Sphinx Foundation

What it reported doing in 2025

A) education: the foundation conducts formal annual courses on dartmouth and sphinx history and traditions for incoming undergraduate members. The courses are normally conducted in the sphinx building and overseen by alumni members. They combine lectures, oral review sessions with reading assignments. There are normally three sessions per academic quarter (excluding summer) and include guest lectures. Undergraduate members typically make extensive use of the sphinx facilities which include the library and study stations. The foundation maintains the building's wireless and high-speed connectivity to ensure the sphinx building provides the strongest support for undergraduate academic activities. These facilities were used extensively to provide virtual gatherings (zoom), as well as traditional educational activities. General activities of undergraduate membership in sphinx include extensive peer driven learning experiences that take place in the sphinx building. These include informal academic debate and discourse, fulfillment of group leadership role, group goal setting and planned activities, basic budget management, and interaction with college officials. The sphinx foundation organizes and supports public lectures and partners with the college's continuing alumni education programs when requested and appropriate. The foundation supported the hill winds program, a diverse group of undergraduates selected to be 'ambassadors' to the visiting alumni body. The hill winds society was founded in 2008 and consists of members selected on the basis of campus involvement, communication skills, leadership potential and an infectious dartmouth spirit. In 2024, working with the college and teevens center, the foundation established the sphinx internship fund for student athletes with a contribution of $100,000.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 32.8%; rating input score 33
• Program expense ratio: 76.1%; rating input score 76
• Fundraising efficiency: $214.63 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 84.6%; rating input score 85; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 94%; rating input score 94; 45th 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; 64th 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 66.6%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 27.35; rating input score 97; 97th 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: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings