Houston Va Research & Education Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
562317339
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Phone
7134404400
Rating
57
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Specifically Named Diseases

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$962,334
Expenses
$870,674
Assets
$9,895,775
Liabilities
$5,413,904

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • CHARLIE LAN MD (VICE CHAIR): $400,915 total reported compensation
  • LAURA PETERSEN MD MHA (STATUTORY DI): $317,309 total reported compensation
  • ANGELA CATIC MD (DIRECTOR): $265,018 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The primary tax-exempt purpose of the houston va research & education foundation, inc., a 501(c)(3) research and education foundation established in accordance with title 38, united states code section 7361 through 7366, is to facilitate the conduct of the medical research and educational activities of the michael e. Debakey veterans affairs medical center by acting as a flexible funding mechanism in achieving the goals of the programs. Funds spent by the foundation directly or indirectly supports va faculty and staff in their research, education, and training endeavors to foster progress in laboratory science, clinical science, and rehabilitative and health service programs that benefit the nation's veterans and general population. The foundation supports the ongoing development of va faculty and staff through education and training activities designed to increase the breadth of knowledge used to facilitate patient care.

What it reported doing in 2024

Clinical research to foster progress in health services programs that benefit the nation's veterans and general public and education, training, and development activities conducted on behalf of va employees.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 97% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program 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.

The verdict

MIXED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 42
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 72.2%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 81.5%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 27.3%; rating input score 27; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Limited
    • 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: 9.5%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 11.37; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.55; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.9%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -13.4% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -12.1% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 72.2% of revenue deployed · 81.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 11 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $710K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $401K · 12 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 27/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 14/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.