National Council for the Social Studies

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
526055389
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Silver Spring, MD, USA
Phone
3015881800
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Social Science

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,668,509
Expenses
$3,785,594
Assets
$1,697,281
Liabilities
$932,412

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JENNIFER MORGAN (PRESIDENT)
  • JOSEPH SCHMIDT (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • TINA ELLSWORTH (PRESIDENT ELECT)
  • WESLEY HEDGEPETH (IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT)
  • ANTON SCHULZKI (INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (STAFF))
  • LAWRENCE PASKA THRU 103124 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/TREASUR)

Highest reported compensation

  • LAWRENCE PASKA THRU 103124 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/TREASUR): $162,711 total reported compensation
  • ANTON SCHULZKI (INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (STAFF)): $19,615 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Founded in 1921, ncss advocates and builds capacity for high-quality social studies by providing leadership, programs, and resources for educators across the country to ensure students are educated and inspired for lifelong inquiry and informed civic action.

What it reported doing in 2024

Publications and mailing -ncss publishes four peer reviewed journalssocial education, social studies and the young learner, middle level learning, and theory and research in social educationproviding instructional strategies, curriculum resources, and research for educators from elementary through higher education. Ncss also partners with the children's book council to produce the annual notable trade books for young people list. Publications are available in print and digital formats and are widely used by teachers, libraries, and universities. In addition to journals, ncss publishes newsletters and professional books to support educator development, adding five new titles this year on topics including data literacy and artificial intelligence.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 94% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 98% 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. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 24
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.6%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 76.4%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

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: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.2%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.45; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.55; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.8%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 79.6% of revenue deployed · 76.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $163K · 19 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $174K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 19/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 55/100.