German-american Scholarship Association Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 136133333
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2016–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2015
- Location
- New York, NY, USA
- Phone
- 6466724350
- Rating
- 81
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Cultural, Ethnic Awareness
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $69,650
- Expenses
- $127,993
- Assets
- $411,608
- Liabilities
- $10,300
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
8 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- BARBARA ELLING (PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- BARBARA ELLING (PRESIDENT)
- L FRIEDRICH PFEIFER (DIRECTOR)
- REINHARD AUGUSTIN (DIRECTOR)
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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The mission of the german-american scholarship association inc. Is to enhance and strengthen german-american relationships through education and transatlantic academic and cultural exchange.
What it reported doing in 2024
The organization supported in the year ended october 31, 2025 four different transatlantic scholarship programs. 1. The organization awarded stipends to three (3) phd students, enrolled at u.s. Universities, for a yearlong research program in germany. This is a collaboration with the fulbright commission (58,463). 2. The organization supported ten (10) students who received their bachelor's degrees at a german or ukrainian university during their master program's at u.s. Institutions with a so called bridge stipend. This is a collaboration with iie (30,000). 3. The organization financed continuing education courses at heidelberg university for three (3) non-native german teachers at u.s. Universities and high schools. This is a collaboration with heidelberg university, germany (3,182). 4. In collaboration with columbia university, the organization enabled ten (10) students from columbia university to successfully complete summer programs for german language and culture at freie universitt in berlin (18,000).
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and program spending has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 84
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 82
- Sustainability: 33
- Growth: 20
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 85.7%; rating input score 86
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- 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: Fail
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -83.8%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.22; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -10.9% per year; rating input score 0; 27th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -17.1% per year; rating input score 0; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 85.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $110K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
- Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.