National Office the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award USA

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
812700285
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
7732097665
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Development Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$889,764
Expenses
$809,906
Assets
$738,081
Liabilities
$53,468

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUZANNE CURRIE (CEO)
  • ELIZABETH HIGGINS-BEARD (CEO (THRU 05/11/2025))

Highest reported compensation

  • LISA METZGER-MUGG (VP PROGRAM AND OPERATIONS): $140,816 total reported compensation
  • MEGAN M ZEGLER (DIRECTOR, FINANCE (THRU 12/20/2024)): $106,294 total reported compensation
  • ELIZABETH HIGGINS-BEARD (CEO (THRU 05/11/2025)): $71,293 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The duke of edinburgh's international award use transforms individuals, communities, and societies around the world, helping young people exceed expectations. It allows their achievements to be recognized consistently worldwide through a unique international accreditation.

What it reported doing in 2024

The duke of edinburgh's international award USA (the organization) offices were established in may of 2016. As a licensed national award operator by the duke of edinburgh's international award foundation (iaf), award USA operates with over 37 program partners (award centers): schools, after school programs, corporations and colleges to deliver the award nationally in 28 states & dc. Award USA also offers an innovative virtual award program connecting young people in the USA with mentors through electronic means to participate in the award where no award centers have yet been established. Award USA's ambition is that every young person in the USA should have the opportunity to pursue the award. Continued funding for award USA comes from primarily private donors, as well as grant support, award participant fees, and award center licensing fees. Scholarship funds are raised to support marginalized and low income young people in their award activities including their adventurous journeys. The award equips young people for life. The award is: - open to all young people aged 14-24, regardless of their background and circumstances. - about personal development and individual challenge: it is a non-competitive, enjoyable, voluntary program, which requires sustained effort over time. - a non-formal educational framework which can complement formal eduacation or offer a substitute where formal opportunuties are not avalible, - comprised of three levels: bronze, silver and gold. - consists of four sections: voluntary sercice, skills, physical recreation and adventurous journey, as well as a project at the gold level.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 86% 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 55.4%; rating input score 55
  • Program expense ratio: 60.8%; rating input score 61
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.81 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd 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; 63rd 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: 9%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.91; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 45.9%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -6.6% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 55.4% of revenue deployed · 60.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $493K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $141K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • 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.
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 43/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 40/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.