University of Northern Iowa Research Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
391896362
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Cedar Falls, IA, USA
Phone
3192737118
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Private Grantmaking Foundations

Reported finances

Revenue
$33,201
Expenses
$14,321
Assets
$45,628
Liabilities
$210,000

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JIM JERMIER (PRESIDENT)
  • HILLERY OBERLE (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JIM JERMIER (PRESIDENT): $304,371 total reported compensation
  • HILLERY OBERLE (VICE PRESIDENT): $155,724 total reported compensation
  • STACY ROBINSON (TREASURER): $145,939 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 university of northern Iowa research foundation's mission is to advance, develop, increase & extend the progress of science & useful arts through encouraging & assisting investigation, research & education at the university of northern Iowa by furnishing the means, methods and agencies by which ideas, creations, discoveries, inventions and processes may be protected and the uses thereof determined and safeguarded for the public, and to manage, license and dispose of proprietary rights in ideas, creations, discoveries, inventions and processes of any nature.

What it reported doing in 2024

As part of the university of northern Iowa research foundation's efforts to furnish the means, methods and agencies by which ideas, creations, discoveries, inventions and processes may be protected and the uses thereof determined and safeguarded for the public, the organization recieved a share of the royalties to 4 individuals for 4 inventions or intellectual properties and their respective sponsoring units at the university of northern Iowa.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 100% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 49
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 86
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 36.5%; rating input score 37
  • Program expense ratio: 84.6%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 27th 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: 56.9%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.19; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 4.6; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 850.1%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -6.5% per year; rating input score 0; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -6.2% per year; rating input score 0; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -6.2% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 36.5% of revenue deployed · 84.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 13 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $12K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $304K · 17 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 14 of 14 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Related organizations: 2 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 37/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 1/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 1/100.