Fairleigh Dickinson University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
221494434
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Teaneck, NJ, USA
Phone
2016922381
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
University or Technological Institute

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$299,828,119
Expenses
$312,401,062
Assets
$386,154,247
Liabilities
$151,063,783

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

Leadership & pay

47 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Michael J Avaltroni (President & Trustee)
  • Angelo Carfagna (Vice President of University Communications)
  • Christopher A Capuano (Former President & Trustee)

Highest reported compensation

  • Michael J Avaltroni (President & Trustee): $807,705 total reported compensation
  • Christopher A Capuano (Former President & Trustee): $718,578 total reported compensation
  • Hania Ferrara (Former SVP FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION & Treasurer): $425,090 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dedicated to the preparation of world citizens through global education. A group of students walk and talk in the sunshine on campus. Support Students First @FDUWhatsNew See More on Instagram. The FDU Knights shocked the nation on one of the world’s biggest stages. But that’s just the beginning. FDU can provide YOU with the opportunity to go out into the world and make a difference too! 1 1 Workforce Development Leader by BINJE.

What it reported doing in 2024

Higher education research - investigation and experimental activities for the purpose of discovery and revision of accepted conclusions undertaken for the benefit of the community at large. The silberman college of business sponsors a series of business research studies that involve faculty and students. The college publishes several working papers series and the journal of pharmaceutical chemical business. The school of psychology and counseling houses the clinical psychology and psychology doctoral programs where students and faculty do research in such areas as behavioral medicine, cognitive, psychological and psych-educational testing and women's issues. The school of psychology and counseling further emphasizes experimental, industrial/organization psychology and clinical counseling. In addition, in the maxwell becton college of arts and sciences, research efforts are particularly prominent in english, social sciences and communication disciplines.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 91% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 72% for direct work, and 28% 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: 78
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 90.6%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • 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: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 44th 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: -4.2%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.24; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.39; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 8 programs and campaigns described on the official site
  • Where the money goes: 96% of revenue deployed · 90.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 15 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $282.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $808K · 47 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $32M reported
  • Consistency: 48 of 48 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 14 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: 32 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 39/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.