Oberlin College and Conservatory educate students for lives of intellectual, musical and artistic rigor and breadth, sustained inquiry, creativity and innovation, and leadership. Oberlin aims to prepare graduates with the knowledge, skills, and perspectives essential to confront complex issues and to create change and value in the world.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
91¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$4.1M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $67.9M a year · 19% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
91%
of spending
Looks good: 91% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$4.1M
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $923.6M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 5.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
9
named funders · $189K
Looks good: 9 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$311.8M
22% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 22% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
32
of 33 voting members
Looks good: 32 of 33 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$305.5M
Spent
$257.9M
To programs
91%
Net assets
$1.1B
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$305.5M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$305.5M
FY2021$275.4M
FY2022$421.3M
FY2023$344.0M
FY2024$467.8M
FY2025$363.0M
Expenses
$257.9M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$257.9M
FY2021$251.3M
FY2022$286.1M
FY2023$309.1M
FY2024$320.9M
FY2025$344.4M
Net assets
$1.1B
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.1B
FY2021$1.5B
FY2022$1.4B
FY2023$1.4B
FY2024$1.6B
FY2025$1.8B

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending June 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 1948.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

91 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 91% · $234.8M Management & general 7% · $17.3M Fundraising 2% · $5.7M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

53 people listed on the 990; $4.1M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
$480,401Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Investment Officer
$383,485Pt VII · Sec A
Dean of Arts & Sciences (former)
$320,082Pt VII · Sec A
Dean of Arts & Sciences
$237,377Pt VII · Sec A
VP for Finance & Administration
$234,311Pt VII · Sec A
$207,291Pt VII · Sec A
Professor
$202,774Pt VII · Sec A
VP, General Counsel & Secretary
$196,811Pt VII · Sec A

Jun Yang’s $755K as Chief Investment Officer is at the 63rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 674 $100M+ education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Carmen Ambar$592,962$1,182,298————
Jun Yang$755,043$869,917$766,519$645,121$675,139$383,485
Carmen Twillie Ambar——$546,865$512,585$497,528—
Carmen Twillie Amber—————$480,401
Timothy E Elgren—————$320,082
Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings$287,608$290,622————
Matthew Lahey$281,689$280,131$286,119———
Michael Grzesiak$268,315$278,741$256,604$248,577$270,576—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Oberlin College executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Educates undergraduate students through rigorous liberal arts and music conservatory programs, preparing them for leadership and creative problem-solving in a residential campus setting.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $234.8M · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Oberlin College is a liberal arts institution made up of the College of Arts & Sciences and the Conservatory of Music. The College served 2,837 full-time equivalent undergraduate students, awarding scholarships to 2,434 of them. The average student received $30,636 in financial aid. The College is essentially residential.

$234.8Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
See all 9 funders →
Grants paid · 59 grants · $499.9M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$98,426,171
Oberlin Unitarian Universalist FellFY2024$63,000
City of OberlinFY2024$50,708
Unitemized GrantFY2024$12,211
Village Family Farms FoundationFY2024$10,500
Unitemized GrantFY2024$7,381
City FreshOH · FY2024$6,500
Unitemized GrantFY2023$91,749,249
City of OberlinFY2023$81,708
Unitemized GrantFY2023$44,085
Shagbark Haven LLCFY2023$15,000
See all 59 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$305.5M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$200.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$66.5M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$38.9M
Money outPt IX
$257.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$234.8M
Managementcol C$17.3M
Fundraisingcol D$5.7M
Owns and owesPt X
$1.1B
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$114.8M
Total assetsLn 16$1.4B
LiabilitiesLn 26$311.8M
PeoplePt VI, VII
53
listed · VII A
PaidVII A20
Voting boardVI 1a33
IndependentVI 1b32
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$38.9M
Government grantsLn 1e$2.8M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$2.4M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$200.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$66.5M
Other incomeLn 4–11$7K
Gains on assetsLn 7$63.4M
Total revenueLn 12$305.5M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$8.8M
SavingsLn 2$106.0M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$114.8M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$923.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$356.2M
Total assetsLn 16$1.4B
LiabilitiesLn 26$311.8M
Net assetsLn 32$1.1B
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53,077
VolunteersI 6150
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$85.1M$114.8M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$932.0M$923.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$365.0M$356.2M
Total assetsLn 16$1.41B$1.43B
LiabilitiesLn 26$313.6M$311.8M
Net assetsLn 32$1.10B$1.12B
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$123K$123K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$73.1M$73.1M
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$2.7M$2.7M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$3.4M$1.0M$2.1M$301K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$65.3M$60.4M$2.3M$2.7M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$6.2M$5.7M$255K$240K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$14.8M$13.2M$875K$725K
Payroll taxesLn 10$5.2M$4.8M$224K$192K
Legal feesLn 11b$2.0M$2.0M
Accounting feesLn 11c$169K$169K
Investment management feesLn 11f$1.8M$1.8M
Office expensesLn 13$9.3M$8.7M$352K$210K
Information technologyLn 14$1.8M$1.8M
OccupancyLn 16$14.7M$14.7M
TravelLn 17$2.2M$1.7M$327K$206K
InterestLn 20$7.9M$7.9M
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$22.2M$22.2M
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$12.8M$8.3M$3.7M$736K
All other expensesLn 24e$12.2M$8.5M$3.3M$432K
Total functional expensesLn 25$257.9M$234.8M$17.3M$5.7M

