Vanguard Urologic Research Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
205972989
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2018
Forms available
Form 990 2018
Location
Surfside, FL, USA
Phone
7132991776
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Diseases of Specific Organ Research

Reported finances

Revenue
$20
Expenses
$27,611
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2018. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KEVIN M SLAWIN MD (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • PHIL WEINSTEIN MD (DIRECTOR)
  • KEVIN M SLAWIN MD (PRESIDENT)
  • KEVIN M SLAWIN MD (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2018. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To establish the premier translation research program focused on prostate disease including prostate cancer and related diseases of the aging process.

What it reported doing in 2018

Clinical research and community health promotion of the fda-approved prostate health index (phi ) test: in 2012, the phi test, based on a novel, clipped form of prostate specific antigen (psa) co-discovered by dr. Slawin, was fda-approved to detect prostate cancer in men with a psa between 4 and 10 ng/ml. In 2014, the vanguard urologic institute was the first in the nation to offer the phi test in the unites states. The phi test addresses many of the concerns raised by the uspstf regarding the psa test, raising the prospects of reducing false negative tests, unnecessary biopsies and increasing the detection of high risk, life-threatening prostate cancer. Since then vurf has begun several initiatives involving the phi test to evaluate its performance and to increase awareness and use of the test by physicians and patients. Vurf via its clinical data and specimen bank is developing a large database of patients who have had the test done, along with another novel molecular test for prostate cancer screening, the urine pca-3 test the includes clinical data and prostate biopsy results that will serve as the basis of scientific studies of the phi test in clinical practice . Furthermore, vurf is developing multiple resources, including mailing campaigns, websites and other activities to help educate physicians and patients about the phi test and its potential benefits to public health.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 58
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 51
  • Sustainability: 8
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 6%; rating input score 6
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -137,955%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -75.1% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -29.1% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 27.4% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 15 of 15 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2015 to 2018
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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: Program expense ratio scored 6/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 2/100.