The Institute on Science for Global Policy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
453998749
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone
5202754103
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$687,925
Expenses
$806,511
Assets
$188,282
Liabilities
$8,612

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • GEORGE ATKINSON (EXEC DIR/CHA): $237,495 total reported compensation
  • CAMELIA BOU (SPECIAL ASSI): $61,982 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The institute on science for global policy (isgp) designs, organizes, and convenes conferences, programs, and related activities intended to significantly improve the accurate communication of credible scientific and technological ideas, evidence-based understanding, and recommendations to those governmental, private sector, and societal leaders responsible for shaping major domestic and international policies and to the public writ large.

What it reported doing in 2024

The isgp organized, facilitated and moderated a program and conference on global emerging persistent infectious diseases (gepid) - u.s. The conference was convened by the isgp on march 11-13, 2024 at the johns hopkins bloomberg center in Washington, d.c. Approximately 75 internationally distinguished subject-matter experts, leaders, and stakeholders from governmental, private sector, and public advocacy communities worldwide participated in the conference, either in-person or virtually. Isgp staff interviewed more than 300 subject-matter experts and stakeholders worldwide to develop topics for the conference. A book, including the conference position papers, not-for-attribution debate summaries, evidence-based options, areas of consensus, and actionable next steps from the conference on global emerging and persistent infectious diseases (gepid): science/technology, policy, and communication was published (isbn: 978-1-7334375-6-1).

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 51
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 90.3%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $24.99 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 25th 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: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -17.2%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.23; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 37.1%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 26.2% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 90.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 19 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $728K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $237K · 19 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 4/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.