Virginia State University Research Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
See Schedule O for details and explanations.
- Income
- $2,000
- Spending
- $146,738
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- 27.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 99,999
- Highest pay
- $521,000, chairman
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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 27.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 7237% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 98% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 94 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 2599999 of 99999 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.
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 (1)
- $136,660 spent. See Schedule O for detailed descriptions of the 2023-2024 program accomplishments. The 2024 Program Accomplishments for Virginia State University Research Foundation(VSURF), are as follows. The College of Engineering and Technology has hosted numerous impactful events, highlighted by student achievements supported by VSURF grants, either during the current or previous tax years. The Virginia State University Lunabotics team recently showcased their capabilities at the 2025 NASA Lunabotics Challenge, held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida from May 20 to May 22, 2025. Notably, VSU was the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) represented and one of only three teams from Virginia selected for this rigorous competition. The NASA Lunabotics Challenge is a two-semester systems engineering competition aligned with NASA's Artemis Campaign. It encourages students to engage in robotics and space exploration by designing and building robots capable of navigating and performing tasks on a simulated lunar surface. Robots must operate both autonomously and under remote control, simulating real lunar exploration and construction tasks. The VSU team, composed of 15 students from the Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs, successfully designed and built a versatile robot. Their robot performed exceptionally well, completing all required tasks and finishing strong in the competition. This achievement highlights VSU's growing reputation in advanced engineering disciplines, reinforcing the university's commitment to providing students with exceptional opportunities for excellence in engineering and computer science. Another milestone for the College was hosting the First International Hackathon, which brought together students from Virginia State University (VSU), National Taipei University (NTPU), and the Technical University of Moldova (TUM) from November 4 to November 11, 2024. The event was a resounding success, offering students a unique global learning experience. A total of 85 students participated-19 from NTPU, 30 from TUM, and 35 from VSU. The students formed 15 teams, 12 of which submitted final solutions demonstrating creativity, hard work, and innovation. The competition was judged by seven experts who provided invaluable feedback, enhancing the participants' experience. Three teams emerged as winners, showcasing exceptional collaboration, ingenuity, and talent. The event's impact was evident as students shared their certificates of participation, signed by the deans, on social med In another notable accomplishment, five VSU students won first place in the 8th Annual Advancing Minorities' Interest in Engineering (AMIE) Design Challenge. The competition, held at the 39th Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) STEM Conference on February 14, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland, brought together 13 teams of top HBCU engineering students to develop technology-driven solutions for real-world challenges. VSU's team earned first place with their project, *"G-Mo" (Grow-More)*, an innovative system designed to help small-scale farmers maximize crop yields. The system integrates embedded sensors, machine learning, digital twin technology, and AI to analyze soil conditions. Using real-time data on moisture, temperature, and humidity, the system provides actionable insights via a digital twin app, simulating farm conditions and offering recommendations. During their presentation, the team showcased a compelling video of the technology in action and confidently answered questions from the judges, demonstrating their technical expertise and problem-solving skills. This victory marks a historic first for VSU, surpassing their previous best finish of third place in the competition's nine-year history. In recognition of their success, the team and the College of Engineering and Technology received a cash prize to further develop their project, with potential funding for commercialization. The team was also invited to present their work at Prairie View A&M University during the AMIE Annual Conference in September, where they connected with industry leaders, researchers, and potential investors.
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 October 13, 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 June 2013.
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 October 21, 2026.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Georgia State University Research Foundation Inc (Atlanta, GA), EIN 58-1845423. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.