Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
88% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Madison, Wisconsin, registered in 1935, with $189,345,562 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 88% of spending to programs.
614 Walnut Street 13th Floor, Madison, WI, 53726 EIN 39-0833612 Since 1935
Revenue (FY2024)
$189.3M
▲ 34.5% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2024)
$220.0M
Net assets
$2.4B
Employees
95
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B+
★★★★
Rated on 4 of 4 criteria.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →AProgram efficiency40% of the rating88% 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 Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation: 88% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
C+Financial health25% of the rating131 mo reserves · -16% 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 Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation: 131 mo reserves · -16% 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 Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation: 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 Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Provide support to uw-madison and morgridge institute for research.
What they do
2) in addition to uw-madison's public research mission, warf also supports the morgridge institute for research (morgridge), a private non-profit medical research organization functionally integrated with uw-madison, through both grant funding and direct operational support, including technology transfer activities. founded in 2006, morgridge uses its private status and streamlined organizational structure to respond nimbly to emerging opportunities to improve human health through innovative, interdisciplinary biomedical discoveries. warf's support of morgridge creates a culture in partnership with uw-madison that enables rigorous biomedical research, sparks curiosity, and serves society through translational outcomes.
Contact & location
- Address
- 614 Walnut Street 13th Floor, Madison, WI, 53726
- City
- Madison
- State
- Wisconsin
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Student Services & Aid
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $342.0M (FY2013) to $189.3M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $1.0BNet assets $2.4B
Operating margin
-16.2%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$3.4B
Total liabilities
$1.0B
Net assets
$2.4B
Salaries & benefits
$16.0M
7% of expenses
Board members
15
14 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $189,345,562▲34.5% | $219,953,693▲41.2% | $2,394,842,363▲2.2% | $3,432,336,917▲3.7% | 990 |
| 2023 | $140,752,874▲752% | $155,756,191▲0.2% | $2,342,315,355▲4.0% | $3,311,169,475▲4.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | -$21,573,356▲76.5% | $155,452,922▲1.9% | $2,253,075,902▼0.5% | $3,185,260,024▲0.1% | 990 |
| 2021 | -$91,812,100▼116% | $152,502,462▼39.3% | $2,264,648,870▼14.8% | $3,181,896,827▼12.9% | 990 |
| 2020 | $574,150,272▲125% | $251,069,318▲64.7% | $2,658,775,040▲19.9% | $3,652,632,359▲15.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $255,022,585▲673% | $152,449,434▼13.7% | $2,217,148,537▼0.9% | $3,167,612,485▲4.5% | 990 |
| 2018 | $32,976,578▼87.5% | $176,664,199▼56.2% | $2,236,246,000▲0.1% | $3,030,670,367▼1.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $263,764,432▲56.9% | $403,588,183▲183% | $2,234,159,000▼11.0% | $3,067,134,832▲3.3% | 990 |
| 2016 | $168,067,255▲118% | $142,470,561▼20.7% | $2,511,198,000▲2.8% | $2,968,285,167▲1.2% | 990 |
| 2015 | $76,936,142▼74.9% | $179,741,510▲10.5% | $2,443,412,599▼2.2% | $2,933,448,759▼8.4% | 990 |
| 2014 | $306,191,101▼10.5% | $162,650,492▲8.5% | $2,499,312,527▲0.9% | $3,204,149,420▼0.6% | 990 |
| 2013 | $341,965,058 | $149,850,739▼4.6% | $2,476,885,892▲12.6% | $3,224,253,090▲21.0% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $157,044,297▲42.7% | $2,200,416,388▲3.7% | $2,664,532,026▲3.0% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $110,054,725▼7.3% | $2,122,178,015▲4.3% | $2,586,641,488▲2.8% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $118,760,609 | $2,034,703,010 | $2,516,480,610 | 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 (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Erik Iverson — $799,362 (0.36% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Iverson | Trustee/ceo, Secretary | 40 | $799,362 |
| Alain Hung | Deputy Chief Investment Officer | 40 | $527,201 |
| Michael Falk | Chief Ip & Licensing Officer | 40 | $480,905 |
| Michael Wagner | Investment Director | 40 | $460,000 |
| Michael Partsch | Chief Venture Officer | 40 | $437,432 |
| Jonathan Young | Head of Warf Therapeutics | 40 | $367,879 |
| Alyssa Thoeny | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $367,287 |
| Brian Dyck | Senior Director, Warf Therapeutics | 40 | $276,345 |
| Patrick Cooney | Deputy General Counsel | 40 | $273,745 |
| Deborah Keller | Trustee, Chair | 4 | $33,000 |
| Mary Haak-frendscho | Trustee | 2 | $28,000 |
| Asha S Collins | Trustee | 2 | $27,000 |
| David Smukowski | Trustee | 2 | $27,000 |
| James Berbee | Trustee | 2 | $27,000 |
| Thomas Tefft | Trustee, Treasurer | 3 | $27,000 |
| Winslow Sargeant | Trustee | 2 | $27,000 |
| Doris Meissner | Trustee, Vice Chair | 3 | $24,000 |
| James Thompson | Trustee | 2 | $24,000 |
| Jennifer Mnookin | Trustee | 2 | $24,000 |
| Paul Leff | Trustee | 2 | $24,000 |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmaron Inc | Research/testing Services | $4,152,003 |
| Findorff Inc | Construction | $3,733,725 |
| Quarles & Brady | Legal Services | $1,361,698 |
| Mcdonell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP | Legal Services | $1,118,421 |
| Dewitt LLP | Legal Services | $1,091,668 |
Grants received · $445K total
5 grants to Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation totaling $445K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgridge Institute For Researchinc | To support ongoing research and education. | 2020 | $100,000 |
| Morgridge Institute Foundation Inc | To support ongoing research & education | 2019 | $106,609 |
| Morgridge Institute Foundation Inc | To support ongoing research & education | 2018 | $98,101 |
| Morgridge Institute Foundation Inc | To support ongoing research & education | 2017 | $70,375 |
| Morgridge Institute Foundation Inc | To support ongoing research & education | 2017 | $70,375 |
Grants made · $156.4M in FY2024
2 grants totaling $156.4M in FY2024. All grants made by Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | See program service accomplishments; form 990, part iii, line 4a | $111,325,998 |
| Morgridge Institute For Researchinc | See program service accomplishments; form 990, part iii, line 4b | $45,071,429 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 39-0833612, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's EIN?
- Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 39-0833612.
- How much revenue does Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation report?
- Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation reported $189,345,562 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation spends about 88% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's latest Form 990 is $799,362, paid to Erik Iverson (Trustee/ceo, Secretary).
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Data for Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (EIN 39-0833612) 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.