WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY

EIN 47-4365018 · Professional Societies & Associations - Education (B03)

What they do

WGUS MISSION is to CHANGE LIVES for THE BETTER BY CREATING PATHWAYS to OPPORTUNITY. WGU DOES THIS BY OPERATING and ADMINISTERING AN INSTITUTION of HIGHER EDUCATION and LEARNING.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $93.00 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders33 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

84.30%of revenue went to mission work93.0% of expenses · Program services

0.14%of revenue went to fundraising0.2% of expenses

$90.67spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

6.22%of revenue went to management and office costs6.9% of expenses

$0.56in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

0.5%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $638,662 for KEITH SMITH (SR VP, LEAVITT SCHOOL OF HEALTH (THRU 8/2024)). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$1,684,644,684

Mission workProgram services$1,420,239,57784.30% of revenue93.0% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$104,778,8166.22% of revenue6.9% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$2,412,0930.14% of revenue0.2% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$157,214,1989.33% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$1,527,430,48690.67% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 93.0% mission · 6.9% management · 0.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 90.67% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 93.0% mission · 6.9% management · 0.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 87.57% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 93.4% mission · 6.4% management · 0.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 94.60% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 90.8% mission · 6.6% management · 2.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 88.19% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 94.3% mission · 5.6% management · 0.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 236.92% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 73.0% mission · 26.3% management · 0.6% fundraisingTotal expenses: 40.36% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 62.3% mission · 37.7% management · 0.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 18.26% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 0.0% mission · 100.0% management · 0.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 35.99% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$1,684,644,684

Expenses$1,527,430,486

Annual surplus $157,214,198 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$1,420,239,577 · 93.0% of expenses

Management and office costs$104,778,816 · 6.9% of expenses

Fundraising$2,412,093 · 0.2% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$1,684,644,684

Expenses$1,527,430,486

Assets$852,320,868

Income$1,685,585,313

Contributions$8,017,087

Mission work (program services)$1,420,239,577

Fundraising$2,412,093

Grants given$45,447,433

Average grant$6,492,490

Management and general$104,778,816

Stocks and bonds$792,055

Accounting fees$10,334,164

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

KEITH SMITHSR VP, LEAVITT SCHOOL OF HEALTH (THRU 8/2024) · 40 hrs/week $638,662Base $584,669 · Other $53,993

MITSU FRAZIERSR VP, BUSINESS COLLEGE · 40 hrs/week $605,044Base $533,904 · Other $71,140

DEBORAH FOWLERSR VP, ACADEMIC DELIVERY · 40 hrs/week $594,138Base $526,828 · Other $67,310

DAVID PERKINSONSR VP, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT · 40 hrs/week $534,704Base $480,711 · Other $53,993

GENE HAYESSR VP, REGIONAL OPERATIONS · 40 hrs/week $495,151Base $443,585 · Other $51,566

STACEY LUDWIG JOHNSONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORK-BASED PATHWAYS · 40 hrs/week $487,785Base $427,145 · Other $60,640

PAUL BINGHAMSR VP, SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY · 40 hrs/week $471,119Base $440,619 · Other $30,500

SCOTT NEUNERSR VP, MARKETING · 40 hrs/week $438,300Base $396,752 · Other $41,548

SARAH DEMARKVICE PROVOST · 40 hrs/week $419,485Base $360,035 · Other $59,450

KIMBERLY ESTEPREGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT · 40 hrs/week $396,293Base $326,070 · Other $70,223

RICHARD BENBOWREGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT · 40 hrs/week $385,557Base $358,275 · Other $27,282

JOSEPH DERYVP, DEAN - SCHOOL OF TECH (THRU 2/2025) · 40 hrs/week $358,733Base $340,344 · Other $18,389

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (33)

KEITH SMITHSR VP, LEAVITT SCHOOL OF HEALTH (THRU 8/2024)

MITSU FRAZIERSR VP, BUSINESS COLLEGE

DEBORAH FOWLERSR VP, ACADEMIC DELIVERY

DAVID PERKINSONSR VP, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

GENE HAYESSR VP, REGIONAL OPERATIONS

STACEY LUDWIG JOHNSONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORK-BASED PATHWAYS

PAUL BINGHAMSR VP, SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY

SCOTT NEUNERSR VP, MARKETING

SARAH DEMARKVICE PROVOST

KIMBERLY ESTEPREGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT

RICHARD BENBOWREGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT

JOSEPH DERYVP, DEAN - SCHOOL OF TECH (THRU 2/2025)

TONYA DRAKEREGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT

ROBERT HUNTSR VP, GENERAL COUNSEL/SECRETARY

DAVID GROWCHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

SCOTT PULSIPHERTRUSTEE/PRESIDENT

NADEEM SYEDCFO & TREASURER

COURTNEY HILLS MCBETHCHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER & PROVOST

TALIA MILGROM-ELCOTTTRUSTEE

LENNY MENDONCAVICE-CHAIR

JOHN W BLUFORD IIITRUSTEE (THRU 11/2024)

KERRY HEALYTRUSTEE (THRU 01/2025)

APRIL CHOUTRUSTEE

JOE FULLERCHAIR

JESSIE WOOLEY-WILSONTRUSTEE

GOV JARED POLISTRUSTEE

GOV ERIC HOLCOMBTRUSTEE (THRU 11/2024)

ELOY ORTIZ OAKLEYTRUSTEE

DWANA FRANKLIN-DAVISTRUSTEE

DR RUTH WATKINSTRUSTEE (AS OF 11/2024)

DR HAROLD LEE MARTIN SRTRUSTEE (AS OF 4/2025)

DAVID SIMMONSTRUSTEE (EMERITUS AS OF 11/2024)

COLE CLARKTRUSTEE

About this charity

Recognized since: January 2016
Location: 4001 SOUTH 700 EAST, SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84107
County: Salt Lake
In care of: NADEEM SYED
Primary officer: NADEEM SYED, CFO & TREASURER

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Phone(801) 323-3305

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: July 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: BDO USA
NTEE classification: Professional Societies & Associations - Education (B03)
IRS tax category: Professional Societies & Associations
Grant-giving organization: Yes