East-west University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
391353508
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3126707444
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,661,888
Expenses
$12,621,702
Assets
$88,786,283
Liabilities
$9,786,867

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

Leadership & pay

22 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MR JAMES W THOMAS (CHAIRMAN AND CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • DR M WASI KHAN (EXECUTIVE VP/CHANCELOR): $222,775 total reported compensation
  • DR MADHU JAIN (TREASURER/PROVOST): $196,487 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-west university is an independent institution of higher learning located in downtown chicago. Its mission is the pursuit of excellence by all through relevant, effective and convenient education and service to humankind with a global, multi-cultural and future-oriented perspective. Diversity is a key component of the east-west university experience. Administrators, faculty and staff members come from many races and from many lands, teaching, working, and studying alongside individuals born in inner-city neighborhoods of chicago. The university has distinguished itself as a key player in the advancement of people living on the south and west side of the city. Since 1983, more than 2,000 graduates have come out from east-west university's various departments with associate and bachelor's degrees and certificates granted to them.

What it reported doing in 2024

Instructional and academic support, including the following degree programs: behavioral sciences the bachelor of arts degree program in behavioral sciences guides the student through an interdisciplinary group of courses which include criminal justice, economics, history, statistics, political science, psychology, and sociology. The program applies scientific research and sound understanding of major theories in the social sciences to understand and resolve critical social issues. The program helps provide students with the skills to succeed in graduate study of criminal justice, government, history, international relations, law, political science, psychology, public relations, sociology, social work, urban planning, and similar fields.biological sciencesin the heart of chicago's south loop, east-west university can help make your dream of a career in science or medicine a reality! Earn a bachelor's degree in biology and prepare for graduate, nursing, or medical school.careers in science, medicine, and health care begin with a foundational education in biological and physical sciences. East-west university provides an exceptional education in biology, chemistry, and physics, all of which are prerequisites to pursue an advanced degree in science or medicine. Students are trained in modern biology, chemistry, and physics laboratories by experts in their respective fields who have extensive teaching experience. Students are trained on state-of-the-art molecular biology equipment to prepare them for the world of modern biotechnology. Importantly, research opportunities are available in multiple primary and clinical areas to prepare graduates for the rigors of post-graduate work or continued healthcare education.business administrationthe bs degree in business administration offers students diversified and challenging core courses that all east-west university business students must take and specialty courses providing a solid foundation in business theory and applications. In addition to traditional classes like accounting, economics, finance, and management, students take courses in challenging areas such as entrepreneurship, personal financial planning, forensic accounting, and international business. The bs degree program provides students a broad knowledge base in the business disciplines, prepares them for career possibilities in business-related areas, gives them the fundamental skills necessary to participate in civil society, and provides a foundation for further studies and graduate and professional work.academic programsthe bachelor of science in biology at east-west university supports the university's mission of providing accessible, career-focused education to a diverse student population in chicago area. The program prepares students for professional health programs, graduate study, and entry-level careers in biological sciences. The curriculum provides a strong understanding of foundational areas in biology like cellular and molecular biology, genetics, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and other disciplines, also focus on laboratory competency, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and scientific communication. Recent curriculum enhancements included hands-on laboratory experiences. Emerging topics such as molecular techniques have been incorporated in new course, molecular research methods and laboratory techniques, which is designed to expose students to modern molecular biology tools relevant to modern research and clinical practice. Another new course environmental science was also started to promote interdisciplinary understanding of environmental systems and contemporary local and global challenges. Additionally, invited lectures and field experiences further connect students with current developments and real-world applications in biology. The program reflects the diverse student body of east-west university and remains committed to inclusive excellence. Initiatives include mentoring for first-gener

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 89% 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 60% for direct work, and 40% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 71
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.4%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 90.9%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 7.6%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.03; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.3%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.8% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.4% of revenue deployed · 90.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $11.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $223K · 22 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $181K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 11/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.