National Scholastic Press Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
416040857
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone
6122009254
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Printing, Publishing

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,598,775
Expenses
$2,649,414
Assets
$2,096,559
Liabilities
$841,868

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LAURA WIDMER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • ELIZABETH SMITH (PRESIDENT THRU NOV., PAST PRESIDENT)
  • BECKY TATE (PRESIDENT-ELECT THRU NOV., PRESIDENT)
  • AMY DEVAULT (SECRETARY THRU NOV., PRESIDENT-ELECT)
  • JEANNE ACTON (PAST PRESIDENT THRU NOV., DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • LAURA WIDMER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $139,422 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Advances journalism and media as a vital cultural force by connecting advisers, students and professionals through national events and competitions and by creating and curating content that enhances professional development. Defines global standards and ethical practices, inspires journalism and media students and the public, establishes criteria for journalism education that meets the needs of the profession, makes powerful tools and resources available and accessible, and celebrates and enhances the value of journalism.

What it reported doing in 2024

Training programs: conventions and workshops for high school and college journalism students and advisers are co-sponsored with national adviser organizations. Over 9,300 students and advisers participated. Competitions: at conventions and conferences, "best of show" honors are presented, individual honors are also awarded for excellence in journalism and scholarship. All are in keeping with the highest ideals and best practices of journalism.critique services: membership in the association provides for a critical review of student produced publications; newspapers; yearbooks and magazines. Almost 1,500 high school and college publications participated. Individual student competitions: students from our member publications submit work in the areas of writing, design, advertising and photography.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 95% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 87.4%; rating input score 87
  • Program expense ratio: 86.9%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1.9%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.79; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.4; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.3%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 87.4% of revenue deployed · 86.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $139K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 27/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 52/100.