American Society of Papyrologists

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
066068493
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2012
Location
Durham, NC, USA
Phone
9196842082
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$100,753
Expenses
$16,557
Assets
$1,835,629
Liabilities
$159

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRISTELLE FISCHER-BOVET (PRESIDENT)
  • TODD HICKEY (IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT)
  • C MICHAEL SAMPSON (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • CHRISTELLE FISCHER-BOVET (PRESIDENT)
  • WILLIAM JOHNSON (SECRETARY-TREASURER)
  • TODD HICKEY (IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The asp was founded in 1961 to further the study of ancient greek and latin papyri and of the materials contained in them. Since that time, the society has embraced papyrological research in other languages as well; its journal currently supports publications in demotic egyptian, coptic, and arabic, with the ambition to broaden coverage to include hieratic egyptian and aramaic in the future. The society supports and encourages research in the field, the teaching of the discipline, and international cooperation by scholars. The asp publishes the bulletin of the american society of papyrologists (basp), the only north american journal in the field of papyrology. It publishes a monograph series, american studies in papyrology, and occasional supplements to basp. It also sponsors summer institutes in papyrology, to train future generations of papyrologists.

What it reported doing in 2025

Publication and distribution of the society's annual journal (bulletin of the american society of papyrologists) and monograph series (american studies in papyrology), promotion and support of papyrological studies in north america including support for the summer institute in papyrology and for the triennial north american papyrological seminar.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 84% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 51% for direct work, and 49% for grants.

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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 36
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 89
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 12.3%; rating input score 12
  • Program expense ratio: 86.7%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 83.6%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 110.87; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.8% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 12.3% of revenue deployed · 86.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $14K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 19 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2013 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 12/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grants require schedule f did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.