Towson University Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
520939453
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Towson, MD, USA
Phone
4107042040
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$16,174,298
Expenses
$10,736,643
Assets
$134,708,581
Liabilities
$2,988,465

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

Leadership & pay

28 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PATRICIA HOGE (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • DEBORA A PLUNKETT (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • EDNA PRIMROSE (PRESIDENT)
  • CHRISTOPHER J CAVALLARO (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • CHRISTOPHER S EVANS (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • JOHN J MEASE JR (VICE PRESIDENT/ CFO)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOHN J MEASE JR (VICE PRESIDENT/ CFO): $237,749 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Towson university foundation, inc. Is organized to receive, hold, invest, manage, use, dispose of and administer property of all kinds whether given absolutely, in trust or by way of agency or otherwise for the benefit and promotion of towson university or for all of the education and support activities that may be conducted by towson university.

What it reported doing in 2024

Scholarships and awards - towson university foundation is committed to providing students with the opportunity to obtain a liberal education - an education that helps students develop the ability to think critically; to be literate, informed and articulate; to honor diversity; to discuss and debate ideas and issues from multiple perspectives, and to be capable of taking on responsibility in an ever-changing world. To create those opportunities, many students need and deserve financial assistance. As of june 30, 2025, towson university foundation had 719 endowed scholarships and presents additional cash awards each year to deserving students from existing operating scholarship funds. Since state of Maryland funding now accounts for less than 1/3 of the cost of a towson university education, private funding from generous donors allows today's students and tomorrow's leaders to meet their financial obligations. In the fiscal year ending june 30, 2025, the foundation made 1,343 separate scholarship awards to deserving students totaling $2,776,766.additionally, 78 students received a total of $81,080 in student emergency awards.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 70% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 53% for direct work, and 47% 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. No material rating questions were generated from the available inputs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 89
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76%; rating input score 76
  • Program expense ratio: 88%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $26.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: 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; 66th 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: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 33.6%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.55; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.2%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76% of revenue deployed · 88% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 27 of 27 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $9.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $238K · 28 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $1.3M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.