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $363.0M$344.4M$18.5M$1.8B 990 PDF
FY2024 $467.8M$320.9M$146.9M$1.6B 990 PDF
FY2023 $344.0M$309.1M$34.8M$1.4B 990 PDF
FY2022 $421.3M$286.1M$135.2M$1.4B 990 PDF
FY2021 $275.4M$251.3M$24.2M$1.5B 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $305.5M$257.9M$47.7M$1.1B 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $305,531,376 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $23,083,097$38,912,972
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $198,797,619$200,140,422
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $65,905,599$66,470,681
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $42,503$7,301
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $287,828,818$305,531,376
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $71,424,440$75,910,367
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $97,973,211$94,887,310
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $90,617,094$87,080,932
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $260,014,745$257,878,609
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $27,814,073$47,652,767
Part VI · Governance 32 of 33 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body33
VI-1b Independent voting members32
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $305,531,376 across 9 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $5,579 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$2,848,468
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$36,064,504
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$2,367,306
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$38,912,972
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $199,653,375 · Excluded from tax $481,468$200,134,843
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business −$544,952 · Excluded from tax $3,590,059$3,045,107
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $7,301$7,301
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $63,425,574$63,425,574
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $199,653,375 · Unrelated business −$544,952 · Excluded from tax $67,509,981$305,531,376
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $257,878,609 across 19 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $123,034$123,034
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $73,063,864$73,063,864
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $2,723,469$2,723,469
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $1,040,672 · Management $2,090,525 · Fundraising $301,334$3,432,531
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $60,362,721 · Management $2,264,145 · Fundraising $2,681,177$65,308,043
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $5,705,871 · Management $254,621 · Fundraising $240,201$6,200,693
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $13,161,398 · Management $874,777 · Fundraising $724,600$14,760,775
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $4,769,455 · Management $224,287 · Fundraising $191,526$5,185,268
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $1,953,164$1,953,164
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $169,369$169,369
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $1,821,008$1,821,008
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $8,725,624 · Management $351,938 · Fundraising $210,332$9,287,894
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,801,759$1,801,759
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $14,740,247$14,740,247
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,701,243 · Management $326,958 · Fundraising $206,253$2,234,454
IX-20 InterestPrograms $7,879,621$7,879,621
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $22,212,490$22,212,490
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $8,344,684 · Management $3,720,707 · Fundraising $735,522$12,800,913
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $8,469,626 · Management $3,278,780 · Fundraising $431,607$12,180,013
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $234,825,778 · Management $17,330,279 · Fundraising $5,722,552$257,878,609
Part X · Balance sheet $1,432,118,020 assets, 21 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $13,872,170; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $7,161,109$8,819,692
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $77,974,598$106,023,321
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $9,826,782$16,469,837
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $4,708,554$4,989,432
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $265,157$274,910
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,772,547$1,886,325
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $365,026,407$356,205,802
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $585,987,817$557,703,777
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $336,221,777$357,919,426
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $9,774,154$7,953,328
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,412,767,578$1,432,118,020
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $90,837,482$98,351,822
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $460,059$70,476
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $175,032,961$87,403,648
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $21,020,000$96,699,100
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $14,874,835$14,429,832
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $313,613,270$311,814,485
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $226,721,752$208,394,693
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $872,432,556$911,908,842
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,099,154,308$1,120,303,535
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,412,767,578$1,432,118,020
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,120,303,535 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$305,531,376
XI-2 Total expenses$257,878,609
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$47,652,767
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,099,154,308
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$20,429,084
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$6,074,456
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,120,303,535

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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