Sifma Foundation for Investor Education (Fie) Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

See schedule othe stock market game (tm)sifma foundation's flagship initiative, the stock market game, is a beloved project-based financial education program used in classrooms and educational settings. Starting with a virtual cash account of $100,000, student teams strive to create the best performing portfolio of bonds, stocks, mutual funds, etfs and esg investments during the 3 through 8 month competition. Smg engages youth in learning that leads to higher test scores in economics, math and personal finance, and life skills learning. A nationally randomized, double-blind study funded by the finra foundation found that the stock market game program substantially improved student performance on standardized math tests and improved student investor knowledge, while also increasing teachers likelihood of researching and planning for their own retirement. Investwrite (r)sifma foundation's national essay competition, investwrite, extends what students learn in smg by challenging them to review a long-term investment scenario and make analyst-style recommendations. Participants work individually and explore concepts of saving and investing, asset allocation, and corporate governance, while reinforcing their ela skills. Each year, thousands of industry professionals volunteer as investwrite judges to select and acknowledge the best essays. Capitol hill challenge (tm)the capitol hill challenge (chc) is a special edition of the smg that matches us members of congress with student teams in their district's public and underserved schools. Chc enhances participants' financial and civics education and gives members of congress an opportunity to engage with local schools, education leaders, and financial institutions supporting youth financial education in their communities. Since 2014, 100% congress has participated in chc. Invest it forward (r)an industry-wide, skills-based volunteer program, invest it forward (iif) fosters career exploration, mentorship and industry partnerships for youth and educators. Volunteers from the private sector partner with schools to expose students to new career pathways and deepen their understanding of the financial industry and opportunities. Iif provides interactive content to facilitate volunteers' virtual or in-person presentations, complement the smg, inspire real-world discussions, and build teachers' insights and confidence. Materials and support are provided to volunteers to maximize the impact of their involvement.smg invest questa fully digital experience, smg iq, is a 30-minute online investing simulation that emphasizes asset allocation, diversification, and long-term investing. Smg iq incorporates fundamental definitions and concepts related to investing, while presenting unique investment choices, helpful tips, and industry news to consider through a five-year span of real market activity. In its first year, 125,000 smg iq games were completed

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 77.4%; rating input score 77
• Program expense ratio: 84.7%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $22.65 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 80.4%; rating input score 80; 21st 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: 10.4%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.55; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 38.9%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings