The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) is a nonprofit membership organization based in Washington, DC, founded in 1887. APLU represents public research universities, land-grant institutions, state university systems, and affiliated organizations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, six U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico. The organization serves as a collective voice and advocacy platform for its member institutions, supporting their roles in advancing higher education, research, and public service.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$45.4M
+8.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.1M
-17.0% YoY
Grant Count
23
-25.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$46K
+11.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
APLU's mission is to advance the work of public universities to improve lives and provide solutions to societal challenges through education, research, and engagement. The organization fosters a community of public and land-grant university leaders committed to equitably improving the lives and livelihoods of individuals, communities, and society through the continuous advancement of public higher education.
Key focus areas include:
- Student Success: Driving student success through policy development and institutional support
- Research & Innovation: Fostering research and innovation to meet societal needs
- Community & Economic Engagement: Deepening community and economic engagement to benefit all
- Federal Policy & Advocacy: Shaping federal policy that maximizes the positive impact of public and land-grant universities
- Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources: The Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources (CFERR) focuses on cross-cutting issues related to agriculture, forestry, human sciences, natural resources, ecological sciences, oceans and atmosphere, and veterinary medicine
- Academic Affairs: Conducting studies and issuing reports to improve academic undertakings of member institutions, with recent attention to undergraduate education, cost, financial aid, quality, time to degree, and accountability
Grantmaking
APLU administers grant programs supporting public universities in strategic areas:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent (2024)
- Total Revenue: $20.1 million
- Total Expenses: $18.5 million
- Total Assets: $45.4 million
- Total Liabilities: $17.6 million
- Employees: 69
2023
- Total Revenue: $19.4 million
- Total Expenses: $18.7 million
- Total Assets: $42.0 million
- Employees: 77
2022
- Total Revenue: $19.4 million
- Total Expenses: $18.9 million
- Total Assets: $40.9 million
- Employees: 89
The organization maintains a strong financial position with consistent revenue and growing assets. APLU holds a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and has been tax-exempt since August 1974.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $45,431,252 | $42,022,488 | $40,931,777 |
| Revenue | $20,100,004 | $19,368,185 | $19,408,713 |
| Expenses | $18,465,010 | $18,671,546 | $18,895,715 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $960,275 | $863,390 | $331,091 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
184 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Association of Public and Land-grant
APS Innovative Teaching Awards
ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AND LAND-GRANT
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Designation and Awards Program
ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AND LAND-GRANT
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Peter McPherson Lifetime Achievement Award
ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AND LAND-GRANT
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Mark Becker is identified as a key contact for the organization.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAKOLA ABDULLAH | CHAIR | 2 | — |
| GARY MAY | PAST-CHAIR | 2 | — |
| JOAN FERRINI-MUNDY | CHAIR-ELECT | 2 | — |
| JOAN GABEL | CHAIR, COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS | 2 | — |
| SANTA ONO | SECRETARY, COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS | 2 | — |
| JOE WHITEHEAD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MELINDA CARTWRIGHT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BILL COUCH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SUSAN MARTINIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBIN KALER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MUN CHOI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TAYLOR EIGHMY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LISA FREEMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARTINO HARMON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HEIDI ANDERSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| J ERNIE MINTON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SHARON PAYNTER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JONATHAN PRUITT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARY ANN VILLARREAL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MICHELLE MARKS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARLENE TROMP | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DARRYLL PINES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRIAN SANDOVAL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GARNETT STOKES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM TATE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ADELE DE LA TORRE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JEAN MIDDLETON | CHIEF OF STAFF & SVP | 37.5 | $208,582 |
| JEFFREY LIEBERSON | EVP & SVP, PUBLIC AFFAIRS | 37.5 | $246,894 |
| VARUN DHAWAN | CFO, TREASURER | 37.5 | $249,060 |
| MARK BECKER | PRESIDENT | 37.5 | $838,842 |
| DOUGLAS STEELE | VP, FOOD AG NATURAL RESOURCES | 37.5 | $378,130 |
| HOWARD GOBSTEIN | SVP, STEM ED & RESEARCH POLICY | 30 | $162,640 |
| CRAIG LINDWARM | VP, GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS | 37.5 | $247,416 |
| KAREN VIGNARE | VP, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, EXEC DIR | 37.5 | $196,609 |
| JENNIFER KEUP | VP, URBAN INITIATIVES | 37.5 | $219,003 |
| DEBORAH ALTENBURG | VP, RESEARCH POLICY & ADVOCACY | 37.5 | $219,209 |
| BERNARD MAIR | SVP, CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER THRU 8/24 | 37.5 | $214,547 |
| WILLIAM HOFFMAN | VP, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COOPERATIVE EXTENSION | 37.5 | $200,464 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
APLU has announced multiple grant initiatives supporting public universities:
APLU Announces Grants for Public Universities to Support STEM Faculty DiversityGrant programs for public universities to support STEM faculty diversity and inclusion
APLU Announces Grants for Public Universities to Support STEM Faculty DiversitySelection of seven public research universities for grants to accelerate the use of adaptive courseware to improve undergraduate education
APLU Announces Grants for Public Universities to Support STEM Faculty DiversitySubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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