Auburn Research and Technology Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 6% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE AUBURN RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY FOUNDATION IS AN INDEPENDENT ALABAMA NONPROFIT CORPORATION ORGANIZED ON AUGUST 24, 2004 TO DEVELOP AND OPERATE THE AUBURN RESEARCH PARK AND TO ASSIST AUBURN UNIVERSITY WITH THE ATTRACTION, DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY.
- Income
- $2.2 million
- Spending
- $2.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 6%
- Reserves
- 21.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 96%
- Employees
- 0
- Highest pay
- $909,595, board member, ex officio
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 21.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 156% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 16 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 September 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)
- $23,941 spent. During previous years, ARTF applied for and received a $225,000 grant from Alabama Power for the LAUNCH Innovation Grant Program which provides funding for near commercialization technologies and inventions to become market ready. After a multi-stage competition, the Foundation awarded $100,000 to a faculty research project. The project is for a working prototype of dry printing and additive nanomanufacturing technology that could enable: 1. On-demand and in-situ generation of various pure nanoparticles (e.g., metals, insulators, semiconductors, superconductors, ceramics, composites, etc.), 2. In-situ and real-time laser sintering of dry nanoparticles jet on various substrates (polyamide, PET, PDMS, paper, metal, ceramic, etc.), with no further post-processing. The remaining $125,000 is restricted for awards to LAUNCH winners in fiscal year 2025 and beyond. In 2025, ARTF distributed $23,941 of the $125,000 restricted in prior years.
- $23,765 spent. ARTF operates an Event Center space for community use.
- $89,819 spent. ARTF leases building within the Research Park as a childcare center for community benefit.
- Design & Fabrication of Entangled Microwave Photo
- The Auburn Research and Technology Foundation (the Foundation) is an independent Alabama nonprofit corporation organized on August 24, 2004, to develop and operate the Auburn Research Park and to support Auburn University (the University) with the attraction, development, and commercialization of technology. The Foundation's activities are governed by its own Board of Directors (the Foundation Board). The primary role of the Foundation is the development and operation of the Auburn Research Park (The Park). The Park is the result of a partnership between the State of Alabama (the State), the University, and the City of Auburn which contributed $5,000,000 in-kind infrastructure improvements to The Park property. The Park currently consists of seven buildings comprising almost 500,000 square feet of scientific and mixed-use facilities. It seeks to establish an entrepreneurial atmosphere in a business and research environment which fosters creativity and innovation, and embraces collaboration, partnerships, and networking that leads to economic diversification and enhanced economic vitality of the University and the local community, state, and region. On March 1, 2007, for the purpose of making loans and advances, the Board entered into an agreement to lease the site for Building 570 from the University. The Board paid annual rent of $10 to the University under the terms of the lease. The ground lease agreement had an expiration date of January 1, 2025; however, the agreement was terminated on October 8, 2010, the time all obligations due to the Board by the Foundation were paid in full. At that time, the University entered into an agreement with the Foundation where the Foundation leases the site for Building 570 from the University. The Foundation pays annual rental of $1 to the University under the terms of this ground lease. The ground lease agreement expires on March 15, 2057, unless terminated prior to that date. These transactions represent an unconditional promise of the use of a long-lived asset, the leased land. Since the rental payments are below the fair market value of the property, the Foundation recorded a contribution receivable for the difference between the fair rental values of the property, initially calculated using a 7% discount rate, and the stated amount of the lease payments. At the formation of the original lease, the contribution receivable booked was $302,878, net of a discount of $251,740. During fiscal year 2011, the interest rate was reevaluated and changed to 5%, and the lease period was extended. An additional contribution receivable of $589,790 and discount of $401,121 were booked during fiscal year 2011. An adjustment to the contribution receivable was made during fiscal year 2016 to increase total acreage from the original 156 acres to 170.43 acres to include the VCOM acreage (discussed below) in the calculation. As of September 30, 2025, the Foundation has active ground leases comprising approximately 41.34 total acres. The offsetting contribution receivable is amortized using the straight-line method over the life of the lease. Amortization related to the lease was $21,243 during fiscal years 2025 and 2024. The discount is amortized using the effective interest method. Amortization of the discount was $11,025 and $10,514 during fiscal years 2025 and 2024, respectively. On August 30, 2012, the Foundation signed an agreement with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) in Blacksburg, VA to establish a branch campus to be located within the research park. The Foundation entered into an agreement to lease the site for VCOM from the University on August 9, 2013. The Foundation pays annual rent of $1 to the University under the terms of the lease. The ground lease agreement expires on June 30, 2085, unless terminated prior to that date. This transaction represents an unconditional promise of the use of a long-lived asset, the leased land. Since the rental payments are below the fair market value of the property, the Foundation recorded a contribution receivable during fiscal year 2013 for the difference between the fair rental values of the property, calculated using a 5% discount rate, and the stated amount of the lease payments. At the formation of the lease, the contribution receivable booked was $3,035,051, net of a discount of $2,281,201. The offsetting contribution receivable is amortized using the straight-line method over the life of the lease. Amortization related to the lease was $42,812 during fiscal years 2025 and 2024. The discount is amortized using the effective interest method. Amortization of the discount was $20,108 and $18,973 during fiscal years 2025 and 2024, respectively. On June 12, 2018, for the purpose of constructing Building 7, the Foundation entered into an agreement to lease the site from the University. The Foundation paid annual rent of $1 to the University under the terms of the lease. The ground lease agreement expires on June 12, 2068, unless terminated prior to that date. This transaction represents an unconditional promise of the use of a long-lived asset, the leased land. Since the rental payments are below the fair market value of the property, the Foundation recorded a contribution receivable during fiscal year 2019 for the difference between the fair rental values of the property, calculated using a 5% discount rate, and the stated amount of the lease payments. At the formation of the lease, the contribution receivable booked was $1,168,950, net of a discount of $756,344. The offsetting contribution receivable is amortized using the straight-line method over the life of the lease. Amortization related to the lease was $23,379 during fiscal years 2025 and 2024. The discount is amortized using the effective interest method. Amortization of the discount was $7,555 and $6,764 during fiscal years 2025 and 2024, respectively. On March 15, 2019, for the purpose of constructing Building 5, the Foundation entered i
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2006.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.