Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
562060876
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2021, Form 990-N 2007
Location
Franklinton, NC, USA
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Printing, Publishing

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$432,564
Expenses
$431,371
Assets
$114,872
Liabilities
$264,627

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • August Turak (President and Chair)

Highest reported compensation

  • Melissa Hawks (VP, Secy and Treasurer): $36,000 total reported compensation
  • Cheryl Reedy (Accountant): $18,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to bring a transformative message of higher meaning and purpose to a Western Culture increasingly bereft of meaning and purpose. We do this by introducing individuals and organizations to the power of service and selflessness.

What it reported doing in 2025

A book on spiritual awareness was being written and published.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 52
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 21
  • Sustainability: 24
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.5%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 57.4%; rating input score 57
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.3%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.27; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.3; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.5%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 75.7% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 39.5% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 32.6% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59.5% of revenue deployed · 57.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 6 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $248K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $36K · 7 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2022 to 2025
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 57/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 1/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.