Association of Universities For
91% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Thin reserves Growing revenue
Association of Universities For is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Tucson, Arizona, registered in 1961, with $450,393,254 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B, and it directs about 91% of spending to programs.
950 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85719 EIN 86-0138043 Since 1961
Revenue (FY2023)
$450.4M
▲ 7.0% vs prior year
Science & Tech median: $288K
Expenses (FY2023)
$447.3M
Net assets
$5.2M
Employees
1,581
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B
C+Program efficiency40% of the rating91% to programs · $0 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Association of Universities For: 91% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a C+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
CFinancial health25% of the rating0 mo reserves · +1% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Association of Universities For: 0 mo reserves · +1% margin earns a C on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Association of Universities For: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Association of Universities For: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To promote excellence in astronomical research.
Contact & location
- Address
- 950 N Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85719
- City
- Tucson
- State
- Arizona
- Category
- Science & Technology
- Subcategory
- Physical & Earth Sciences
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $264.4M (FY2013) to $450.4M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $120.7MNet assets $5.2M
Operating margin
0.7%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$125.9M
Total liabilities
$120.7M
Net assets
$5.2M
Salaries & benefits
$249.0M
56% of expenses
Board members
17
16 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $450,393,254▲7.0% | $447,255,915▲6.6% | $5,235,327▲1785% | $125,924,044▼16.6% | 990 |
| 2022 | $420,912,916▲10.7% | $419,441,241▲9.6% | $277,673▼88.0% | $150,950,841▲38.8% | 990 |
| 2021 | $380,284,932▲6.8% | $382,669,172▲8.3% | $2,312,763▼45.4% | $108,725,911▼6.9% | 990 |
| 2020 | $356,078,449▼0.3% | $353,361,521▼2.1% | $4,235,929▲177% | $116,722,418▲10.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $356,989,521▼3.5% | $360,874,237▼2.0% | -$5,469,069▼24.2% | $105,391,244▲29.7% | 990 |
| 2018 | $369,877,759▼0.2% | $368,088,355▼0.3% | -$4,404,136▼198% | $81,265,370▲1.8% | 990 |
| 2017 | $370,717,987▲7.1% | $369,068,676▲7.4% | $4,499,919▲14.6% | $79,842,050▲2.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $346,084,000▲6.8% | $343,639,756▲6.4% | $3,925,543▲194% | $78,258,910▲0.6% | 990 |
| 2015 | $324,189,695▼9.2% | $322,881,690▼9.4% | $1,336,589▲143% | $77,784,549▼29.3% | 990 |
| 2014 | $356,904,876▲35.0% | $356,568,383▲35.4% | -$3,131,391▼427% | $110,037,126▲41.6% | 990 |
| 2013 | $264,357,353 | $263,359,375▲11.4% | $957,856▲234% | $77,726,620▼5.0% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $236,366,693▲8.9% | -$715,899▲88.7% | $81,849,220▲79.9% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $217,089,181▲2.4% | -$6,335,399▼16.6% | $45,492,854▼1.0% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $211,933,553▲5.2% | -$5,431,172▼280% | $45,961,952▲14.4% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $201,432,983 | -$1,428,245 | $40,171,840 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Charles Mountain — $566,893 (0.13% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Mountain | President | 40 | $566,893 |
| Nancy Levenson | Interim Director, Stsci | 40 | $392,185 |
| Kenneth Sembach | Astronomer | 40 | $386,984 |
| Patrick Mccarthy | Noirlab Director | 40 | $359,483 |
| Heidi Hammel | Vp For Science | 40 | $340,990 |
| Valentin Pillet | Director, Nso (thru 7/24) | 40 | $331,690 |
| Barbara Lam | Vp of Operations/cfo | 40 | $312,905 |
| Jean Eisen | Vp For Corporate Strategy | 40 | $296,165 |
| Marc Postman | Acting Dep. Dir. - Stsci (thru 2/24) | 40 | $296,162 |
| Philip Puxley | Vp For Special Projects | 40 | $295,373 |
| Zelijko Ivezic | Rubin Ops Construction Director | 40 | $292,232 |
| Dana Lehr | Vp Programs | 40 | $287,937 |
| Stuartt Corder | Norilab Deputy Director | 40 | $277,921 |
| Jennifer Lotz | Noirlab - Gemini/stsci Director | 40 | $277,519 |
| Victor Krabbendam | Vr Construction - Project | 40 | $277,130 |
| Thomas Rimmele | Nso - Assoc. Director - Dk | 40 | $274,842 |
| Neill Reid | Associate Director - Science | 40 | $269,361 |
| Dave Liska | Assoicate Dir. Eng. & It (thru 9/24) | 40 | $267,663 |
| Robert Blum | Operations Director | 40 | $256,487 |
| Jedediah Mccormick | Associate Director - Admin | 40 | $195,285 |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Raytheon Company Inc | Testing, Support and Maintenance of Scie | $15,070,486 |
| University of Washington | Lsst Data Management Services Agreement | $3,641,294 |
| Princeton University | Data Management Services- Rubin Operatio | $2,568,223 |
| Amazon Web Service Inc | Cloud Services | $2,244,551 |
| Gmto Corporation | Support For Development of the Us Extrem | $2,098,115 |
Grants received · $1.2M total
33 grants to Association of Universities For totaling $1.2M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College Trustees | Sponsored sub-awd | 2024 | $14,177 |
| Trustees of Columbia University | Research | 2023 | $20,759 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Sub-award | 2023 | $13,827 |
| American Museum of Natural History | Collab research | 2023 | $12,180 |
| Trustees of Columbia University | Research | 2022 | $47,543 |
| West Virginia University Research Corporation | Research | 2022 | $44,507 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Sub-award | 2022 | $26,308 |
| American Museum of Natural History | Collab research | 2022 | $15,129 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Sub-award | 2021 | $30,503 |
| American Museum of Natural History | Collab research | 2021 | $18,246 |
| West Virginia University Research Corporation | Research | 2021 | $16,704 |
| Seti Institute | Research | 2021 | $6,711 |
| West Virginia University Research Corporation | Research | 2020 | $66,036 |
| Seti Institute | Research | 2020 | $64,234 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Sub-award | 2020 | $46,714 |
Grants made · $56.2M in FY2023
154 grants totaling $56.2M in FY2023 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Association of Universities For →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $3,189,660 |
| California Institute of Technology | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $2,508,484 |
| Regents of the University of California | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $2,214,392 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $2,184,142 |
| University of Texas At Austin | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $2,104,235 |
| Gmto Corporation | Scientific research and development for the us extremely large telescope program | $1,455,307 |
| University of Colorado At Boulder | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,397,138 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,370,784 |
| Regents of the University of California | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,367,693 |
| Regents Univ of California | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,328,461 |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,266,380 |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,100,712 |
| Arizona State University | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,094,403 |
| Carnegie Institution of Washington | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,083,356 |
| University of Washington | Scientific research on data from hubble space telescope | $1,083,189 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Association of Universities For a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Association of Universities For is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 86-0138043, based in Tucson, Arizona. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Association of Universities For's EIN?
- Association of Universities For's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 86-0138043.
- How much revenue does Association of Universities For report?
- Association of Universities For reported $450,393,254 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Association of Universities For's spending goes to programs?
- Association of Universities For spends about 91% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Association of Universities For have?
- CharityIndex grades Association of Universities For B, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Association of Universities For's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Association of Universities For's latest Form 990 is $566,893, paid to Charles Mountain (President).
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Data for Association of Universities For (EIN 86-0138043) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.