Uc San Diego Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
952872494
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
La Jolla, CA, USA
Phone
8585341032
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Reported finances

Revenue
$289,528,056
Expenses
$230,698,979
Assets
$2,015,669,146
Liabilities
$88,867,107

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

Leadership & pay

55 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • A SPIRA (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT)
  • M CRUZ (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • D HUNSINGER (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • P KHOSLA (INVESTMENT OPERATIONS MANAGER): $1,254,439 total reported compensation
  • A SPIRA (EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT): $573,725 total reported compensation
  • M CRUZ (VICE PRESIDENT): $498,016 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 mission of the uc san diego foundation is to advocate and raise private support for the university of California san diego, for the purpose of its research, teaching and public service mission.

What it reported doing in 2024

Grants in support of programs of the university of California, san diego: $105,487,005 for research and related faculty support, $84,806,831 for general department support, $20,835,082 for student aid, $9,248,391 for capital project construction, $1,067,748 for patient care.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 91% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as 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 the filed numbers largely add up. 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: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 87
  • Sustainability: 88
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91.3%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 99.8%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 93.9%; rating input score 94; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 20.3%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.74; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.3%; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.4% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91.3% of revenue deployed · 99.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 46 of 49 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $230.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.3M · 55 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 4 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: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.