Quick charity verification for Council For A Strong America (EIN: 133840271)
Verdict: Council For A Strong America appears trustworthy
85/100Mission Score
$7.3MRevenue
$13.5MAssets
2Red Flags
4Strengths
Red Flags
Inconsistent revenue generation with significant year-to-year fluctuations (e.g., $12.1M in 2021 vs. $5.0M in 2023).
Frequent operational deficits where expenses exceed revenue (e.g., $3.5M deficit in 2023, $2.2M deficit in 2020, $2.7M deficit in 2018, $2.5M deficit in 2016).
Strengths
Consistent reporting of 0% officer compensation across all filings, indicating strong financial stewardship and mission focus.
Maintains a substantial asset base ($13,536,939 in 2023) despite revenue fluctuations and operational deficits, demonstrating financial resilience.
Consistent IRS 990 filing history (13 filings), indicating strong transparency and compliance.
Healthy asset-to-liability ratio, with assets significantly exceeding liabilities (e.g., $13.5M assets vs. $5.2M liabilities in 2023).
Spending Breakdown
How Council For A Strong America allocates its funds across programs, administration, and fundraising.
80%
Program Spending
Healthy — majority goes to mission
10%
Admin Costs
Reasonable — admin costs in check
10%
Fundraising
Within typical range
How to read this: Well-run charities typically spend 75% or more on programs, keep admin under 25%, and fundraising under 15%. A high program ratio means more of every dollar goes directly to the mission.
How to Interpret This Report
What Red Flags Mean
Red flags are potential warning signs identified by AI analysis of IRS 990 filings. They may indicate issues like declining revenue, high executive pay relative to program spending, lack of transparency, or governance concerns. A single red flag does not necessarily mean an organization is untrustworthy, but multiple flags warrant further investigation before donating.
What Mission Score Measures
The Mission Score (0-100) evaluates how effectively a nonprofit fulfills its stated purpose. It combines multiple factors: program spending efficiency (how much goes to programs vs. overhead), financial health and sustainability, governance quality, transparency in reporting, and consistency of operations over time. A score of 70+ indicates strong alignment with the organization’s mission.
Using This Data for Donation Decisions
Use this report as one input in your decision. Look at the overall Mission Score for a quick assessment, review red flags and strengths for specific concerns, check the spending breakdown to see where money goes, and compare executive compensation to the organization’s size. Consider viewing the full transparency report for deeper analysis, and always verify tax-exempt status with the IRS before making large donations.
Frequently Asked Questions about Council For A Strong America
Is Council For A Strong America a legitimate charity?
Based on AI analysis of IRS 990 filings, Council For A Strong America (EIN: 133840271) appears trustworthy. Mission Score: 85/100. 2 red flags identified, 4 strengths noted.
Is Council For A Strong America a good charity to donate to?
Council For A Strong America has a Mission Score of 85/100. Revenue: $7.3M. Assets: $13.5M. Review the full transparency report for detailed spending breakdown and executive compensation analysis.
What is the EIN for Council For A Strong America?
The Employer Identification Number (EIN) for Council For A Strong America is 133840271. This is the unique tax ID assigned by the IRS.
What is a Mission Score?
The Mission Score is a 0-100 rating that measures how effectively a nonprofit fulfills its stated mission. It factors in program spending efficiency, financial transparency, governance practices, and outcome reporting. Scores above 70 indicate strong mission alignment, 40-69 suggest mixed performance, and below 40 signals potential concerns.
How does Council For A Strong America spend its money?
Council For A Strong America allocates 80% to programs, 10% to administration, and 10% to fundraising. Healthy nonprofits typically spend 75%+ on programs.
How can I verify Council For A Strong America's tax-exempt status?
You can verify Council For A Strong America's tax-exempt status using EIN 133840271 on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) at apps.irs.gov/app/eos. You can also request copies of their Form 990 directly from the organization, as they are required by law to provide them upon request.
AI Transparency Report
Council For A Strong America demonstrates a fluctuating financial performance over the past decade. While the organization has reported substantial revenues, often exceeding $10 million annually, there have been periods of significant deficits, such as in 2023 where expenses ($8,614,773) considerably outstripped revenue ($5,045,038). This trend of expenses sometimes exceeding revenue, as seen in 2023, 2020, 2018, and 2016, suggests a need for closer monitoring of financial sustainability and budgeting practices. Despite these fluctuations, the organization maintains a healthy asset base, with assets of $13,536,939 in 2023, indicating a solid financial foundation.
The organization's spending efficiency is difficult to fully assess without a detailed breakdown of program, administrative, and fundraising expenses from the provided data. However, the consistent reporting of 0% officer compensation across all available filings is a notable positive for transparency and suggests that executive leadership is not drawing a salary directly from the organization, which can be a strong indicator of mission-driven commitment and efficient use of funds. This practice, if it extends to all key employees, would significantly enhance its spending efficiency profile.
In terms of transparency, the consistent filing of IRS Form 990s over 13 periods is a strong indicator of compliance and public accountability. The absence of reported officer compensation is a significant positive for transparency. However, without more granular data on how expenses are categorized (program vs. admin vs. fundraising), a complete picture of spending efficiency and financial health remains somewhat obscured. The organization's ability to maintain substantial assets despite periods of operational deficits suggests effective asset management or significant non-operating income sources not detailed here.