American Indian Science and Engineering Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
731023474
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Official website data refreshed
Oct 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Albuquerque, NM, USA
Phone
(703) 631-1600
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$18,970,849
Expenses
$13,288,390
Assets
$11,321,159
Liabilities
$2,061,878

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SARAH ECHOHAWK (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH ECHOHAWK (PRESIDENT): $346,260 total reported compensation
  • AMY WEINSTEIN (VICE PRESIDE): $216,631 total reported compensation
  • KATHY DEERINWATER (VP PROJECTS/): $172,549 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To increase the representation of Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in STEM studies and careers.

What it reported doing in 2024

Scholarships: scholarships are awarded to undergraduate and graduate students, who are members of aises, for leadership and academic achievement. Aises administers academic and travel scholarships as well as an emergency fund to provide specific relief that would enable a student to continue pursuing their education. Public education and communications: aises utilizes an array of communications strategies and resources to educate the public, tribes, schools, nonprofits, corporations, foundations, and government agencies about the need for increased stem education and career opportunities for native people. Aises also conducts outreach to indigenous people and tribes to promote the importance of stem. Membership and chapter management: aises membership is open to students, professionals, and retirees. It is about connecting and relating with others, sharing stories, engaging in reciprocal relationships, gaining resources, and advancing educational and professional goals. Aises college, professional, and tribal chapters are located across north america and made up of aises members. The primary objectives of chapters are to enrich the professional, educational, service, and social needs of the membership. Chapters emphasize stem education and professions as a tool that will facilitate personal and professional growth opportunities through professional development, mentor programs, leadership training, and event participation. College programs: the focus of aises's college programs is to increase access to and success in stem higher education by providing financial and academic support and opportunities to native college students to increase the numbers of successful native stem majors. Additionally, aises offers internship opportunities to explore careers with corporations and federal agencies.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 79% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 79% for direct work, and 21% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.5%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 72.7%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $15.84 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Scored; rating input score 0

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th 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: 30%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.85; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16.3% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 19.9% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 24.3% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd 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: 51.5% of revenue deployed · 72.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $9.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $346K · 19 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $566K reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 40 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 6 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 51/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Related-party transparency scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.