Walla Walla University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
910617727
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
College Place, WA, USA
Phone
5095272391
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
University or Technological Institute
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$73,976,147
Expenses
$71,738,220
Assets
$155,104,131
Liabilities
$16,672,330

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

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ALEX BRYAN (PRESIDENT (START 05/24))
  • Darren Wilkins (Vice President of Student Life)

Highest reported compensation

  • PAM CRESS (VP OF ACADEMICS): $161,777 total reported compensation
  • PRAKASH RAMOUTAR (VP OF FINANCE): $161,129 total reported compensation
  • Jodeene Wagner (VP for marketing and enrollment services): $154,350 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 seeks to impart a broad knowledge of the arts, sciences and professions by careful instruction and open inquiry and to translate academic achievement into responsible citizenship and generous service to others.

What it reported doing in 2024

Post-secondary education of approximately 1800 students. Liberal arts, science and professional instructional programs to both bachelor's and master's degrees.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 79% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 66% for direct work, and 34% for grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.1%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 90%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.65 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 45; 45th 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: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 96.6%; 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: 3%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.16; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.1%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90.1% of revenue deployed · 90% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 28 of 29 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $64.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $162K · 33 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $5.8M reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 45/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 48/100.