Illinois State University Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
376025713
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Normal, IL, USA
Phone
3094388901
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$43,065,155
Expenses
$34,555,803
Assets
$332,641,902
Liabilities
$5,529,746

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

Leadership & pay

34 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAT VICKERMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • JOY HUTCHCRAFT (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • PAT VICKERMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $390,323 total reported compensation
  • MARK WUNDER (ASSISTANT VP OF DEVELOPMENT): $232,651 total reported compensation
  • JILL WILBERG (CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER): $231,752 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To elevate Illinois state university through the power of philanthropy.

What it reported doing in 2024

Assist in developing and increasing education opportunities and the facilities of the university for service to its students, alumni, and citizens of the state and nation by encouraging gifts of money and property; act as trustee of educational or charitable trusts; administer gifts, grants, or loans of money or property.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 89% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 68% of its reported program spending out as 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 most voting board members are independent. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 83
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.4%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 90.2%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $36.5 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: Scored; rating input score 0
  • 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: 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: 19.8%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.63; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.3%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 22.7% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.4% of revenue deployed · 90.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 26 of 26 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $31.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $390K · 34 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $628K reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 57/100.