Council of Independent Colleges
The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is a national association of nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils of independent colleges, and other higher education affiliates. Based in Washington, DC, CIC functions as the major national organization providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities. The organization strengthens member institutions and supports campus leaders through conferences, seminars, publications, workshops, and other programs designed to address current and pressing priorities in higher education.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$88.1M
-0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.6M
+12.3% YoY
Grant Count
123
+4.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$37K
+7.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
CIC's mission is to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of private higher education's contributions to society.
The organization's primary program areas include:
Institutional Development Programs and Services — Including the "Legacies of American Slavery: Reckoning with the Past" initiative, generously funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University. This initiative helps CIC member institutions and their local communities explore the continuing impact of slavery on American life and culture, with seven colleges and universities serving as regional collaboration partners.
Leadership Development — Campus leadership support and development programs, including resources for new presidents and workshops for department and division chairs focused on developing leadership skills and institutional vision.
Educational Quality and Performance Improvement — Programs and services that help institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility.
Membership Services — Including the Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP), a network of nearly 440 colleges and universities from 47 states and seven countries that accept tuition-free students who are full-time employees and their family members.
Webinars and Listservs — Online resources addressing a variety of topics relevant to member institutions.
Grantmaking
CIC distributes grants to member institutions and individuals. Recent grantmaking activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CIC's grantmaking focuses primarily on Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Texas. The organization also operates through state-based councils of independent colleges, including the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV), which serves private colleges in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $88,051,675
- Total Revenue: $19,879,223
- Total Expenses: $17,660,980
- Total Giving: $4,793,317
- Number of Employees: 36
IRS Status:
- 501(c)(3) organization
- Tax-exempt since September 1957
- EIN: 01-6004776
- Charity Navigator Rating: 97% (Four-Star rating)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $88,051,675 | $88,292,444 | $70,527,086 |
| Revenue | $19,879,223 | $16,305,848 | $18,516,750 |
| Expenses | $17,660,980 | $17,098,412 | $17,586,555 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $4,785,840 | $2,604,154 | $4,998,209 |
| 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
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Marjorie Hass — President
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARJORIE HASS | PRESIDENT | 40 | $762,603 |
| JEFF ABERNATHY | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23, CHAIR | 2 | — |
| BARBARA A FARLEY | CHAIR - UNTIL 12/23, PAST CHAIR | 2 | — |
| KATHERINE BERGERON | PAST CHAIR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| HARRY DUMAY | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| ELIZABETH MACLEOD WALLS | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23, TREASURER | 2 | — |
| JOHN L COMERFORD | TREASURER - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| CARMEN TWILLIE AMBAR | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ROBIN E BAKER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| AMINE BENSAID | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| AMELIA AJ BOND | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| DAVID BUSHMAN | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| SCOTT CASEY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ANDREA E CHAPDELAINE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| PHILLIP CHRITTON | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| KATIE CONBOY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MARY-BETH A COOPER | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| LA JERNE T CORNISH | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| J BRADLEY CREED | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| PAUL DIMITRUK | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| LOGAN C HAMPTON | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| KATHLEEN E HARRING | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| TREVA HAUGAARD | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JOHN C KNAPP | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| MICHAEL LOMAX | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| MARY B MARCY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JOHN P MARDSEN | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| AMY MCCORMACK | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MILTON C MORLAND | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| KATHLEEN M MURRARY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| AJAY NAIR | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MARY EILEEN O'BRIEN OP | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| ELFRED ANTHONY PINKARD | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| CHARLES W POLLARD | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| PAUL C PRIBBENOW | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| L SONG RICHARDSON | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| ISABEL ROCHE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| LYLE D ROELOFS | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| CELESTE M SCHENCK | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| RODERICK L SMOTHERS | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| JOHN R SWALLOW | DIRECTOR - UNTIL 12/23 | 2 | — |
| PAUL R TAYLOR | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JAMES A TROHA | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| LORI S WHITE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| EVANS P WHITTAKER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JAMEL SC WRIGHT | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| CHRISTOPH KUNKEL | SR. VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF OF STAFF | 40 | $260,584 |
| ROBERT POWERS | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 40 | $157,375 |
| TITI UFOMATA | SR. VICE PRES. FOR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS | 40 | $250,398 |
| MATTHEW TRAINUM | VICE PRESIDENT FOR NETWORKS | 40 | $220,678 |
| ALLISON BLACKBURN | DIRECTOR OF CONFERENCES | 40 | $186,817 |
| SUSAN JENKINS | VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $160,378 |
| JO ELLEN PARKER | VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $167,050 |
| JEFF WOODS | VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEMBER ENGAGEMENT | 40 | $154,315 |
| STEPHEN GIBSON | DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS | 40 | $124,972 |
| KEITH A WALLACE | DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION | 40 | $120,730 |
| PHILIP KATZ | DIRECTOR OF PROJECTS | 40 | $117,466 |
| SAMANTHA SABALIS | SR. DIR. OF FDN RELATIONS | 40 | $109,439 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**2026 Workshops for Department and Division Chairs** — Scheduled for January 28, 2026, focusing on effective strategies to develop leadership skills and institutional vision in the context of uncertainty and change.
**2026 Presidents Institute Resources** — Resources from the 2026 Presidents Institute are now available online (announced January 8, 2026).
Support for Current and Future College Presidents: CIC Receives $1.76M Leadership**New Presidents Resources** — A growing list of resources for first-time presidents of CIC-type colleges and universities (updated December 4, 2025).
Support for Current and Future College Presidents: CIC Receives $1.76M Leadership**CIC Solution Center** — An online platform connecting members to companies and consultants dedicated to the independent higher education sector, offered free of charge (launched January 17, 2025).
**Legacies of American Slavery Grant Opportunity** — New grant opportunity announced for CIC member institutions through the Legacies of American Slavery initiative.
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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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