University of Jamestown

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
450231180
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2023
Location
Jamestown, ND, USA
Phone
7012523467
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$67,512,683
Expenses
$54,190,503
Assets
$152,982,864
Liabilities
$35,874,152

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

Leadership & pay

38 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Polly Peterson (President)
  • Paul Olson (Executive Vice President)
  • Kristin Lefebvre (Vice President)
  • Greg Ulland (Vice President)
  • Brett Moser (Vice President)
  • Dustin Jensen (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Polly Peterson (President): $352,128 total reported compensation
  • Paul Olson (Executive Vice President): $206,929 total reported compensation
  • Greg Ulland (Vice President): $154,661 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

University of Jamestown is a community dedicated to the development of wholeness in our students. We adhere to a curriculum of academic excellence which balances the ideals of the liberal arts tradition and sound professional preparation. Our Christian tradition encourages an atmosphere of self-discipline, responsibility and concern for continuing growth of the individual.

What it reported doing in 2024

University of Jamestown is a residential, independent, four-year, coeducation, Liberal Arts College related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The University was chartered in 1884. The first classes began in September 1886. Throughout its more than 100-year history, the University of Jamestown has consistently stood for academic excellence and Christian principles in all that it does. The University offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 57 major areas of study, as well as 41 minors and 5 pre-professional programs. The University expanded its offerings to also offer master's degrees in 7 areas of study, doctoral degrees in 3 areas of study, as well as online certificate programs. University of Jamestown has been a continuously accredited member of the North Central Association since 1920.Post-Secondary Education: Instruction - Academic programs with approximately 1300 FTE students enrolled. Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, masters, and doctoral degrees are awarded by the institution.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 67% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 70% for direct work, and 30% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 88
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 75
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.9%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 92.9%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $20.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th 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: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 96.7%; rating input score 97; 51st 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: 19.7%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.82; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.7%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.9% of revenue deployed · 92.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 29 of 30 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 7 filed program accomplishments · $50.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $352K · 38 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $9.5M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 12 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 43/100.