Southern Economic Association C/o Free Market Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
900482770
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Lubbock, TX, USA
Phone
8067427138
Rating
55
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$571,803
Expenses
$609,733
Assets
$1,375,793
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR GLENN BLOMQUIST (PRESIDENT)
  • DR DONNA GINTHER (PRESIDENT-ELECT)
  • DR LAURA TAYLOR (FIRST VICE PRESIDENT)
  • DR CHRISTOPHER BOLLINGER (SECOND VICE PRESIDENT)
  • DR PIA ORRENIUS (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • DR GARY A HOOVER (PAST PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • DR OMARI SWINTON (TRUSTEE)
  • DR LE WANG (TRUSTEE)
  • DR CLAUDIA KRAMER (TRUSTEE)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

Further the education of scholars and the public in economic affairs; seeks to stimulate interest in and disseminate results of recent research in theory and applied economics.

What it reported doing in 2025

Annual conference; distinguished speakers in the field of economics to educate attendees in economic affairs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 80% 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

MIXED - 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: 46
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 18
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.2%; rating input score 51
  • Program expense ratio: 51.9%; rating input score 52
  • 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -6.6%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.26; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.2% of revenue deployed · 51.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 10 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $316K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 18 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 51/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 52/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 17/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.