International Security Management Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
222473337
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Thayer, IA, USA
Phone
5154605426
Rating
61
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,785,283
Expenses
$1,559,711
Assets
$2,824,349
Liabilities
$703,119

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KIRSTEN MESKILL (PRESIDENT)
  • GEORGE MCCLOSKEY (SECOND VICE PRESIDENT)
  • NIALL MACGINNIS (FIRST VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ELIZABETH CHAMBERLAIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ELIZABETH CHAMBERLAIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $242,906 total reported compensation
  • MOLLY JIN (DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & KNOWLEDGE MGMT): $123,408 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Isma is an international leadership forum for security executives whose expertise is used to develop, organize, and share knowledge that will enhance security.

What it reported doing in 2024

Isma conducts professional development seminars for its members and other security executives. The objectives of these conferences are to provide executive training to its members and to provide a forum for discussion of current security issues, threats and practices.see schedule o - supplemental information.during 2024, isma conducted nine conferences for its members; one conference that was held in person at northwestern university in Illinois, in partnership with the kellogg school of management, which included 40 attendees; one conference that was held virtually, in partnership with the kellogg school of management, which included 27 attendees; two conferences that were held in person in germany, in partnership with the technishe hochschule ingolstadt, a german university, which included 6 attendees and 9 attendees respectively; one conference held in d.c. That was held in person which included 85 attendees; and one conference that was held in person in chicago and virtually which included 156 attendees. Isma also held their annual reception which included 155 attendees. Additionally, isma held three webinars on various topics with 57 attendees and thirteen roundtable discussion forums that were held virtually averaging 44 attendees per forum. Fees were not charged to attend the webinars or forums. Finally, isma held an in-person conference in switzerland, which included 91 attendees, and an in-person meeting in atlanta which included 187 attendees.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 96% 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: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 47
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 58
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 63.8%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 75.6%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 16th 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • 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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: No; rating input score 0

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 12.6%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.81; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.25; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.9%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -6.3% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 63.8% of revenue deployed · 75.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $243K · 15 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes foreign activity and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Related-party transparency scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 28/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 44/100.