Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521241105
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
El Segundo, CA, USA
Phone
7193597346
Rating
59
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$917,282
Expenses
$300,853
Assets
$823,795
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Michael Gilcrest (President)

People named in this filing

  • Michael Gilcrest (President)
  • Sean Rucker (Secretary)
  • Todd Wiest (VP of Programs)

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 Chapter shall be a patriotic, educational, 28 30 0 ARMED FORCES COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION scientific, nonprofit organization comprised of individuals involved in the military, industry, and government of the United 0 1970 584,015 705,530 584,043 0 705,560 719-331-5826 52-1241105 94,000 0 14 853,471 afcea-la.org 0 50 El Segundo, CA 90245 0 PO Box 1227 0 337,982 0 CA-147,911 0 0 States. The Chapter maintains and improves the cooperation and exchange of ideas between government and industry.

What it reported doing in 2025

Space Industry Days two day conference during which the Space Systems Command personnel present space acquisition program status and business opportunities. Headquarters Space Force officials address future requirements and budgets for space systems. Industry speakers share industry best practices and future technologies. Attendance is by members of aerospace and defense industries and associated government personnel. Registration fees are charged for attendance. We are a co-sponsor with Greater Los Angeles Chapter to the National Defense Industrial Association, Air Force Association Schriever Chapter, and the Southern California Aerospace Professionals Representatives.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 100% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 68% for direct work, and 32% for grants.

The verdict

MIXED - Most voting board members are independent and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 49
  • Transparency & Controls: 58
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 86
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 31.1%; rating input score 31
  • Program expense ratio: 94.7%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 67.2%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.74; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 20.2% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 23% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 31.1% of revenue deployed · 94.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $282K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 39 of 41 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 31/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Fund balance restriction sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.