Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation reported $189.3 million in revenue and $220.0 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $88.02 went to program services, $11.98 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was investment income: 85.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $1,032,701 (TRUSTEE/CEO, SECRETARY). 36 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 26% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $220MFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $189MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 88.0% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 12.0% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | Not reported | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 11.0% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $1,032,701 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.47% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 36 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 130.7 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 14 of 15 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense1) warf supports uw-madison through ongoing operational and functional support, a core annual base grant, and additional year-to-year grants. Warf is a century-old, independent, nonprofit supporting organization that has provided direct operational support that most public universities must provide themselves, including serving as uw-madison's designated patent management organization; holding and managing educational and research-related assets; and connecting the wider community to scientific research at uw-madison. Since the great depression, warf's annual base grant has supported pivotal…
2) in addition to uw-madison's public research mission, warf also supports the morgridge institute for research (morgridge), a private non-profit medical research organization functionally integrated with uw-madison, through both grant funding and direct operational support, including technology transfer activities. Founded in 2006, morgridge uses its private status and streamlined organizational structure to respond nimbly to emerging opportunities to improve human health through innovative, interdisciplinary biomedical discoveries. Warf's support of morgridge creates a culture in…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRUSTEE/CEO, SECRETARY Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $799,362 | $15,000 | $218,339 | $1,032,701 |
| CHIEF IP & LICENSING OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $480,905 | $0 | $316,883 | $797,788 |
| DEPUTY CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $527,201 | $0 | $198,608 | $725,809 |
| INVESTMENT DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $460,000 | $0 | $192,877 | $652,877 |
| CHIEF VENTURE OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $437,432 | $0 | $136,447 | $573,879 |
| HEAD OF WARF THERAPEUTICS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $367,879 | $0 | $168,403 | $536,282 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $367,287 | $0 | $121,527 | $488,814 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR, WARF THERAPEUTICS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $276,345 | $0 | $95,216 | $371,561 |
36 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $6.3M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b15 · 14 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 595
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation totaling $1,000 on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation spent in FY2025, $88.02 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Questions people ask
How much of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation reported that 88.0% of its $220.0 million in expenses went to program services, 12.0% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $1,032,701, for the role of TRUSTEE/CEO, SECRETARY (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation get its money?
Of $189.3 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 0.0% came from contributions and grants and 11.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 39-0833612 as a 501(c)(3) organization (supporting organization (509(a)(3))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202533159349304918 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202443139349304264 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202303069349302940 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202223149349304647 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202103199349316650 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202033119349300348 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 39-0833612: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.