Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU)

Legal name: Americans for Ben-gurion University Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237270753
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
212-687-7721
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$75,468,257
Expenses
$73,616,491
Assets
$934,796,210
Liabilities
$36,404,533

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

Leadership & pay

61 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DOUGLAS SESERMAN (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • DOUGLAS SESERMAN (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $773,153 total reported compensation
  • ARI STEINBERG (PHILANTHROPIC RELATIONSHIP OFFICER): $330,164 total reported compensation
  • KEREN WARANCH CHIEF (DEVELOPMENT OFFICER (THRU 06/14/24)): $330,073 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) supports Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) through fundraising, advocacy, and community engagement, advancing BGU's mission of research, education, and social impact in Israel's Negev region.

What it reported doing in 2024

Ben-gurion university (bgu) support: a4bgu raises funds within the u.s. For ben-gurion university. Support includes, but is not limited to, grants for ongoing operations (e.g. Scholarships/fellowships, student activities), academic research (e.g. Water/environment, cyber security, robotics/artificial intelligence, medical breakthroughs), faculty recruitment, capital projects (e.g. Dormitories, research labs, classroom buildings, conference facilities), community outreach activities to support the development of israel's negev region (e.g. Volunteer and social action to under-resourced communities and individuals, bedouin support, youth clubs, mentoring/tutoring, university prep programs, etc.).

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 74% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 95% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 63
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 85.8%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.83 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 95.2%; rating input score 95; 35th 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: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • 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; 77th 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; 77th 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: 2.5%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.7; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.4%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 4 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 85.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 54 of 54 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $63.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $773K · 61 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1M reported
  • Consistency: 42 of 43 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 43/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 45/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.