Objective Standard Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
843575279
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Glen Allen, VA, USA
Phone
9494851911
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,202,937
Expenses
$1,937,649
Assets
$12,020,080
Liabilities
$22,866

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SARAH BIDDLE (PRESIDENT & SECRETARY)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH BIDDLE (PRESIDENT & SECRETARY): $102,863 total reported compensation
  • CRAIG BIDDLE (TREASURER): $73,642 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Objective standard institute teaches the rising generation about the importance of philosophy, the principles of ayn rand's objectivism, and related ideas for achieving personal happiness, creating win-win relationships, and supporting freedom on solid ground. It provides education forums to young professionals and students through online courses, in-person workshops, and multi-day conferences that offer the principles of objectivism and its life-serving philosophy.

What it reported doing in 2024

Online courses, in-person workshops and multi-day conferences.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 53
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 56
  • Sustainability: 85
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 27.4%; rating input score 27
  • Program expense ratio: 85%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $80.56 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 84; 84th 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: 40%; rating input score 40; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 68.8%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.2; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.1%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 44.8% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 40% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 41.9% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 27.4% of revenue deployed · 85% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 5 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $103K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2019 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 40/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.