Robert W Woodruff Library of the Atlanta University Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library partners with member academic institutions of the AUC: Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College, providing information management, instruction and access to a variety of global information resources acquired and organized in support of teaching and learning, scholarship and cultural preservation of the Atlanta University Center.
- Income
- $15.7 million
- Spending
- $14.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- -0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 76%
- Employees
- 95
- Highest pay
- $218,667, ceo & library dir/ex-officio
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 32 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (5)
- $10.4 million spent. Established in 1982, the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library serves more than 9,300 undergraduate and graduate students from three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College. The Library is committed to delivering exceptional information management, instructional support, research consultation, and access to globally curated resources that foster academic achievement and faculty excellence. The Library maintains an extensive holding of volumes, serials, periodicals, microfilm, and electronic databases, including special collections and archives rich in African American and African Diaspora materials. Principle activities include reference and research consultation services; curriculum-centric-instruction; acquisition, organization, arrangement, dissemination, and preservation of information in all formats; and interlibrary loan services. In FY25, the Library held approximately 105,000 repository records through the modernization of the Repository of AUC Digital Collections, Archives, and Research (RADAR). The Library is responsible for the provision of information technology services, including network and website management, hardware and software acquisition, desktop support, and the ongoing upgrade and maintenance of the wireless footprint throughout the building and designated perimeter areas. In addition, the Library supports teaching and learning, scholarship, and cultural preservation through a range of services, including facilities and maintenance, human and resource management, security, and shuttle transportation between the three AUC campuses, the Library, and designated locations. The AUC Woodruff Library completed Phase II Renovation Project: Brawley Greenscape and Pedestrian Parkway, which transformed the grassy lot across from its main entrance into an outdoor learning space, which included adding an outdoor dining area for the Library's Woodi Caf. The AUC Woodruff Library provides the Bloomberg Finance Lab, which supports the teaching and learning activities of students and faculty in business, economics and finance-related programs. In 2025, the Library completed the renovation its 10,000 square-ft Virginia Lacy Jones Exhibition Hall to facilitate active learning and for student and faculty collaborative engagement with diverse content and a range of learning technologies. As part of the Archives Renovation Project, some existing spaces were re-purposed for archival storage, adding more than 13,500 linear feet of archival storage space for future growth of archive collections. The AUC Woodruff Library also houses the Archives Research Center, renowned for its extensive collection of materials related to the African American experience. This includes the John Henrik Clarke Africana and African American Collection, the Henry P. Slaughter and Countee Cullen Memorial Collection, and the Southern Education Foundation Collection. Additionally, at the request of Morehouse College, the Library serves as the custodian of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection, as well as the Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery Collection.
- $167,893 spent. Woodruff Foundation Expanding Capacity for Cultural Preservation and Programming Project Grant Overall Purpose: The Expanding Capacity for Cultural Preservation and Programming Project will complete the expansion of archival storage areas and realize the evolved role of the Exhibition Hall in learning. Once completed, the project will significantly improve and optimize archives storage spaces, and enhance the complementary active learning space for increased functionality and engagement with students, faculty and the broader community. The Expanding Capacity for Cultural Preservation and Programming Project has two major components: (1) expansion and updating of archival storage capacity; and (2) enhancement of the complementary exhibition hall active learning space where programming, scholarship, learning, teaching, and utilizing archival and other Library resources is amplified. Benefits for retrofitting current storage rooms and renovating onsite space include: - Consistent accessibility to all collections and uninterrupted service to patrons and staff - Complete control over the security and environment - Improved safety for archivists working with collections housed in the current storage rooms - Installment of recommended industry-standard shelving materials FY25 Objectives Met: Archival Storage Confirmed goals: - The new Lower Level (LL) ARC Storage Space materials were moved in and cataloguing completed in June 2025 - LED lighting installation in the LL ARC Storage Space confirmed compliant by Georgia Power in May 2025 - Testing and balancing of installed HVAC system meeting standards was completed in December 2024 - Performance testing of high-density book and collection shelving in the UL ARC Storage Spaces was completed in November 2024
- $111,292 spent. Mellon Enhancing Institutional DI & Descriptive Practices Grant 2210-13949 - Between July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 the following notable activities occurred: 1) Worked with the vendor to configure and deploy the production server for the repository 2) Structured 183 collections (103,000 objects) and ingested associated metadata and files into the new repository 3) New repository launched and promoted in March 2025 4) Provisioned Dell/EMC dynamic tiered storage system in the library's datacenter 5) Completed reparative metadata project, drafted AUC Reparative Metadata Guidelines 6) Completed the terms of the grant and submitted the final report- March 2025
- $1.3 million spent. PROGRAM ACTIVITY #4 - SEE SCHEDULE O
- Woodruff Foundation Exhibition Hall Transformation Project Augmentation Grant Overall Purpose: The Woodruff Foundation Exhibition Hall Transformation Project Augmentation Grant will be used to expand scope of Exhibition Hall Transformation Project originally funded with a portion of Fund 179 Woodruff Foundation Expanding Capacity for Cultural Preservation and Programming Project Grant. Enhancement of Active Exhibition Hall Learning Space goals and expected outcomes are as follows: - Glass entry wall with wood vertical fins similar to the existing glass and partition of the adjacent Archives Research Center separating the Exhibition Hall lobby from new Exhibition Hall area - Operable acoustic panel partition to subdivide the Exhibition Hall and acoustical tile cloud - Acoustical installations in a ceiling cloud and at the east & west walls - Replacement of carpet tile and rubber base in Exhibition Hall and lobby area - Updated AV & IT hardware and controls - Installation of lighting with room specific controls - Replacement of HVAC component systems providing room controls FY25 Objectives Met: - Construction started in July 2024 was completed in April 2025 - Commissioning and major punch activities were completed in June 2025 - Specific systems testing and commissioning will commence through December 2025
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 2004.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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