University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)

Legal name: University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
840412668
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Jun 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Boulder, CO, US
Phone
303-497-1000
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Physical & Earth Sciences,

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$288,690,542
Expenses
$306,122,003
Assets
$342,329,400
Liabilities
$76,522,052

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

Leadership & pay

40 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANTONIO BUSALACCHI (TRUSTEE/UCAR PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANTONIO BUSALACCHI (TRUSTEE/UCAR PRESIDENT): $867,848 total reported compensation
  • EVERETTE JOSEPH (NCAR DIRECTOR): $476,755 total reported compensation
  • ALISHA SWOFFORD (UCAR COO): $369,164 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) on behalf of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and supports the Earth system science community through education, training, data, software/services, and scientific program support. > We have scientists, of course, at the forefront of their fields. We also have a wide variety of other professionals and support personnel working together to advance Earth system research, education, and technology development. Our staff is nearly 1,400 strong — from pilots to software engineers, human resource specialists to machinists, shuttle bus drivers to project managers, administrators, and more. Our people share a deep commitment to our mission of science in service to society and to assuring UCAR and NSF NCAR facilities and services are top notch. Home.

What it reported doing in 2024

Research application lab - conducts directed research that contributes to the fundamental understanding of the atmosphere and related physical, biological, and social systems; to support, enhance, and extend the capabilities of the scientific community, to develop and transfer knowledge and technology for the betterment of life on earth, and to support technology transfer that expands the reach of atmospheric science.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 92% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 61
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 94%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 87%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $521.57 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 94; 94th 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: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • 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: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 46th 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: -6%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.12; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.3%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.9% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 7 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 94% of revenue deployed · 87% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $266.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $868K · 40 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $4.7M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 22 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 43/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 51/100.