Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 133927791
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Atlanta, GA, USA
- Phone
- 4049755000
- Rating
- 68
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Professional Societies, Associations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $8,425,853
- Expenses
- $8,149,199
- Assets
- $20,663,527
- Liabilities
- $7,964,211
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
26 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- DR KATHLEEN CHAPPELL (CEO)
- DR MARSAL P STOLL (FORMER CEO)
Highest reported compensation
- DR KATHLEEN CHAPPELL (CEO): $503,549 total reported compensation
- LINDA D ARD (CHIEF ACCREDITATION OFFICER): $341,508 total reported compensation
- ALEXANDER MARIQUIT (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $325,492 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The accreditation commission for education in nursing (acen) supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by the functions of accreditation. Accreditation is a peer review, self-regulatory process by which non-governmental associations recognize educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality. Accreditation also assists in the further improvement of the institutions or programs as related to resources invested, processes followed, and results achieved. The monitoring of certificate, diploma, and degree offerings is tied closely to state examination and licensing rules and to the oversight of preparation for work in the profession.
What it reported doing in 2024
The acen accredits nursing education programs, including clinical doctorate, dnp specialist certificate, master's/post-master's certificate, baccalaureate, associate, diploma, and practical nursing programs. The acen accredits nursing education programs in secondary, postsecondary, and hospital-based governing organizations that offer certificates, diplomas, or degrees. The acen serves as a title iv-hea gatekeeper for some practical nursing programs and hospital-based nursing education programs eligible to participate in financial aid programs administered by the united states department of education or other federal agencies. The acen accredits non-credit transition-to-practice programs for all levels of nursing practice. The acen accredits transition-to-practice programs offered by academic institutions (e.g., university, college, career center) and/or healthcare agencies (e.g., hospitals, long-term care, etc.).
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 88% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 60
- Transparency & Controls: 57
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 45
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 65.2%; rating input score 65
- Program expense ratio: 70.8%; rating input score 71
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
- Compensation committee: Missing
- Independent consultant: Pass
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
- Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
- Major donor itemization: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 3.3%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.54; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.39; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 28.1%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 65.2% of revenue deployed · 70.8% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $5.8M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $504K · 26 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes foreign activity and executive pay
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
- 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.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
- High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 45/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 28/100.