Strategic Education International

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
824871189
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Leesburg, VA, USA
Phone
5713105880
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Adult, Continuing Education

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$35,560
Expenses
$88,606
Assets
$12,317
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Susan Bryant PhD (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Susan Bryant PhD (Executive Director): $35,995 total reported compensation
  • Mark D Troutman PhD (EVP and Chief Operating Officer): $32,450 total reported compensation
  • Arnel David (Director of Communications): $1,540 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

SEI provides education, research and special events to support the professional development of senior professionals involved in the formulation, delivery and evaluation of national security strategy. Our research and education includes individuals and organizations in the public and private sectors.

What it reported doing in 2025

Education seminars in support of national security strategy professional development. Conference presentations, workshop presentations, papers presented in conferences based on SEI research and publication of "Resourcing the National Security Enterprise." Conference presentations, workshop presentations, papers presented in conferences based on SEI research and publication of "Winning Without Fighting."

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 100% of the money available for current operations came from other operating 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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 34
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 83
  • Sustainability: 18
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 49.3%; rating input score 49
  • Program expense ratio: 19.8%; rating input score 20
  • 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: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -149.2%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.14; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 79%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -19.1% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -19.6% per year; rating input score 0; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -12.9% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 49.3% of revenue deployed · 19.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $18K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $36K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 49/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 20/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.