Cornerstone University EIN 38-1443369 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Cornerstone University FY2021 filing

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Educates students to become Christ-centered influencers in the world. For fiscal year 2021 it reported $58.1M in revenue, $50.2M in expenses, and $96.1M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
1941
Type
Higher education institution · Colleges & Universities
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Website
www.cornerstone.edu
Filings
5 on file (2021–2021)
Revenue
$58.1MFY2021
Expenses
$50.2M
Net assets
$96.1M
People
24
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  38-1443369 Higher education institution Grand Rapids, MI Founded 1941
Form 990 (PDF)
You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 7/9/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Educates students to become Christ-centered influencers in the world.
Leadership
Dr Joseph Stowell · President · $195K
Money in and out
$58.1M revenue, $50.2M expenses
Bottom line
+14% operating surplus
Financial scale & money flow · FY2021
Total revenue
$58.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$50.2M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$96.1M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $7.9M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.81 Management & general $0.16 Fundraising $0.02
Operating surplus
+14%
revenue over expenses, this legal entity
Payroll share
45%
of this entity's spending is salaries & benefits
Program spending
81%
of expenses reach program services

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2021 · Form 990
Revenue
$58.1M
FY2021
Expenses
$50.2M
FY2021
Total assets
$108.7M
FY2021
Total liabilities
$12.5M
FY2021
Total revenue
$58.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$50.2M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$96.1M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$7.9M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$108.7M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B81%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 317
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 415

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CCornerstone University
EINHdr · item D38-1443369
Principal addressHdr · item CGrand Rapids, MI
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.cornerstone.edu
Year of formationHdr · item L1941
State of legal domicileHdr · item MMI
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFColleges & Universities (B430)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMay 1994

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a17
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b15
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
$195,266Pt VII · Sec A
Exec VP/COO
$147,752Pt VII · Sec A
VP Dean of Seminary
$140,169Pt VII · Sec A
Dei Advisor to President
$117,681Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Advancement
$110,681Pt VII · Sec A
VP for Academics
$110,423Pt VII · Sec A
$102,768Pt VII · Sec A
Faculty Overload
$101,615Pt VII · Sec A

Dr Gerson Moreno-Riano’s $331K as President is at the 71st percentile of top reported officer pay among 3682 $10–100M 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Dr Gerson Moreno-Riano$331,369$332,681$221,229
Dr Joseph Stowell$81,443$195,266
Heidi Cece$187,200$166,056
Peter Osborn$153,163$147,752
John Verberkmoes$130,090$131,165$126,719$140,169
Bradford Sample$136,236$72,486
Scott Stewart$127,983$126,778$111,782$102,768
Neil Cummings$125,490

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.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $40.9M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2020.
01

Academic instruction and academic support make up the educational expenses. The university has over 270 full- and part-time staff and faculty. We have just under 2000 students on a 120-acre campus as well as an off-site location in Kalamazoo.

$26.3Mprogram expense
02

Student services includes campus life and activities including athletics, health counseling services, enrollment services financial aid, etc. Organized activities include summer sports camps, golf outings, special academic and athletic trips, banquets, and other miscellaneous activities.

$8.9Mprogram expense
03

Auxiliaries include room board, apartment rentals, hospitality events, and radio ministries. Cornerstone Radio Ministries includes the operations of five non-commercial radio stations WCSG - Grand Rapids with signals also in Kalamazoo, Benton Harbor and Battle Creek. 3,751,840 is included in contribution revenue on Part VIII, Line 1f.

$5.7Mprogram expense

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Program service revenue$41.8M · 72%
Contributions & grants$14.6M · 25%
Investment income$1.7M · 3%
Program service revenue72%$41.8M
Contributions & grants25%$14.6M
Investment income3%$1.7M
— government grantsLn 1e$2.9M
Total revenueLn 12$58.1M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.81 Management & general $0.16 Fundraising $0.02
Program services81%$40.9M
Management & general16%$8.2M
Fundraising2%$1.2M
Total functional expensesLn 25$50.2M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$15.1M
Total assetsLn 16$108.7M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$12.5M
Total net assetsLn 32$96.1M
Months of cash on handcomputed3.6

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2021 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $32.4M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $50.2M · Less non-cash grants $90K · Cash operating expenses/yr $50.1M
7.7 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $40.9M · Total expenses $50.2M
81%
Management & General
Management & general $8.2M · Total expenses $50.2M
16%
Fundraising
Fundraising $1.2M · Total expenses $50.2M
2%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense $1.2M · Solicited contributions $11.6M
$0.10 to raise $1
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $14.6M · Total revenue $58.1M
25%
Government reliance
Government grants $2.9M · Total revenue $58.1M
5%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $41.8M · Total revenue $58.1M
72%
Investment reliance
Investment income $1.7M · Total revenue $58.1M
+3%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $41.8M · Total expenses $50.2M
83%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $58.1M · Prior year —
No prior year on file
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $96.1M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $58.1M · Expenses $50.2M
+14%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $108.7M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $96.1M · Total assets $108.7M
88%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $17.3M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $108.7M
16%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Dr Joseph Stowell · Reported title President · Highest reported compensation $195K · Total expenses $50.2M
0.4%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $22.6M · Total expenses $50.2M
45%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 81%
Overhead ratio 16%
Fundraising cost ratio 8%
Investment management fee ratio 0.03%
Legal fee ratio 0.07%
Accounting fee ratio 0.1%
Fundraising fee ratio 0.02%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 21 funders →
Grants paid · 6 grants · $63.5M · 2020–2023
Unitemized GrantFY2023$16,183,816
Unitemized GrantFY2022$15,916,380
Unitemized GrantFY2021$15,453,623
Unitemized GrantFY2021$2,356,990
Unitemized GrantFY2020$12,874,841
Unitemized GrantFY2020$757,146

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$47.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$53.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$53.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$59.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$58.1M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2021IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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