Home › Education

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA · EIN 42-0680404 · 501(c)(3) · School
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Buena Vista University reported $62.6 million in revenue and $68.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $86.28 went to program services, $11.33 to management and general costs and $2.39 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 83.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $453,375 (PRESIDENT). 18 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 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 $68M

Program services$86.28 $59M
Management & general$11.33 $7.7M
Fundraising$2.39 $1.6M

For 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 $63M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$14.74 $9.2M
Government grants$0.89 $557K
Program service revenue$83.30 $52M
Investment income$1.07 $672K

Other revenue was negative: −$90,733. The bar shows the positive sources only.

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 5,499 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	86.3%	84.4%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	11.3%	13.4%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	2.4%	0.8%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.17	$0.04
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	15.7%	19.1%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	0.9%	1.1%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	83.4%	69.9%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$453,375	$331,578
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	0.66%	1.28%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	18	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	37.4	13.3
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	20 of 21	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 expense

$40M expenses · 68.4% of program spending · grants $22M · revenue $44M

Instruction of approximately 1,492 students including academic support and operating library and technology center

$9.8M expenses · 16.7% of program spending · revenue $7.5M

Auxiliary enterprises, dormitories, dining hall, forum and conference center for approximately 722 campus living students

$8.8M expenses · 14.9% of program spending · revenue $221K

Student services, admissions, registrars, athletics, career development, student health, and other services for approximately 722 campus living students

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
PRESIDENT Director/trustee, officer, 40.0 hrs/week	$334,252	$0	$119,123	$453,375
VP, UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Officer, 40.0 hrs/week	$215,320	$0	$31,347	$246,667
VP, ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Officer, 40.0 hrs/week	$194,281	$0	$41,158	$235,439
VP, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Officer, 40.0 hrs/week	$175,198	$0	$42,590	$217,788
PROVOST/VP ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Officer, 40.0 hrs/week	$172,319	$0	$26,954	$199,273
DEAN, SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week	$143,911	$0	$33,688	$177,599
VP, EXT. UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS Officer, 40.0 hrs/week	$152,626	$0	$18,026	$170,652
VP, STUDENT AFFAIRS Officer, 40.0 hrs/week	$129,914	$0	$34,039	$163,953

18 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Buena Vista University (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.3M (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
FY2025 ⓘ	$63M	$68M	86.3%	$213M	$453,375
FY2024 ⓘ	$60M	$64M	86.0%	$202M	$364,883
FY2023 ⓘ	$55M	$62M	85.3%	$193M	$346,032
FY2022 ⓘ	$56M	$61M	84.9%	$193M	$338,889
FY2021 ⓘ	$50M	$54M	81.9%	$205M	$341,127
FY2020 ⓘ	$50M	$57M	82.1%	$171M	$361,373

Governance 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–1b21 · 20 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 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
Employees Part I, line 51,023
Volunteers Part I, line 6192

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

DCI GROUP Construction	$13,450,934
SODEXO & AFFILIATES Food service	$2,924,344
MCGILL BROTHERS INC Construction	$569,498
EAB GLOBAL INC Educational services	$485,021
PRIMACY LLC DIVISION OF DIGITAL UNITED Advertising	$478,850

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 29 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

18 private foundations reported grants to Buena Vista University totaling $110K 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 Buena Vista University's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Buena Vista University, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Buena Vista University How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

California Polytechnic State University Foundation
San Luis Obispo, CA · revenue $63M · programs 91.4% · FY2025
Roberts Wesleyan University
Rochester, NY · revenue $63M · programs 90.4% · FY2025
Thiel College
Greenville, PA · revenue $63M · programs 93.4% · FY2025
Utah Charter Academies
Draper, UT · revenue $63M · programs 73.9% · FY2025
Goodwin University
East Hartford, CT · revenue $62M · programs 66.6% · FY2025

All education charities · Largest charities in Iowa

Questions people ask

How much of Buena Vista University's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Buena Vista University reported that 86.3% of its $68.3 million in expenses went to program services, 11.3% to management and general and 2.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Buena Vista University pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Buena Vista University reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $453,375, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Buena Vista University get its money?

Of $62.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 15.7% came from contributions and grants (including 0.9% from government grants) and 83.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Buena Vista University a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 42-0680404 as a 501(c)(3) organization (school), 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 202641339349303839 · read the filing
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202500419349301115 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202420589349300327 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202340759349300544 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202230779349300128 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202100539349300910 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 42-0680404: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.