The Fuller Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
954124436
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Pasadena, CA, USA
Phone
6267923232
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$8,141,876
Expenses
$8,776,555
Assets
$234,599,861
Liabilities
$151,423,959

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT CEREMSAK (CHAIR / ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • LAUREN YAMAOKA (SR. DIRECTOR OF DEV. & FOUNDATIONS): $313,454 total reported compensation
  • TODD DERRICK (SR. DIR. GIFT/ESTATE PLANNING SVCS.): $298,918 total reported compensation
  • BRIAN RIETZE (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $293,826 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 fuller foundation serves fuller theological seminary through advancement activities and endowment management, as well as its partners, including churches and denominations, and the broader christian community by being a trusted advisor in the provision of financial services.

What it reported doing in 2024

See schedule othe services of the fuller foundation benefit and carry out the charitable purposes of christian based and other charitable organizations. This includes direct support of fuller theological seminary, other christian based organizations, other charitable organizations, and various designated, restricted, or endowment funds. The foundation fulfills its purposes through the administration and management of fuller theological seminary's fundraising, alumni relations activities, and management of certain endowment funds designated to support fuller theological seminary. Additionally, the foundation manages charitable trusts, charitable funds, donor advised funds, and gift annuity type accounts. Program related distributions include gifts and grants to the seminary and a broad base of charitable organizations, including gifts from donor advised funds. Gifts and grants are predominately to u.s. Based IRS determined 501(c)(3) charities. Select grants and gifts are made to foreign organizations that have been determined to be organized for exclusively charitable purposes. Other activities include providing trust fiduciary services to other charitable organizations with a christian mission.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 66% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 48% for direct work, and 52% 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 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: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 61
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.4%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 85.7%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 20th 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: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 29th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: -7.8%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 26.73; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.65; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.6%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.3% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.2% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.3% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.4% of revenue deployed · 85.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $7.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $313K · 23 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 37 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 54 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 46 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: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 22/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 16/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 12/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 15/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.