Washington & Jefferson College

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
250965601
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Washington, PA, USA
Phone
888-926-3529
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$103,719,125
Expenses
$86,284,666
Assets
$377,006,596
Liabilities
$54,715,582

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

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ELIZABETH MACLEOD WALLS (PRESIDENT)
  • JOHN C KNAPP (FORMER PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ELIZABETH MACLEOD WALLS (PRESIDENT): $323,881 total reported compensation
  • JOHN C KNAPP (FORMER PRESIDENT): $286,246 total reported compensation
  • CAROLYN CAMPBELL-GOLDEN VP (FOR DEVT. & ALUMNI ENGMT (EXIT 7/24)): $243,257 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 Washington Fellows program seeks to provide additional opportunities for growth to students who have demonstrated a standard of academic and personal excellence.

What it reported doing in 2024

Washington & jefferson college, founded in 1781, is known for its highly customized and intellectually engaging student experience that develops professionals of uncommon integrity to lead in an ever-changing world. The college offers more than 60 areas of study that allow our students to tailor their academic experience to the topics that match their ambitions. Statistics - undergraduate students: 1,306 full-time equivalent students and 3 graduate.see schedule o for continuationthe four hallmarks of this experience are "customized journeys," a unique, life-cycle approach to self-discovery, academic advising and career development; "intellectual engagement," including a requirement to study broadly in two different academic areas; "professional readiness," individualized developmental experiences including a required practicum relevant to a desired career; and "ethical leadership," a four-year curricular and co-curricular program for all students to develop competencies in conflict resolution, civil discourse, professionalism, and service to others.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 61% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 69% for direct work, and 31% 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: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Accountability: 98
  • Sustainability: 78
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.8%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 85.8%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: 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: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 95.7%; rating input score 96; 49th 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: 16.8%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.37; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.6%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 80.8% of revenue deployed · 85.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 23 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $74M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $324K · 33 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $6.2M reported
  • Consistency: 44 of 44 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 14 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 44/100.