The Philosophical Research Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
952158732
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
3236632167
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Humanities Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,078,612
Expenses
$1,188,033
Assets
$1,237,721
Liabilities
$42,222

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN PILLSBURY (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • JOHN BUCHER START 22024 (MEMBER)
  • ANN SLICHTER START 72024 (SECRETARY)
  • MARYAM SAYYAD START 72024 (TREASURER)

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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To disseminate information and increase public awareness in the areas of philosophy, comparative religions and psychology.

What it reported doing in 2024

1) public events: prs presents a diverse range of public cultural arts programs including film screenings, live music concerts, special lectures and author talks, performance art and theatre events, workshops, magic lantern shows, special classes (butoh dance, somatic movement, sound baths) and more. The emphasis of this programming is the intersection between the creative arts and metaphysics, mythology, philosophy and mysticism, and the events draw on a very wide range of los angeles area artists, musicians, authors, filmmakers, performers, historians and lecturers and more, discussing and celebrating on an equally wide range of topics and communities (lgbtq+ studies, latino, jewish-american, asian-american, carribean american). 2) art gallery exhibits exhibitions are presented in its hansell art gallery by established and emerging artists in a number of disciplines including painting, sculpture, video art, installation art and more. 3) public library hours the prs library holds over 30,000 rare books on an incredible variety of subjects including mythology, archaeology, anthropology, mysticism, philosophy, l.a. Cultural history and much more. The library is open on thursdays and fridays for public research and study from 12 noon 6:00 pm. 4) other program services prs also offers online classes on subjects including norse mythology, alchemy, chinese cosmology and medicine, astrology, psychology of scent, and symbolism.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 52
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.8%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 45.5%; rating input score 46
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

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: 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: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • 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: -10.1%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.04; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.1% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59.8% of revenue deployed · 45.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $541K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 26/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 17/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 44/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 57/100.