School for Advanced Research

What it reported doing in 2024

The indian arts research center (iarc): the iarc's work this year reinforced the power of orienting collections care around community. The indigenous collections care (icc) guide, a project born from a growing interest in prioritizing and privileging indigenized practices on all levels of museum work, particularly in the stewardship of collections, progressed to the final vetting stage this year, offering opportunities to engage tribal and museum voices across the field. This eventual companion to the widely used guidelines for collaboration and standards for museums with native american collections, illustrates a clear aim for the iarc's continued work: center stewardship around indigenous knowledge and needs, and make that standard practice accessible to professionals and community members around the world. On the public stage, grounded in clay: the spirit of pueblo pottery continued its national tour, following a celebrated New York presentation by the metropolitan museum of art and the vilcek foundation with an opening at the museum of fine arts, houston (october 2024-january 2025) and a run at the saint louis art museum (march- september 2025). The exhibition's curriculum and podcast launched alongside, extending learning to classrooms and homes. The exhibition received a listing as one of the top ten of the year by art forum. The work of native artist fellows at sar this year (kevin aspaas, lynda teller pete, and sheridan macknight) pushed the boundaries of "tradition," challenged how we understand american art, and demonstrated how communities can more actively utilize collections. All three highlighted the indelible connection between art, culture, and language. And, like our scholar alumni, our artist fellows continue to prove that time here at sar can be transformative in ways that inspire continued creative paths, ones that lead to national and global recognition. This year, 2008 ronald and susan dubin fellow jeffrey gibson represented the united states at the venice biennale, as just one such example.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 55.2%; rating input score 55
• Program expense ratio: 63.6%; rating input score 64
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.9 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• 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: 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: 36.4%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.59; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 13.8%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings