Weed Science Society of America

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
370911208
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
Westminster, CO, USA
Phone
7209777940
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Professional Societies, Associations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$878,992
Expenses
$1,013,904
Assets
$2,505,394
Liabilities
$75,900

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CARROLL MOSELEY (PAST PRESIDENT AS OF 2/24)
  • GREGORY DAHL (PRESIDENT)
  • HILARY SANDLER (PRESIDENT-ELECT)
  • IAN BURKE (VICE PRESIDENT AS OF 2/24)
  • STANLEY CULPEPPER (PAST PRESIDENT THROUGH 2/24)

Highest reported compensation

  • LEE VAN WYCHEN (DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE POLICY): $160,906 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The weed science society of america promotes research, education, and extension outreach activities related to weeds; provides science-based information to the public and policy makers; and fosters awareness of weeds and their impacts on managed and natural ecosystems.

What it reported doing in 2023

Publication of scientific journals, cooperation with weed science operations and work with other disciplines to promote the development and study of weed science and weed technology.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 72% for direct work, and 28% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 75
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 75.3%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 8th 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 91.8%; rating input score 92; 39th 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: -15.3%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.47; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.9%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90% of revenue deployed · 75.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 21 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $764K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $161K · 30 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.