Foundation for Self Leadership

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
201318139
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2018
Location
Oak Park, IL, USA
Phone
9083088531
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Reported finances

Revenue
$428,012
Expenses
$304,976
Assets
$512,298
Liabilities
$13,302

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TOUFIC HAKIM PHD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • TOUFIC HAKIM PHD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $99,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

See statementthe foundation for self leadership's purpose is to foster greater emotional, relational and societal healing and wellbeing - leading to a more peaceful world - through the practice of self leadership as identified by ifs. The foundation funds independent, scientific research of the efficacy of ifs as a treatment for ptsd, substance abuse and other conditions. The foundation incubates innovative applications of the self leadership model in real-world contexts (e.g., education, health, emerging and executive leadership). Through various communication platforms, the foundation hosts dialogues on cultivating hope, compassion and resilience. The foundation's operation and programs are entirely funded by charitable giving from members of the extended ifs community.

What it reported doing in 2025

Provided ($13,200) tuition scholarship support toward level 1 ifs training in amman, jordan, to a cohort of all-palestinian psychotherapists, counselors and coaches. This was done in alignment with the foundation's effort to expand accessibility to healing and help cultivate hope and resilience, especially in areas of crisis.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 67% for direct work, and 33% 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 the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 54
  • Transparency & Controls: 72
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 58
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 53.5%; rating input score 53
  • Program expense ratio: 74.9%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • 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: 99%; rating input score 99; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 26th 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: 28.7%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.68; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 32.5%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 53.5% of revenue deployed · 74.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $228K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $99K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2019 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 53/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 32/100.