Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society
Legal name: Sigma Xi the Scientific Research Honor Society Inc
Overview
Mission
To enhance the health of the research enterprise, foster integrity in science and engineering, and promote the public's understanding of science for the purpose of fostering a global scientific community.
What it reported doing in 2024
Sigma xi's programs are focused on science and engineering education, research ethics, public understanding of science, international research cooperation and the health of the research enterprise.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 77% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 90% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 060655494
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Aug 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Research Triangle Park, NC, US
- Phone
- 800-243-6534 or 919-549-4691
- Rating
- 70
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $4,861,984
- Expenses
- $5,139,078
- Assets
- $19,546,515
- Liabilities
- $3,945,123
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 56
- Transparency & Controls: 87
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 40
- Growth: 0
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 64%; rating input score 64
- Program expense ratio: 59.1%; rating input score 59
- Fundraising efficiency: $1.81 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -5.7%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.8; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.2; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 10.9%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 64% of revenue deployed · 59.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $3M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $241K · 19 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 4/100.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
- High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.
Leadership & pay
19 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- JAMIE L VERNON PHD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO): $240,971 total reported compensation
- JASMINE SHAH (DIR FINANCE/ADMIN): $167,000 total reported compensation
- LISA MERRITT (DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT): $152,857 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024.