foundation for life.

What it reported doing in 2024

East Texas baptist university is a fully accredited institution of higher education, and its service is the instruction of students. The mission of the university is to educate students by integrating biblical faith and learning to develop mind, body, and soul through community engagement to prepare graduates to be christian servant leaders in their calling to god and humanity. For the fall 2024 semester, the university enrolled 1,663 undergraduate students and 281 graduate students. Etbu students have the choice of multiple undergraduate and graduate programs, and two doctoral programs. Programs are offered through the schools of business, christian studies, communication and performing arts, humanities, education, natural and social science, nursing, professional studies, and b.h. Carroll theological seminary. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1 and an average class size of 20, students receive individualized instruction taught through a christian worldview and various opportunities to apply course content outside of the classroom. Dedicated faculty and staff are holistically shaping etbu tigers into christian scholars and servant leaders, equipping the next generation to share the gospel of christ in their future vocations.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 82% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 65% for direct work, and 35% 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: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 86.5%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.52 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 95.2%; rating input score 95; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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: 94.3%; rating input score 94; 46th 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: -3.6%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.62; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.3%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90% of revenue deployed · 86.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 33 of 35 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $53.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $622K · 52 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $5.7M reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 42 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 12 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: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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 scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.