University of Richmond
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 51 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND IS TO EDUCATE IN AN ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGING, INTELLECTUALLY VIBRANT, AND COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY DEDICATED TO THE HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS AND THE PRODUCTION OF SCHOLARLY AND CREATIVE WORK. A RICHMOND EDUCATION PREPARES STUDENTS FOR LIVES OF PURPOSE, THOUGHTFUL INQUIRY, AND RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP IN A DIVERSE WORLD. THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND'S NEW STRATEGIC PLAN IS INTENDED TO BE BRIEF, CLEAR, AND ATTAINABLE, INSPIRE OUR COMMUNITY, AND GUIDE OUR FUTURE DIRECTION. IT CENTERS AROUND OUR "GUIDING LIGHTS": ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, BELONGING & COMMUNITY, ACCESS & AFFORDABILITY, WELL-BEING, AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. UTILIZING THIS PLAN, WE ARE CURRENTLY ALIGNING AND STREAMLINING EFFORTS ACROSS OUR UNIVERSITY. TO VIEW THE PLAN IN ITS ENTIRETY, PLEASE VISIT: HTTPS://STRATEGICPLAN.RICHMOND.EDU/
- Income
- $535.4 million
- Spending
- $510.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 33.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 50%
- Employees
- 4,927
- Volunteers
- 2,122
- Highest pay
- $2.9 million, president and cio, smc
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: 85 out of 100. Higher than 78% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 33.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 51 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 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2526 of 27 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 (4)
- $242.8 million spent. INSTRUCTION - THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND ENDEAVORS TO OFFER ITS STUDENTS THE HIGHEST QUALITY EDUCATION POSSIBLE, MAKING AVAILABLE TOP-OF-THE-LINE RESOURCES AND FACILITIES. BY MAINTAINING AN 8:1 FACULTY TO STUDENT RATIO, EACH STUDENT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY A PERSONAL AND UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE. THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNIVERSITY'S INSTRUCTIONAL FOUNDATION ARE A CHALLENGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, SMALL CLASSES, A HIGH QUALITY OF STUDENT LIFE, A COORDINATE COLLEGE SYSTEM, A COMMITMENT TO SERVICE, OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORAL AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, A MIXTURE OF ENRICHING ACADEMIC AND CO-CURRICULAR EXPERIENCES, A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, AND A SPIRIT OF INNOVATION. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 4,000 STUDENTS.
- $52.5 million spent. ACADEMIC SUPPORT - THE RESPECTIVE DEAN'S OFFICES OF EACH OF THE FIVE SCHOOLS OVERSEE THE MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHOOL TO ENSURE THAT THEY MAINTAIN THE HIGH LEVEL OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY THAT HAS BECOME THE STANDARD OF THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND. THE UNIVERSITY OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION IN EACH PROFESSOR'S SPECIALTY AS WELL AS IN NEW TEACHING METHODS AND TECHNOLOGY, WHILE FACULTY COMMITTEES WORK TOWARD CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN ALL AREAS OF STUDENT INSTRUCTION. ACADEMIC COMPUTING PROVIDES INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE THE ACADEMIC RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS, AND TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY. LECTURE FUNDS ARE SET ASIDE TO PAY FOR VISITING SPEAKERS ON TOPICS RELEVANT TO ACADEMIC STUDIES OFFERED.
- $39.6 million spent. AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES - THE HOUSING OFFICE STRIVES TO MAINTAIN A COMFORTABLE LIVING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE 91% OF THE STUDENT BODY THAT RESIDES ON CAMPUS EACH YEAR. DINING SERVICES AUGMENTS THESE EFFORTS BY ENSURING STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO EXEMPLARY SERVICE, OUTSTANDING QUALITY FOOD, WITH A PASSION AND COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE. THE BOOKSTORE ENSURES THAT MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY HAVE AN AFFORDABLE, CONVENIENT OPTION FOR UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND TEXTBOOKS, GEAR, AND SUPPLIES. PRINTING SERVICES OFFERS TOP-QUALITY GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF.
- STUDENT SERVICES - STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES ON-CAMPUS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, ACADEMIC AND CAREER COUNSELING, VARIOUS FRATERNITY, SORORITY AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK TO UPHOLD THE UNIVERSITY'S CORE PRINCIPLES. RECREATION AND WELLNESS PROVIDES THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY WITH OUTSTANDING RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, FITNESS AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS, INTRAMURALS, AND SPORT CLUBS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS MULTIPLE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATIONS, WHICH VOICE THE STUDENTS' CONCERNS AND OPINIONS, AS WELL AS SERVES AS A LIAISON BETWEEN STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY, AND STAFF. UNDERGRADUATE AND LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION OFFICES COUNSEL THOUSANDS OF PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS AND MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME AT THE UNIVERSITY, WHILE PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR ACCEPTED STUDENTS. THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES SERVE THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC AND ARE A DESIGNATED FEDERAL DOCUMENT REPOSITORY. THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT IS COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLES OF INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL IN OPERATING ITS PROGRAMS IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT OF THE NCAA, ITS ATHLETIC CONFERENCES, AND UNIVERSITY RULES AND REGULATIONS. EXPENSES: $76,557,318, INCLUDING GRANTS OF: $0. REVENUE: $6,283,305. RESEARCH - THE UNIVERSITY BELIEVES THAT ACADEMIC RESEARCH AT THE FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENT LEVELS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION OF ALL STUDENTS. THUS, THE UNIVERSITY ENCOURAGES FACULTY, STUDENT AND STAFF RESEARCH BY OPERATING AN OFFICE OF FOUNDATION, CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS TO ASSIST WITH APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDING; ALLOCATING FUNDS FOR STUDENT AND FACULTY SUMMER RESEARCH PROJECTS, AND TRAVEL TO PARTICIPATE AND PRESENT FINDINGS AT ACADEMIC CONFERENCES; PROVIDING LABS, STUDIOS AND SPECIALIZED CLASSROOMS FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH; PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO CONDUCT RESEARCH; EMPLOYING NON-FACULTY PERSONNEL TO MANAGE RESEARCH-RELATED FACILITIES AND CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS. EXPENSES: $3,963,564 INCLUDING GRANTS OF: $55,178 REVENUE: $0 PUBLIC SERVICE - THE BONNER CENTER FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (CCE) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND STRIVES TO BRING TOGETHER CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN COLLABORATIVE STUDY, REFLECTION, AND ACTION TO ADDRESS CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL ISSUES. BEYOND ORGANIZING VARIOUS SERVICE-ORIENTED EVENTS ELICITING PARTICIPATION FROM FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS, THE CCE ALSO ADMINISTERS THE BONNER SCHOLARS PROGRAM (BSP). THE PROGRAM OFFERS FOUR-YEAR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS TO STUDENTS WITH A SUSTAINED RECORD OF SERVICE AND A HIGH LEVEL OF FINANCIAL NEED. APPROXIMATELY 100 STUDENTS CURRENTLY PARTICIPATE IN THE BSP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, MAKING IT THE LARGEST BSP IN THE COUNTRY. THE UNIVERSITY'S OFFICE OF THE CHAPLAINCY SUPPORTS AND COORDINATES UNIVERSITY CAMPUS MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, INTER-RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY AND JUSTICE PROGRAMMING, A WEEKLY UNIVERSITY WORSHIP SERVICE, AND SPIRITUAL AND PASTORAL CARE. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED WAS APPROXIMATELY 14,000. EXPENSES: $3,722,942 INCLUDING GRANTS OF: $0. REVENUE: $0
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 September 1941.
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.
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