Oblate School of Theology

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
741357323
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
San Antonio, TX, USA
Phone
2103411366
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,640,262
Expenses
$9,080,143
Assets
$61,856,562
Liabilities
$3,402,935

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

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • REV LOUIS STUDER OMI (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MR RENE ESPINOSA (VP-ADMIN AND FINANCE): $148,706 total reported compensation
  • SR SUSAN PONTZ SSCM (VP-ACADEMIC AFFAIRS): $118,361 total reported compensation
  • MRS CLAUDIA GARCIA (VP-INST ADVANCEMENT): $117,161 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Inspired by the charism of the missionary oblates of mary immaculate, oblate school of theology educates, forms, and renews men and women to "preach the gospel to the most abandoned."

What it reported doing in 2024

Oblate school of theology (ost) is an accredited catholic school of theology offering graduate level programs in theology, pastoral ministry and divinity, a doctoral program in ministry, and a phd program in spirituality. Ost prepares men for priesthood from many dioceses and religious communities across the united states and abroad. Ost also prepares men and women, religious as well as laity, from catholic and other christian traditions for a variety of ministries. During fiscal year 2025 ost provided educational services for approximately 209 students in degree programs, 173 students in certificate programs, and approximately 1,653 participants at 40 continuing education events. Ost issued degrees to 35 students in masters programs, 1 doctoral program students, 2 phd students, and 71 certificate students in various programs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 87% 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

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 68
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 65.3%; rating input score 65
  • Program expense ratio: 69.3%; rating input score 69
  • Fundraising efficiency: $82.78 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.8%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.81; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.6%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 65.3% of revenue deployed · 69.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 21 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $6.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $149K · 26 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $463K reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.