World Affairs Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
271585143
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2016
Forms available
Form 990 2016
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2023504227
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Promotion of International Understanding

Reported finances

Revenue
$384,294
Expenses
$263,109
Assets
$61,467
Liabilities
$18,894

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2016. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JAMES DENTON (PRESIDENT/CHAIRMAN)

Highest reported compensation

  • JAMES DENTON (PRESIDENT/CHAIRMAN): $39,100 total reported compensation
  • AZALIA STEPHENS (DIRECTOR): $5,330 total reported compensation
  • PETER COLLIER (DIRECTOR): $1,800 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2016. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

World affairs institute (wai) is committed to democratic development, human rights and a just peace. Wai's mission is to promote public awareness of international affairs and security issues through publications and other non-partisan public education activities.

What it reported doing in 2016

World affairs institute publishes a scholarly journal "world affairs". World affairs is the oldest journal of international affairs in the united states. Its articles offer divergent views and analysis' of international conflict and important foreign policy issues and related topics.

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 82% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 51
  • Sustainability: 51
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 49.5%; rating input score 49
  • Program expense ratio: 72.3%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $38.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 40%; rating input score 40; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • 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: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 31.5%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.23; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.31; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 17.6%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -27.9% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -16.6% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -21.7% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 49.5% of revenue deployed · 72.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 5 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $190K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $39K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2010 to 2016
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 49/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 40/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 20/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 23/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Automatic revocation: this organization had its federal tax-exempt status automatically revoked.