Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

Legal name: Grand Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
530215218
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
(202) 986 - 2400
Rating confidence
Limited

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$38,279,295
Expenses
$39,095,100
Assets
$59,590,263
Liabilities
$21,530,234

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

Leadership & pay

78 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BEVERLY E SMITH (26TH NATIONAL PRESIDENT)
  • CYNTHIA MA BUTLER-MCINTYRE (24TH NATIONAL PRESIDENT)
  • DORCAS WASHINGTON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • DR GWENDOLYN E BOYD (22ND NATIONAL PRESIDENT)
  • DR LOUISE RICE (23RD NATIONAL PRESIDENT)
  • DR PAULETTE C WALKER (25TH NATIONAL PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DORCAS WASHINGTON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $389,875 total reported compensation
  • LINDA THOMAS (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $347,904 total reported compensation
  • TAMEKA SIMMONS (GENERAL COUNSEL): $312,388 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is a private, non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. Since its founding, Delta Sigma Theta has become one of the preeminent service-based sororities, with more than 350,000 initiated members and over 1,050 chartered chapters worldwide. The major programs of the Sorority are based upon the Five-Point Programmatic Thrust: economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement.

What it reported doing in 2024

Public and community programs: implemented initiatives under the five point programmatic thrusts, including economic-empowerment workshops, voter-education efforts, international-relief partnerships, and health-awareness campaigns. These activities were funded primarily through membership dues, conferences, and grants, and collectively advanced the sorority's mission of service, scholarship, and sisterhood.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 76% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

- The available evidence is not sufficient to produce an overall rating for this filing. This is not a warning sign.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: NotEnoughData
  • Transparency & Controls: 66
  • Accountability: 73
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: Limited
  • Program expense ratio: Limited
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Limited
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 54.2%; rating input score 54; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 53.8%; rating input score 54; 9th 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: -2.1%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.52; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.36; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.7%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 4.4% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Governance: 28 of 52 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments
  • Leadership: top reported pay $390K · 78 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.1M reported
  • Consistency: 15 of 17 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 12 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 54/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 54/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.