The Foundation of the St Andrew's Society of Philadelphia

What it reported doing in 2024

Promoted understanding between the United States and Scotland by awarding scholarships to carefully selected students in the Philadelphia region to study in Scotland, and to carefully selected students in Scotland to study in the United States. Each year, the Foundation contacts 30 colleges and universities in the region surrounding the Philadelphia area, and delivers the Foundations application for scholarship for attendance abroad at one of four Scottish universities. The candidate must rank academically in the top 25% of his/her class, be nominated by their school Dean or foreign study head, be involved in his/her school community, and willing to spend an entire academic year abroad at a Scottish educational institution. Each applicant must provide a personal essay, letters of recommendation, and transcript in support of his/her candidacy to the Scholarship Committee. Nominees will be invited to be interviewed by the Foundations scholarship committee. Nominees are questioned to discover which applicants will represent the Foundation and experience the culture, history, and character of Scotland at their chosen university should they be awarded a scholarship. Committee members independently rank each candidate using a scoring rubric, from which the winning candidates are selected for awards. Based on their ranking by the committee, the top scorer receives first choice for a Scottish university, etc. Personnel at the Scottish universities execute a similar vetting process, and select award winners to attend colleges in the Philadelphia area.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 26%; rating input score 26
• Program expense ratio: 74.7%; rating input score 75
• Fundraising efficiency: $302.62 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 96%; rating input score 96; 43rd 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: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 81.8%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 24.6; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings