Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation FY2023 filing

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Our mission is to bring a transformative message of higher meaning and purpose to a Western Culture increasingly bereft of meaning and purpose. We do this by introducing individuals and organizations to the power of service and selflessness.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
27¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$51K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2023 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $26K a year · 11% of revenue · last 4 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 2 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
27%
of spending
Concern: 27% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$51K
to officers and key staff · 33% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 33% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $71K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 0.7 months of spending in cash, plus $71K in investments.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$235K
292% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 292% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
0
of 6 voting members
Concern: none of 6 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$149K
+1% vs prior year
Spent
$157K
To programs
27%
Net assets
−$155K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$149K
FY2023▲ +1%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$65K
FY2022$147K
FY2023$149K
FY2024$194K
FY2025$433K
Expenses
$157K
FY2023▲ +31%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$120K
FY2023$157K
FY2024$319K
FY2025$431K
Net assets
−$155K
FY2023▼ -6%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021−$174K
FY2022−$146K
FY2023−$155K
FY2024−$149K
FY2025−$150K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Sep 1999.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

27 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 27% · $42K Management & general 73% · $115K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

7 people listed on the 990; $51K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
VP, Secy and Treasurer
$33,100Pt VII · Sec A
Accountant
$18,000Pt VII · Sec A
President and Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Melissa Hawks’s $36K as VP, Secy and Treasurer is at the 31st percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2023FY2022FY2021
Melissa Hawks$36,000$33,100$38,000$35,600
Cheryl Reedy$18,000$18,000$16,444—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation executive salaries →

Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II1 listed

Programs and updates

Inspire individuals and groups with a message of higher meaning and purpose.

Questions for Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation

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1 program · $42K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

A book on spiritual awareness was being written and published.

$42Kprogram expense

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$149K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$158K
Investment incomeLn 3$626
Money outPt IX
$157K
Ln 25
Programscol B$42K
Managementcol C$115K
Owns and owesPt X
−$155K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$10K
Total assetsLn 16$80K
LiabilitiesLn 26$235K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$158K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$158K
Investment incomeLn 3$626
Gains on assetsLn 7−$1K
Total revenueLn 12$149K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$10K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$10K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$71K
Total assetsLn 16$80K
LiabilitiesLn 26$235K
Net assetsLn 32−$155K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3More from this return
Abroad and in kindSch F, M
Noncash gifts receivedSch M Pt I$158K
4Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$47K$10K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$71K
Total assetsLn 16$47K$80K
LiabilitiesLn 26$194K$235K
Net assetsLn 32−$146K−$155K
5Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$0
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$0
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$0
Management feesLn 11a$33K$33K
Legal feesLn 11b$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$19K$19K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$7K$7K
Information technologyLn 14$0
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$16K$16K
TravelLn 17$7K$7K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$0
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$0
InsuranceLn 23$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$73K$41K$32K
All other expensesLn 24e$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$157K$42K$115K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS May 13, 2026 $433K$431K$1K−$150K 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS May 13, 2025 $194K$319K−$125K−$149K 990 PDF
FY2023 ViewingFiled with the IRS May 24, 2024 $149K$157K−$8K−$155K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS May 15, 2023 $147K$120K$27K−$146K 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS May 9, 2022 $65K−$174K 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $148,687 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $133,441$157,536
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $200−$824
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $13,555−$8,025
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $147,196$148,687
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$0
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $120,111$156,942
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $120,111$156,942
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $27,085−$8,255
Part VI · Governance 0 of 6 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members0
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $148,687 across 6 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for −$8,025 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$157,536
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$157,536
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$157,536
VIII-3 Investment income$626
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsUnrelated business −$1,450−$1,450
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission −$8,025 · Unrelated business −$1,450$148,687
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $156,942 across 30 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizations$0
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staff$0
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wages$0
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefits$0
IX-10 Payroll taxes$0
IX-11a Management feesManagement $33,100$33,100
IX-11b Legal fees$0
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $18,625$18,625
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,586$1,586
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $7,370$7,370
IX-14 Information technology$0
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $16,164$16,164
IX-17 TravelManagement $7,171$7,171
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetings$0
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 Insurance$0
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $40,806 · Management $32,120$72,926
IX-24e All other expenses$0
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $42,392 · Management $114,550 · Fundraising $0$156,942
Part X · Balance sheet $80,438 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $47,252$9,777
X-11 Publicly traded securities$70,661
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $47,252$80,438
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $12,765$37,372
X-22 Loans from officers and insidersStart of year $180,936$190,653
X-25 Other liabilities$7,117
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $193,701$235,142
X-31 Retained earnings or endowmentStart of year −$146,449−$154,704
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$146,449−$154,704
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $47,252$80,438
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$154,704 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$148,687
XI-2 Total expenses$156,942
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$8,255
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$146,449
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$154,704

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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