The Catholic University of America

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
530196583
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2023195606
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
University or Technological Institute
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$425,408,328
Expenses
$447,908,898
Assets
$980,314,947
Liabilities
$322,655,537

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

Leadership & pay

68 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PETER KILPATRICK (PRESIDENT)
  • JOHN GARVEY (FORMER PRESIDENT; CUA PROFESSOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • PETER KILPATRICK (PRESIDENT): $681,341 total reported compensation
  • SCOTT P REMBOLD (EVP UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT): $560,145 total reported compensation
  • DAVID AARON DOMINGUEZ (EVP AND PROVOST): $525,623 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 the national university of the catholic church in the united states, founded and sponsored by the bishops of the country with the approval of the holy see, the catholic university of america is committed to being a comprehensive catholic and american institution.

What it reported doing in 2024

Other program services - sponsored research: the university received sponsored research awards spanning all disciplines. Library programs: there are over 1.6 million volumes in the general library system and in the law library. The catholic university of america press publishes about 35-40 books each year in theology, philosophy, literature, history and political theory. Student services program: a number of offices exist to provide services to students, both for academic and personal needs. These offices include, among others, the administration office, enrollment services, career services, student activities, and campus ministry. International study is available in africa, asia, australia, central and south america, and europe. Campus ministry provides many opportunities for community service in the Washington d.c. Area and in other parts of the united states and abroad.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 81% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 67% for direct work, and 33% 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: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 99
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.2%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 88.9%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.3 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • 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: 97.6%; rating input score 98; 53rd 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: -5.3%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.19; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.33; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.4%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.6% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.2% of revenue deployed · 88.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 41 of 42 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $398.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $681K · 68 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $25.4M reported
  • Consistency: 43 of 43 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 12 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 15 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 12/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.