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1145 17TH ST NW
Washington DC 20036-4707
Washington DC | IRS ruling year: 1938 | EIN: 53-0193519
The purpose of the Society shall be to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge and use the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate ... (More)
The purpose of the Society shall be to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge and use the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of the world. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 99%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for National Geographic Society is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
National Geographic Society has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 21/22 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 21/22 - 25/25 pts
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 pts
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
|---|---|
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website - Listed - 3/3 ptsWebsite - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 7.18% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 7.18% - 15/15 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
| Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Full Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
| 60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 73.84% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 73.84% - 25/25 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
| Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| 70% or higher | Full Credit |
| 60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
| Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
No Data Available
Key Persons data is currently unavailable for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
School, college, trade school, etc. (BMF activity code: 030)
Other school related activities (BMF activity code: 059)
Library (BMF activity code: 061)
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (National Geographic Society) or EIN (530193519) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
National Geographic Society reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
organization was unable to give out as many grants during COVID-19; decreased revenue from the museum and store.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
several grantees were unable to perform research due to travel restrictions
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
created a new grant category for grantees to report on COVID-19 issues around the world in developing countries. Also developed virtual teaching materials/lessons to help teachers adapt.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
staff will continue to do at least some work every week from home.
Not Currently Scored
National Geographic Society cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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National Geographic Society reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
STORYTELLING AND OUTREACH Storytelling oversees the Society's grant making efforts in photography, journalism, film, immersive media, podcasts and other media. Its programs also support capacity build ... (More)
STORYTELLING AND OUTREACH Storytelling oversees the Society's grant making efforts in photography, journalism, film, immersive media, podcasts and other media. Its programs also support capacity building, ambitious media projects for impact and efforts to amplify voices historically underrepresented in the media. The Storytelling and Outreach programs include: The National Geographic museum exhibits, the museum store, live lectures, impact video, website, social media, and marketing. Storytelling and Outreach program descriptions continued on Sch. O. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
SCIENce & Innovation The Science & Innovation team oversees the Society's grantmaking efforts in science, conservation and technology, develops and manages major mission programs, and establishes prog ... (More)
SCIENce & Innovation The Science & Innovation team oversees the Society's grantmaking efforts in science, conservation and technology, develops and manages major mission programs, and establishes programmatic partnerships with like-minded non-governmental (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS The National Geographic Education team believes that young people, and the educators who reach them, are key to addressing the planet's most pressing problems. W ... (More)
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS The National Geographic Education team believes that young people, and the educators who reach them, are key to addressing the planet's most pressing problems. We support this idea through a strategy based on creating (Less)
National Geographic Society has earned a 93% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - UnscoredConstituent Feedback - Data Available - Unscored
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. However, it did not respond to one or more survey questions, and therefore is not eligible for a score on this metric. (View our beacon methodology.) Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person)
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
Our staff
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Note: The organization reported no challenges faced.
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Note: The organization did not respond to this question.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 93/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 93/100 pts
100% of beacon score
This organization's score of 93 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 8 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (4/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (4/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
National Geographic Society has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
The National Geographic Society uses the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
By 2030, The National Geographic Society will be known globally for its bold and impactful explorer-led programs that spark curiosity in hundreds of millions of people, inspiring them to learn about, care for, and protect our world.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Focus on fewer, bigger and better by strategically narrowing the Society's focus to 5 key areas that best align with our mission: Ocean, Land, Wildlife, Human History and Culture, and Human Ingenuity.
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Goal Two: Drive impact through collaboration by unlocking the wealth of expertise in our ecosystem, ensuring our work remains relevant and cutting edge, and expanding our global impact.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Create a more innovative workplace by fostering a culture of risk-taking, encourage flexibility, and increase our operational transparency and cross functionality.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
management training programs and inclusivity and diversity training
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Policy Advocacy
National Geographic is active on Instagram and other social media to promote its mission and causes including protection of endangered species and the environment. It also works together with other non-profits and governments to protect wildlife and wild places.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
National Geographic began giving out COVID-19 storytelling grants to grantees worldwide to report in underrepresented developing countries. It also refocused its education program to provide virtual lesson materials/plans to help teachers adapt.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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