Pepperdine University

Tax-deductible

Malibu, CA501(c)(3)Since 1937Colleges & UniversitiesEIN 95-1644037

Pepperdine university is a christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. See schedule o for more information.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
76¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 20 volunteers and 5,155 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
Is it a real charity?
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
Are gifts tax-deductible?
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Is it filing on time?
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 years looks good.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Is it financially stable?
5 of 5
years in the black
Looks good: no deficit in the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
How much reaches the programs?
76%
of spending
Looks good: 76% of spending went to programs; 75% or more looks good.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
What are leaders paid?
$12.1M
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Looks good: leaders' pay is 2% of spending; 15% or less looks good.
Pt VII · Sec A
Do they have reserves?
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 1.9 months of spending in cash; under 3 is worth a look.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Who is supporting them already?
8
named funders · $1.7M
Looks good: 8 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more looks good.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Do they carry debt?
$758.7M
liabilities
Looks good: debts are 28% of assets; 50% or less looks good.
Pt X · Ln 26
Who oversees it?
20
independent of 21 voting board members
Looks good: 20 of 21 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodWorth a lookConcernTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$755.1M
+7% vs prior year
Spent
$666.5M
To programs
76%
Net assets
$2.0B
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$755.1M
FY2024▲ +7%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$580.2M
FY2021$724.2M
FY2022$719.1M
FY2023$699.8M
FY2024$705.5M
FY2024$755.1M
Expenses
$666.5M
FY2024+0.3%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$555.4M
FY2021$559.6M
FY2022$639.6M
FY2023$649.4M
FY2024$664.7M
FY2024$666.5M
Net assets
$2.0B
FY2024▲ +6%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4B
FY2021$1.7B
FY2022$1.7B
FY2023$1.7B
FY2024$1.9B
FY2024$2.0B

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Status and standing

Is it real, and can you give to it?

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Filed FY2024 (typical filing lag)
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CPepperdine University
EINHdr · item D95-1644037
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFDec 1940
Year of formationHdr · item L1937
Latest filingForm 990FY2024 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CMalibu, CA
NTEE classificationIRS BMFColleges & Universities (B430)
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.pepperdine.edu

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.76 Management & general $0.22 Fundraising $0.01
Program services76%$507.4M
Management & general22%$149.7M
Fundraising1%$9.4M
Total functional expensesLn 25$666.5M

Financial health

Is it on solid ground?

Operating surplus
+12%
revenue over expenses, this legal entity▲ +103% vs prior filing year
Payroll share
39%
of this entity's spending is salaries & benefits▲ +4% vs prior filing year
Program spending
76%
of expenses reach program services▼ -2% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Total assets
$2.7B
FY2024▲ +5%
Total assets by fiscal year
FY2020$2.0B
FY2021$2.4B
FY2022$2.4B
FY2023$2.5B
FY2024$2.6B
FY2024$2.7B
Total liabilities
$758.7M
FY2024+0.3%
Total liabilities by fiscal year
FY2020$687.2M
FY2021$733.9M
FY2022$781.9M
FY2023$762.3M
FY2024$756.6M
FY2024$758.7M
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$88.7M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$2.7B
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B76%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 321
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 420

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$108.0M
Total assetsLn 16$2.7B
Total liabilitiesLn 26$758.7M
Total net assetsLn 32$2.0B
Months of cash on handcomputed1.9

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Program service revenue$554.0M · 73%
Investment income$121.6M · 16%
Contributions & grants$56.3M · 7%
Other revenue$23.2M · 3%
Program service revenue73%$554.0M
Investment income16%$121.6M
Contributions & grants7%$56.3M
Other revenue3%$23.2M
— government grantsLn 1e$5.2M
Total revenueLn 12$755.1M

