Johnson & Wales University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
050306206
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Providence, RI, USA
Phone
4015981900
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
University or Technological Institute

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$342,378,728
Expenses
$373,438,799
Assets
$773,639,499
Liabilities
$89,809,651

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

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MINNIE L RUNEY (CHANCELLOR, PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • MARIE F BERNARDO-SOUSA (PRESIDENT PROVIDENCE CAMPUS)
  • RICHARD G MATHIEU (PRESIDENT CHARLOTTE CAMPUS)

Highest reported compensation

  • MINNIE L RUNEY (CHANCELLOR, PRESIDENT & CEO): $926,935 total reported compensation
  • JOSEPH J GREENE JR (VICE CHANCELLOR): $492,844 total reported compensation
  • RICHARD A WISCOTT (PROVOST): $431,805 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 mission of johnson & wales university (jwu) is to provide an exceptional education that inspires professional success and lifelong personal and intellectual growth.

What it reported doing in 2024

In fy 2025, jwu enrollment at its campuses in providence, ri, and charlotte, nc, and online learning program totaled 8,332 students (7,307 undergrads and 1,025 grad) jwu awarded 2,068 degrees including 379 associate's, 1,192 bachelor's, 372 graduate, 59 doctoral, and 66 certificates. Jwu employed 318 ft and 389 pt faculty throughout its colleges of art & sciences, college of business and hospitality, college of dietetics and nutrition, college of food innovation & technology, college of health and wellness, and college of online education. 40% of students were first generation college students of those who reported their parents' education. 98% of undergraduate, day students received institutional aid, with an average aid of $22,820 per student. Institutional scholarships exceeded $120 million.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 97% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 64% for direct work, and 36% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 90.7%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.35 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • 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; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90%; rating input score 90; 38th 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: -9.1%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.07; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.7%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.4% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.7% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 90.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 10 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $338.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $927K · 33 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $20.3M reported
  • Consistency: 48 of 49 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • 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: 22 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 4 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.
  • 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 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.