Gordon Research Conferences Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN: 260150662
IRS 990 coverage: 2009–2024
Forms available: Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2008
Location: East Greenwich, RI, USA
Phone: 4017834011
Rating: 78
Verdict: SUPPORTED
Rating confidence: Moderate
Sector: Chemistry, Chemical Engineering

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue: $62,035,304
Expenses: $57,738,727
Assets: $112,697,594
Liabilities: $5,071,619

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

NANCY RYAN GRAY (PRESIDENT AND CEO)

Highest reported compensation

NANCY RYAN GRAY (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $885,909 total reported compensation
TARYN GROVES MORAN (TREASURER AND CFO (THRU 9/25)): $464,750 total reported compensation
JAMES DAVID (IT MANAGER): $314,389 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 gordon research conferences, inc. Provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, physical and engineering sciences and their interfaces. *see schedule o*

What it reported doing in 2024

The gordon research conferences foster scientific education and discussions and the free exchange of ideas at the research frontiers of the biological, chemical, physical and engineering sciences and their interfaces. Scientists with common professional interests come together for a full week of intense discussion and examination of the most advanced aspects of their field. These conferences provide a valuable means of disseminating information and ideas in a way that cannot be achieved through the usual channels of communication - publications and presentations at large scientific meetings. During the year there were 202 conferences as well as 192 gordon research seminars held.

Operating model

Revenue model: Earned-program. 79% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

Financial Efficiency: 78
Transparency & Controls: 61
Accountability: 100
Sustainability: 63
Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

Mission deployment rate: 85.6%; rating input score 86
Program expense ratio: 89.9%; rating input score 90
Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Pass
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

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: 6.9%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.95; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
Officer compensation ratio: 3.4%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
Revenue growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
Asset growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Details

Where the money goes: 85.6% of revenue deployed · 89.9% of spending went to programs
Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $51.9M in reported program spending
Leadership: top reported pay $886K · 21 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $203K reported
Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, executive pay, and related organizations
Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
Contacts: How to reach this organization
Money network: 5 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 scored 0/100.
High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 32/100.