National Celiac Association Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
161616413
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2015, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Needham, MA, USA
Phone
6172625422
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Digestive Diseases, Disorders

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$642,430
Expenses
$569,681
Assets
$1,638,424
Liabilities
$17,118

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRISTOPHER E RICH (CEO/EXEC. DI)
  • CHRIS MIRICK (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • CHRISTOPHER E RICH (CEO/EXEC. DI): $135,000 total reported compensation
  • KIM BUCKTON (MANAGING DIR): $73,750 total reported compensation
  • CARLA CARTER (DIRECTOR): $68,625 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The national celiac association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to educating & advocating for individuals with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivities, their families, and communities throughout the country. We provide support and education to our members and the celiac community through a broad range of programs, platforms, and initiatives. These include group meetings, magazines, e-newsletters, a comprehensive website, and messaging over our social media platforms. As well as supporting individuals and families, the national celiac association forges mutually beneficial relationships with medical professionals and provides resources for their facilities to provide a continuous care system for their local communities.

What it reported doing in 2025

Distribution of educational materials, provision of community support through meetings, events & activities, and the purchase and distribution of gluten-free food to individuals and families in need.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 75% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 43
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 57
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 47.4%; rating input score 47
  • Program expense ratio: 46.9%; rating input score 47
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

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: Limited
  • 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: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 11.3%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.88; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 48.7%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.8% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 47.4% of revenue deployed · 46.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $267K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $135K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2016 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 47/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 8/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.