Sharon Maxwell, Senior Vice President at AURORA UNIVERSITY | Aurora University
Sharon Maxwell, Senior Vice President at AURORA UNIVERSITY | Aurora University
The listed appropriations included two grants of $750,000 and $200,000, plus an additional grant of $110,000, all designated for programs or services funded by the State of Illinois.
These appropriations represent state-level funding authorized by lawmakers, reflecting what was approved in the budget, not necessarily disbursed. The funds cover only State of Illinois support and exclude federal, local, or other public sources.
Founded in 1893, Aurora University states that its mission is: “At Aurora University, our singular goal is to empower students to achieve lasting personal and professional success. We do this by being an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. As a teaching-centered institution, we encourage undergraduate and graduate students to discover what it takes to build meaningful and purposeful lives.”
You can learn more about the organization at its website.
In its most recent IRS Form 990 filing filing for tax year 2024, the organization reported $172,803,000 in total revenue. Of that, $31,404,700 came from government grants including federal, state, or local sources, making up 18.2% of total revenue.
The nonprofit listed $34,386,000 in contributions overall. It also reported $412,915 in non-cash contributions, such as donated goods or services, and $2,981,280 categorized under other contributions, which may include restricted donations, pledges, or bequests.
At the beginning of 2024, Aurora University had $242,777,000 in assets. By the end of 2024, that figure had changed to $243,783,000, indicating a 0.4% growth in overall holdings.
According to its filing, public funding to Aurora University declined in the last year, falling from $34,875,500 in 2023 to $31,404,700 in 2024—a decrease of 10% year-over-year.
However, a Chicago City Wire analysis found that IRS filings frequently contain discrepancies when compared with publicly disclosed government grant reports and budgets.
Aurora University is one of hundreds of nonprofits across Illinois that receive substantial support from state taxpayers while also fundraising privately.
In 2025, Illinois lawmakers introduced House Bill 1266, also known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Act. The proposal would create a new oversight body within the Office of the Auditor General tasked with identifying cost-saving measures, reviewing agency performance, and advising on audit priorities. If passed, DOGE could bring additional scrutiny and performance evaluation to taxpayer-funded organizations.
According to ProPublica, Illinois has more than 78,000 active tax-exempt organizations, including nearly 60,000 classified as charitable nonprofits. In their most recent IRS filings, these groups reported a combined revenue exceeding $156 billion.
| Fiscal Year | Total Grants/Contracts | Total Taxpayer $$ |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | $1,060,000 |
| Term | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2024 | Sharon W Maxwell | Senior Vice President |
| - | Amir Kirkwood | Board Member |
| - | Austin Dempsey | Board Member |
| - | Brian Konen | Board Member |
| - | Charles B. Doss | Board Member |
| - | Chriss Johns | Chair Of Board Of Trustees |
| - | Douglas J. Craft | Vice-Chair Of Board Of Trustees |
| - | Hilary Rantisi | Board Member |
| - | Hilary K. Brennan | Board Member |
| - | John D. Ammons | Vice-Chair Of Board Of Trustees |
| - | Jonathan Birkey | Board Member |
| - | Mary Margaret Sharp-Pucci | Board Member |
| - | Matthew Cannon | Board Member |
| - | Ronald M. Hem | Board Member |
| - | Scott Palmer | Board Member |
| - | Susana Rivera-Mills | President |
| - | Thomas Choice | Board Member |
| Year | Name | Title | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hilary Rantisi | Member Board Of Trustees | - |
| 2024 | Susana Rivera-Mills | President | - |
| 2019 | Jacob Michael Sheldon | Student Worker | - |
| 2018 | Luke D Mueller | Assistant Football Coach | - |
| 2016 | Andrew P. Manion | Executive Vice President | - |
| 2016 | William A Marzano | Adjunct Professor | - |
| 2008 | Cynthia A Willman | - | |
| 2002 | Elva Hylton | - | |
| 2002 | Mary J Manning | - | |
| 1997 | Joan K Arteberry | - | |
| 1997 | Marcia L Martin | - | |
| 1996 | Diane Balin | - | |
| 1996 | Victor Contreras | - | |
| 1994 | Vicente Contreras | - | |
| 1993 | Ramodan Osmani | - | |
| 1992 | Ramodon Osmani | - | |
| 1992 | Ramodon Osmoni | - | |
| 1991 | Manuel Mijares | - | |
| 1991 | Paul A West | - | |
| 1990 | David P Haczynski | - | |
| 1982 | Barbara A Williams | - | |
| - | Alana Weitzenfeld | - | |
| - | Alex Keith | - | |
| - | Alvin Lewis | - | |
| - | Amanda Liss | - | |
| - | Anthony Buonamici | - | |
| - | Bobby Wilson | - | |
| - | Brad Warnecke | - | |
| - | Brett Willman | - | |
| - | Brooke Spencer | - | |
| - | Christian Walker | - | |
| - | Cooper O'Brien | - | |
| - | Corey Landers | - | |
| - | Cory Walden | - | |
| - | Danielle Hernandez | - | |
| - | Danny Loyall | - | |
| - | Derek Morrison | - | |
| - | Fernando Albarran | - | |
| - | Henri Desrosiers | - | |
| - | Henry Erickson | - | |
| - | Ian Pubillones | - | |
| - | Jaime Cano | - | |
| - | Jerome Christmas | - | |
| - | Jon Glende | - | |
| - | Joseph Doran | - | |
| - | Justin Miller | - | |
| - | Kaitlyn Crohan | - | |
| - | Kyle Spooner | - | |
| - | Max Obriecht | - | |
| - | Michael Woodard | - | |
| - | Michael Ghanem | - | |
| - | Mike Foley | - | |
| - | Morgan Pruitt | - | |
| - | Nick Czaja | - | |
| - | Nick Turner | - | |
| - | Pat Diorka | - | |
| - | Peter Gallagher | - | |
| - | Rj Banker | - | |
| - | Ryan Mcmahon | - | |
| - | Ryan Merritt | - | |
| - | Ryan Adams | - | |
| - | Ryan Payne | - | |
| - | Ryan Payne | - | |
| - | Ryan Adams | - | |
| - | Sarah Meers | - | |
| - | Sarah Clauser | - | |
| - | Stephanie Lynch | - | |
| - | Stephen Sitterly | - | |
| - | Tyler Thomas | - | |
| - | Zach Laud | - |
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