Aia Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
593819154
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2026267300
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Professional Societies, Associations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$997,223
Expenses
$963,130
Assets
$8,849,067
Liabilities
$27,076

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BILL ROSCHEN FAIA (PRESIDENT)
  • DAN KIRBY FAIA (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • MARCI REED (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARCI REED (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $195,729 total reported compensation
  • ERIN SMITH (SR. DIR, DESIGN ASSISTANCE): $185,833 total reported compensation
  • JOEL F MILLS (SR. DIR, COMMUNITIES BY DESIGN): $180,751 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Architects use the power of design to solve problems, transform lives, and create a better world. The architects foundation inspires and empowers the next generation of designers and the diverse communities they serve. The architects foundation also preserves the historic octagon building in the nation's capital, seeking ways to best express the values of historic preservation as sustainable design, and keep the octagon's legacy alive with exhibits, educational programs and partnerships that focus on the value architects and architecture bring to culture and community, and the architect's role in a just, equitable, diverse and inclusive society. We also run communities by design, an initiative that allows us to partner with communities around the world to address critical challenges like climate resilience, revitalization and housing.

What it reported doing in 2024

Octagon museum ownership and management - the architects foundation is the owner and manager of the "octagon" building, an historic structure located in Washington, dc. The foundation operates the octagon as a museum, art gallery, and showcase. As a museum and exhibit space, the oldest private residence in dc now hosts programs demonstrating the cultural and societal impact of architects and architecture, and the architect's potential to create a just and equitable society. The octagon also hosts educational lectures and events for professionals and the general public.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 59% for direct work, and 41% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 62
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 75.2%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 62.5%; rating input score 62
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th 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: 3.4%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.19; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.1%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.8% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 75.2% of revenue deployed · 62.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $602K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $196K · 16 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 8/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 36/100.