Trustees of Amherst College
77% goes to programs $19 to raise $100 Strong reserves Declining revenue
Trustees of Amherst College is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Amherst, Massachusetts, registered in 1933, with $433,011,031 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 77% of spending to programs.
220 S Pleasant St, Amherst, MA, 01002 EIN 04-2103542 Since 1933
Revenue (FY2023)
$433.0M
▲ 14.2% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$419.4M
Net assets
$4.8B
Employees
3,443
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
B+Program efficiency40% of the rating77% to programs · $19 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 Trustees of Amherst College: 77% to programs · $19 to raise $100 earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating138 mo reserves · +3% 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 Trustees of Amherst College: 138 mo reserves · +3% margin earns a B+ 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 Trustees of Amherst College: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 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 Trustees of Amherst College: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
See schedule o
What they do
Home to the world's largest shakespeare collection, the folger shakespeare library is a major center for scholarly research; a lively venue for performances, readings, exhibitions; and a national leader in humanities education.
Contact & location
- Address
- 220 S Pleasant St, Amherst, MA, 01002
- City
- Amherst
- State
- Massachusetts
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Colleges & Universities
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $375.4M (FY2013) to $433.0M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $756.8MNet assets $4.8B
Operating margin
3.1%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$5.6B
Total liabilities
$756.8M
Net assets
$4.8B
Salaries & benefits
$174.6M
42% of expenses
Board members
25
23 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $433,011,031▲14.2% | $419,424,157▲4.5% | $4,818,314,763▲6.4% | $5,575,113,189▲5.1% | 990 |
| 2022 | $379,275,079▼37.3% | $401,185,430▲3.6% | $4,528,714,088▲1.2% | $5,302,371,715▲0.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $604,902,946▲13.8% | $387,228,754▲7.6% | $4,474,266,020▼10.7% | $5,256,232,111▼9.9% | 990 |
| 2020 | $531,451,791▲30.4% | $359,863,522▼0.2% | $5,009,842,870▲42.6% | $5,830,785,672▲36.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $407,702,412▼0.9% | $360,484,214▲6.6% | $3,512,894,841▲2.1% | $4,260,760,426▲4.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $411,454,340▼0.6% | $338,253,116▲8.2% | $3,441,654,211▲3.6% | $4,074,344,424▲2.8% | 990 |
| 2017 | $413,791,121▲28.6% | $312,600,721▲4.6% | $3,321,929,380▲8.7% | $3,963,621,671▲6.7% | 990 |
| 2016 | $321,743,534▼2.4% | $298,880,287▲3.9% | $3,057,253,434▲11.3% | $3,714,434,448▲7.7% | 990 |
| 2015 | $329,573,554▼16.9% | $287,795,977▲4.7% | $2,745,703,939▼6.5% | $3,449,298,302▼0.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $396,785,932▲5.7% | $274,920,711▼0.3% | $2,936,558,643▲2.2% | $3,477,273,670▲1.6% | 990 |
| 2013 | $375,381,465 | $275,768,786▲0.2% | $2,874,552,241▲15.0% | $3,423,705,443▲12.2% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $275,264,323▲5.0% | $2,500,065,234▲9.4% | $3,050,406,789▲11.0% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $262,154,976▲15.6% | $2,285,642,980▼2.5% | $2,748,966,500▼1.1% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $226,867,161▲6.2% | $2,343,702,943▲15.2% | $2,780,574,861▲13.1% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $213,581,007 | $2,034,701,669 | $2,458,499,283 | 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: Letitia Johnson — $1,508,991 (0.36% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letitia Johnson | Chief Investment Officer | 40 | $1,508,991 |
| Carolyn Biddy Martin | President Emeritius | 40 | $818,539 |
| Michael Witmore | Dir - Folger Shakespeare Library | 40 | $766,576 |
| Michael Elliott | President | 40 | $673,206 |
| Lisa Rutherford | Gen Counsel & Sr Adv To Pr | 40 | $445,483 |
| Dawn Bates | Director of Operations | 40 | $444,299 |
| Catherine Epstein | Provost and Dean of Faculty | 40 | $422,430 |
| Liz Agosto | Dean of Students Thru 1/23 | 40 | $413,649 |
| Elizabeth Cannon-smith | Chief Advancement Officer | 40 | $406,921 |
| Austin Sarat | Prof of Poli Sci & Law | 40 | $387,047 |
| Michael Thomas | Chief Fin & Admin Officer Eff 3/23 | 40 | $382,768 |
| Shane Levy | Investment Officer | 40 | $376,632 |
| Thomas Dwyer | Associate Cfo | 40 | $360,938 |
| Matthew Mcgann | Dean of Admission & Fin Aid | 40 | $357,723 |
| Sandra Genelius | Chief Communications Officer | 40 | $347,683 |
| Ruth Taylor-kidd | Chief Financial Officer - Folger | 40 | $277,051 |
| Angie Tissi-gassoway | Chf Stud Aff/dean Stu Eff 3/23 | 40 | $270,785 |
| Stephen Nigro | Controller | 40 | $172,876 |
| James Brassord | Former Chief of Campus Ops | 40 | $121,705 |
| Andrew Nussbaum | Trustee | 5 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel O'connell's Sons Inc | Construction Services | $33,318,173 |
| Gilbane Building Company | Construction Services | $18,733,930 |
| Shawmut Design and Construction | Construction Services | $18,378,970 |
| Sasaki Associates Inc | Architectural Services | $7,181,947 |
| Scapes Builders & Excavation LLC | Construction Services | $2,628,271 |
Grants received · $90.1M total
348 grants to Trustees of Amherst College totaling $90.1M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
Grants made · $1.1M in FY2023
14 grants totaling $1.1M in FY2023. All grants made by Trustees of Amherst College →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of the Jones Library System | General support | $250,000 |
| Town of Amherst | General support | $210,000 |
| Woodside Daycare Center Inc | General support | $179,367 |
| Five Colleges Incorporated | General support | $130,785 |
| Amherst-pelham Regional Public Schools | General support | $100,000 |
| Mass General Brigham Incorporated | General support | $50,000 |
| Amherst Golf Club Inc | General support | $40,000 |
| Amherst Business Improvement District Inc | General support | $27,000 |
| Downtown Amherst Foundation | General support | $25,000 |
| New England Public Media | General support | $11,543 |
| Association For Asian American Studies | General support | $10,000 |
| Hampshire Community United Way | General support | $9,100 |
| Amherst Chamber of Commerce | General support | $8,250 |
| Amherst Committee For A Better Chance | General support | $6,010 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Trustees of Amherst College a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Trustees of Amherst College is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 04-2103542, based in Amherst, Massachusetts. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Trustees of Amherst College's EIN?
- Trustees of Amherst College's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 04-2103542.
- How much revenue does Trustees of Amherst College report?
- Trustees of Amherst College reported $433,011,031 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Trustees of Amherst College's spending goes to programs?
- Trustees of Amherst College spends about 77% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Trustees of Amherst College have?
- CharityIndex grades Trustees of Amherst College A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Trustees of Amherst College's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Trustees of Amherst College's latest Form 990 is $1,508,991, paid to Letitia Johnson (Chief Investment Officer).
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Data for Trustees of Amherst College (EIN 04-2103542) 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.