Fisher College

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042005934
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Boston, MA, US
Phone
617.236.8800
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$26,957,608
Expenses
$26,295,609
Assets
$77,602,625
Liabilities
$7,770,217

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Steven Rich (President)
  • Janet Kuser-Komarnicki (Vice President of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer)
  • Carolyn Smith (Vice President of Finance)
  • Robert Melaragni (Vice President of Enrollment Management)
  • Brian Perrin (Vice President of Student Services)
  • Lynne Robinson (Vice President of Graduate Professional Studies)

Highest reported compensation

  • Steven Rich (President): $448,994 total reported compensation
  • Janet Kuser-Komarnicki (Vice President of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer): $224,505 total reported compensation
  • Carolyn Smith (Vice President of Finance): $222,826 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Fisher College improves lives by providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary for a lifetime of intellectual and professional pursuits.

What it reported doing in 2024

Educational/Instructional Services - As directed by the Fisher College Mission and its strategic goals, the academic program "changes lives" by enabling students to acquire knowledge and skills that will guide them through a lifetime of intellectual and professional pursuits. To that end, Fisher offers pragmatic and focused programs bolstered by an array of general education programs. Thus, Fisher graduates are prepared to be responsible and contributing members of society. The Fisher College Educational and Instructional Program Services are focused on the core values and objectives of higher education and the Mission of the College.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 94% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 57
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 54
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.2%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 85.6%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.73 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.5%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.95; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.2%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 90.2% of revenue deployed · 85.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 16 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $22.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $449K · 27 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $732K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.