Oklahoma Baptist University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
730579264
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Shawnee, OK, USA
Phone
4055855801
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$76,025,660
Expenses
$78,864,062
Assets
$336,614,650
Liabilities
$27,213,052

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

Leadership & pay

44 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • HEATH THOMAS (PRESIDENT)
  • TIMOTHY RASNIC (VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVANCEMENT)
  • JOSHUA SHOFFNER (VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY & DIGITAL INNOVATION)

Highest reported compensation

  • HEATH THOMAS (PRESIDENT): $276,982 total reported compensation
  • MATTHEW EMERSON (CO-PROVOST, DEAN OF THEOLOGY, ARTS & HUMANITIES): $185,968 total reported compensation
  • RANDY SMITH (CFO/EVP BUS. & ADMIN SVCS): $173,115 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

As a christian liberal arts university, Oklahoma baptist university transforms lives by equipping students to pursue academic excellence, integrate faith with all areas of knowledge, engage a diverse world, and live worthy of the high calling of god in christ.

What it reported doing in 2024

Academic instruction: Oklahoma baptist university offers over 80 undergraduate academic major fields of study, with pre-professional degrees in several areas. The academic offerings are operated through schools and divisions: theology and ministry, science and mathematics, behavioral and social science, business, education, exercise science, sports and recreation, language and literature, nursing, visual and performing arts plus several graduate, online and professional certificate programs. The university's core curriculum integrates academic disciplines to provide a rigorous liberal arts education. Masters' degrees are offered in business administration, multiple theology disciplines, marriage and family therapy, and teaching. The university's four-year graduation rate is among the highest in the state and region.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 77% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 59% for direct work, and 41% for 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 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: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91.1%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 87.4%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th 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: -3.7%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.27; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.6%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91.1% of revenue deployed · 87.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 31 of 31 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $68.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $277K · 44 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $24M reported
  • Consistency: 44 of 44 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 12 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 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: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.