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Auburn University Foundation

Auburn, AL · EIN 63-6022422 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Auburn University Foundation reported $127.1 million in revenue and $81.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $86.88 went to program services, $7.78 to management and general costs and $5.34 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 69.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $474,940 (PRESIDENT). 26 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 80% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $82M

Program services$86.88 $71M
Management & general$7.78 $6.4M
Fundraising$5.34 $4.4M

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 September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $127M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$69.65 $89M
Government grants$0.20 $252K
Program service revenue$0.15 $186K
Investment income$27.29 $35M
Other revenue$2.71 $3.4M

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)	86.9%	84.4%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	7.8%	13.4%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	5.3%	0.8%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.05	$0.04
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	69.9%	19.1%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	0.2%	1.1%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	0.1%	69.9%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$474,940	$331,578
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	0.58%	1.28%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	26	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	167.1	13.3
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	23 of 23	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

$64M expenses · 90.7% of program spending · grants $64M · revenue $3.3M

Grants to Auburn University (au) for academic, outreach and research missions and its supporting/related organizations in support of their organization's primary purposes, outreach and intercollegiate athletics, in support of au

$6.4M expenses · 9.0% of program spending · revenue $186K

Expenditures made by Auburn University Foundation (auf) on behalf of au in support of its academic, outreach and research missions

$258K expenses · 0.4% of program spending · grants $258K

Grants to Auburn University real estate foundation, inc.(auref), for operations and the transfer of real properties to au for perpetual management

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 Officer, 10.00 hrs/week	$392,492	$20,657	$61,791	$474,940
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Officer, 10.00 hrs/week	$270,559	$30,062	$53,032	$353,653
VICE PRESIDENT Officer, 6.00 hrs/week	$228,831	$4,670	$45,515	$279,016
EXEC. DIRECTOR, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Highest compensated employee, 4.00 hrs/week	$227,822	$0	$39,211	$267,033
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 20.00 hrs/week	$180,538	$20,060	$39,809	$240,407
CHIEF ENGAGEMENT OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 4.00 hrs/week	$188,769	$0	$40,157	$228,926
SR DIRECTOR, GIFT PLANNING Highest compensated employee, 4.00 hrs/week	$186,281	$0	$30,200	$216,481
ASSISTANT TREASURER Officer, 22.00 hrs/week	$155,218	$0	$29,415	$184,633

26 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Auburn University Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $533K (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 ⓘ	$127M	$82M	86.9%	$1.14B	$474,940
FY2024 ⓘ	$139M	$76M	88.3%	$1.03B	$402,798
FY2023 ⓘ	$106M	$62M	91.0%	$870M	$489,213
FY2022 ⓘ	$136M	$76M	93.2%	$770M	$449,519
FY2021 ⓘ	$97M	$74M	94.6%	$818M	$269,021
FY2020 ⓘ	$70M	$54M	92.4%	$676M	—

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–1b23 · 23 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 5102
Volunteers Part I, line 6984

Largest outside contractors

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

AFFINAQUEST LLC Fundraising support	$793,702
TERRA COTTA CATERING CO Catering	$770,173
CLOUD FOR GOOD HOLDINGS INC Fundraising support	$581,191
THE HOTEL AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY Hospitality	$521,771
SALESFORCECOM INC Fundraising support	$436,670

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 15 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

69 private foundations reported grants to Auburn University Foundation totaling $4.1M 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 Auburn University 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 Auburn University Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Auburn University Foundation How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

University of Northwestern - St Paul
St Paul, MN · revenue $127M · programs 87.0% · FY2025
River Springs Charter School
Temecula, CA · revenue $127M · programs 75.8% · FY2025
The Hotchkiss School
Lakeville, CT · revenue $126M · programs 67.1% · FY2025
Special Education Services
Aurora, IL · revenue $127M · programs 90.9% · FY2025
Randolph-Macon College
Ashland, VA · revenue $126M · programs 91.7% · FY2025

All education charities · Largest charities in Alabama

Questions people ask

How much of Auburn University Foundation's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Auburn University Foundation reported that 86.9% of its $81.7 million in expenses went to program services, 7.8% to management and general and 5.3% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Auburn University Foundation pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Auburn University Foundation reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $474,940, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Auburn University Foundation get its money?

Of $127.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 69.9% came from contributions and grants (including 0.2% from government grants) and 0.1% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Auburn University Foundation a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 63-6022422 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), 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 September 30, 2025, object 202601409349300040 · read the filing · XML
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202521429349300212 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202440929349300739 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202331259349302403 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202201299349302890 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202111239349300346 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 63-6022422: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.