International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811598459
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022
Location
Mclean, VA, USA
Phone
5713352021
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$748,625
Expenses
$720,843
Assets
$22,792
Liabilities
$230

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANNE C SPECKHARD (CE/PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANNE C SPECKHARD (CE/PRESIDENT): $499,487 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To provide research, training, and strategic advice to government leaders, intelligence, defense, international organizations, police and civilian communities worldwide to prevent and deter the threat of violent extremism in the core areas such as capacity building and programmatic support, countering extremist narrative, alternative narrative, developing community resilience, managing intervention activities, and training.

What it reported doing in 2024

Primary research - international center for the study of violent extremism researchers conduct primary field research on groups like isis, al shabaab etc. Using research interviews of former and imprisoned terrorists as their primary method and also rely on secondary sources. Breaking the isis brand counter narrative project- given the prolific use of media by terrorist organizations such as isis to spur their global reach and propaganda, fighting isis and similar groups in the digital and information realm has become a major pillar of our research activities. International center for the study of violent extremism takes pride in their field-based primary research and evidence-based educational video materials taht are carefully crafted to counter the efforts of extremist and terrorist organizations to publicize their propaganda and garner support for violence. International center for the study of violent extremism strongly believes that the voices of defectors and victims of terrorist groups should be the overriding force in their collective counter-narrative efforts. First-person research with extremists, terrorists, and their supporters, and evidence-based counter-messaging is what makes the international center for the study of violent extremism stand out from the rest. Counter narrative distribution- international center for the study of violent extremisim researchers publish and disseminate their research results globally and they also lecture to, consult with governments and NGO's and others interested in their work.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 86% of the money available for current operations came from other operating 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 the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.2%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 95.8%; rating input score 96
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.7%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.03; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 69.3%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.4% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -7.2% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.2% of revenue deployed · 95.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $690K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $499K · 4 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 49/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 1/100.