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $1.6B · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $666.5M · Less non-cash grants $6.2M · Cash operating expenses/yr $660.2M
29.0 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $507.4M · Total expenses $666.5M
76%
Management & General
Management & general $149.7M · Total expenses $666.5M
22%
Fundraising
Fundraising $9.4M · Total expenses $666.5M
1%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $9.1M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $38.9M
$0.23 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $56.3M · Total revenue $755.1M
7%
Government reliance
Government grants $5.2M · Total revenue $755.1M
0.7%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $554.0M · Total revenue $755.1M
73%
Investment reliance
Investment income $121.6M · Total revenue $755.1M
+16%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $554.0M · Total expenses $666.5M
83%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $755.1M · Prior year $705.5M
+7%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $580.2M · FY2024 $755.1M
+5%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $2.0B · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $755.1M · Expenses $666.5M
+12%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $2.7B
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $2.0B · Total assets $2.7B
72%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $547.8M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $940.2M · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $2.7B
54%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual James Gash · Reported title PRESIDENT & CEO · Highest reported compensation $918K · Total expenses $666.5M
0.1%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $260.3M · Total expenses $666.5M
39%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 76%——
Overhead ratio 22%——
Fundraising cost ratio 17%——
Revenue growth 7%——

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.

Leadership and pay

Who runs it, and what are they paid?

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President & CEO
$917,815Pt VII · Sec A
Head Coach, Basketball
$558,269Pt VII · Sec A
$498,205Pt VII · Sec A
Professor, School of Public Policy
$478,467Pt VII · Sec A
Provost & Chief Academic Officer
$473,194Pt VII · Sec A
Head Coach, Basketball
$461,602Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Investment Officer
$447,528Pt VII · Sec A
Exec. Vice President
$440,255Pt VII · Sec A

James Gash’s $918K as President & CEO is at the 71st 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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Andrew Benton———$293,691$632,050$1,133,559
James Gash$917,815$793,965$778,582$586,932$440,146$218,214
Lorenzo Romar$461,602$801,490$772,329$774,442$769,468$750,845
Charles Pippin—————$624,484
Gary Hanson$237,358$518,684$487,520$589,202$489,137$429,402
Edmund Schilling$558,269—————
Charles Pippin———$323,750$533,390—
Deryck Janse Van Rensburg—$396,428$464,941$502,711$471,077$462,179

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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Governance & Policies

Part VI
  • 21Voting board membersPt VI · Ln 1a
  • 20Independent board membersPt VI · Ln 1b
  • Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
  • Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
  • Top official’s pay independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Family or business ties among leadersPt VI · Ln 2Yes

Mission and programs

What it does.

Provides Christian higher education and research opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students through campuses in California and international study programs.

Provided by the organization

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $479.5M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Student Services, Including Scholarships to Enrolled Students

There are many auxiliary services offered to the students to promote their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development. Pepperdine university maintains multiple dining and housing facilities, a bookstore, banking services, parking facilities located all over campus, transportation services, recreational fields, and mail services.

$233.8Mprogram expense
02

Academic Support

Pepperdine university equips students with academic support to ensure students reach their educational goals. University services such as the library, tech central, pepperdine counseling center, the health center, and one stop, the primary academic advising center, assist in the well-being and academic progress of the university's…

$126.8Mprogram expense
03

Instruction and Research

Pepperdine university is a top christian institution for higher education, and serves approximately 3,600 undergraduate students and 5,400 graduate students. In addition to the university's campuses in california, pepperdine university maintains several student learning programs in locations such as europe, south america, and washington…

$118.9Mprogram expense

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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 8 funders →
Grants paid · 9 grants · $834.0M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$141,630,402
Forever FoundCA · FY2024$6,250
Unitemized GrantFY2023$139,069,817
Unitemized GrantFY2022$142,455,113
Unitemized GrantFY2021$146,803,410
Wave Services INCCA · FY2021$908,377
Unitemized GrantFY2020$135,564,686
Unitemized GrantFY2019$122,497,422
Wave Services INCCA · FY2019$5,040,096

Filing history

Every return on file.

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2024 $705.5M$664.7M+0.8% 990 PDF
FY2023 $699.8M$649.4M-3% 990 PDF
FY2022 $719.1M$639.6M-0.7% 990 PDF
FY2021 $724.2M$559.6M+25% 990 PDF
FY2020 $580.2M$555.4M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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