United Methodist Higher Education Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237077869
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Nashville, TN, United States
Phone
(615) 649-3990
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,744,288
Expenses
$2,861,543
Assets
$64,085,514
Liabilities
$458,958

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

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PHILIP D JAMIESON (PRESIDENT/CE)

Highest reported compensation

  • ROBERT F FLETCHER (PRIOR PRESID): $177,750 total reported compensation
  • PHILIP D JAMIESON (PRESIDENT/CE): $62,786 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Since 1965, the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation has been committed to making it financially possible for Methodist students to be educated at a United Methodist-related institution of higher education. We award $2+ million in scholarships annually. The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF) aims to make higher education financially possible for the leaders of tomorrow. Since 1965, UMHEF has been a leader in church-related foundations and agencies in providing scholarship support to qualifying students attending the 100+ United Methodist-related higher education institutions. Last year, over $1.9 million in scholarship aid was awarded to nearly 800 students. We aim to inspire generous donors to partner with us to achieve our mission of ensuring the continuing presence and influence of The United Methodist Church* in providing higher education in a Christian...

What it reported doing in 2024

United methodist dollars for scholars provides matching scholarships for students attending united methodist-related institutions. Local united methodist churches provide 1,000 to a member student (totaling 419,000 in 2024), the united methodist higher education foundation matches each student's 1,000, and in most instances the united methodist-related educational institution matches 1,000, bringing the total award to 3,000 per student. Further, with a select number of united methodist conference foundations, the award is matched with an additional 1,000 (totaling 276,328 in 2024), bringing the total award to 4,000 per student. Total scholarships awarded by united methodist higher education foundation through this program in 2024 were 1,114,328.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 71% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 60% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 81
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 70.6%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.26 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: 23.6%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 22.4; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.4%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.7% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.7% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 70.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 27 of 27 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $178K · 30 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 35/100.