Scepter Publishers Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
366109830
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Strongsville, OH, USA
Phone
2164968274
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Religious Printing, Publishing

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,355,676
Expenses
$2,621,444
Assets
$8,066,739
Liabilities
$315,403

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT SINGERLINE (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ROBERT SINGERLINE (CEO): $95,000 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL AQUILINA II (DIRECTOR): $36,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Publication of religious and educational materials. Program service revenue from sales of its book inventory.

What it reported doing in 2025

Scepter's selection of titles emphasizes the fundamental aspects of religious life: prayer, sincerity, self-denial, and a spirit of service to others. Since its publishing focus is related to a message that remains outside the mainstream, it must make a greater effort to promote these materials with better marketing in order to reach individuals already receptive to this message as well as those who might be led to a greater awareness of its importance. During 2017 scepter released several new books that help people in their day-to-day struggles to improve both their own lives and the lives of others. Some of the titles include ordinary life and holiness this work compiles the writings of st. Josemaria regarding the universal call to holiness for the lay faithful. It teaches us that we are all called to be saints in whatever our occupation or state of life. Another is inside the mind of thomas more, by david oakley. St. Thomas more is the patron saint for lawyers and this book renders examples of how this great saint was able to live his faith for the common good of others in very specific circumstances. Holiness in a secular age, fr. Juan valez relates what the 19th century cardinal newman would suggest regarding the state of affairs we find ourselves in our current times. Team baby, by julia dee and ida gazzola is a book that helps young mothers to better understand the spiritual beauty of motherhood with particular advice for new moms.

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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 50
  • Sustainability: 70
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.5%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 93.9%; rating input score 94
  • 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: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Limited
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 21.9%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.08; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.3% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.5% of revenue deployed · 93.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 6 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $2.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $95K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2015 to 2025
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 57/100.