Franklin Center for Global Policy Exchange

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521159816
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
202.216.1008
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,516,407
Expenses
$1,704,438
Assets
$7,410,499
Liabilities
$1,053,203

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • James K Conzelman (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • James K Conzelman (President): $353,609 total reported compensation
  • Terri McIntosh (Director): $154,810 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Franklin Center provides both Republicans and Democrats with an opportunity to learn about the world and remain engaged globally.

What it reported doing in 2024

Public Policy and Dialogue: Providing educational events which further awareness of public policy issues. The Center holds forums to present timely discussions on national and international issues of concern to policy makers and members, or to build upon policy discussions from the most recent Capital to Capital exchange, in Vienna, Austria. Discussions are held in Washington, DC and bring together experts to address the group and include an exchange of ideas. In 2024, we held 50 in-person events with vigorous discussion and participation by the attendees. We organized policy tours at President Harry Trumans White House in Key West, Florida. The Center also hosts the Capital to Capital Exchange which brings together U.S. Congressional leaders, member of the diplomatic community, corporate policy experts, scholars, parliamentarians, government leaders, and business leaders from a host country where the conference is held to discuss pressing international issues. By discussing issues such as international trade, energy, transportation, health, security, etc., policy makers gain a greater understanding of the global challenges facing the U.S. and other countries. November 8-12, Capital to Capital Exchange was held in Vienna, Austria.

Operating model

Revenue model
Membership-supported. 70% of the money available for current operations came from membership dues.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

MIXED - A large share of total spending goes to programs and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 39
  • Accountability: 68
  • Sustainability: 71
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 56.2%; rating input score 56
  • Program expense ratio: 76.9%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.26 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90.5%; rating input score 90; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: 32.3%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.35; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 29.8%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.7% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 9 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 3 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 56.2% of revenue deployed · 76.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 21 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $354K · 21 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes foreign activity and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 56/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 38/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.