Winthrop University Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237378001
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Rock Hill, SC, USA
Phone
8033232229
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
University or Technological Institute

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,245,717
Expenses
$6,689,635
Assets
$108,714,349
Liabilities
$2,821,556

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Mr Sylvester Owens (Vice President)
  • Dr Andy Wilson (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Dr Edward Serna (University Pres.): $575,274 total reported compensation
  • Mrs Courtney Jurado (Executive Dir.): $97,104 total reported compensation
  • Mrs Robin Embry (Frmr. Ex. Dir.): $86,020 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To support and enhance winthrop university by encouraging alumni and friends to provide private funds and other resources for the university's benefit, to manage those assets, and to provide volunteer leadership in support of the university's objectives.

What it reported doing in 2025

Support for winthrop university, a South Carolina public higher education institution located in rock hill, sc, whose legislative charter includes a mandate to be a "first-class institution of higher education" offering an educational experience "as the progress of the times may require". Support is made through scholarships, grants, salary supplements, and other discretionary support that promotes the growth, development and advancement of its educational goals.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 72% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 84% of its reported program spending out as 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 some filed totals do not add up.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 64.6%; rating input score 65
  • Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $16.6 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 96.5%; rating input score 97; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 34.7%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 16.25; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 64.6% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $5.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $575K · 21 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 48/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 42/100.