American Society of Civil Engineers
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL VALUE TO OUR MEMBERS, THEIR CAREERS, OUR PARTNERS, AND THE PUBLIC, ASCE WILL: FACILITATE THE ADVANCEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY; ENCOURAGE AND PROVIDE THE TOOLS FOR LIFELONG LEARNING; PROMOTE PROFESSIONALISM AND THE PROFESSION; DEVELOP AND SUPPORT CIVIL ENGINEER LEADERS; AND ADVOCATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
- Income
- $53.0 million
- Spending
- $55.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- 8.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 56%
- Employees
- 254
- Volunteers
- 3,000
- Highest pay
- $594,558, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 77 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 26% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (14)
- $15.0 million spent. PUBLICATIONS: THE DISSEMINATION OF TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION TO ASCE MEMBERS AND OTHERS IN THE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSION IS A MAJOR GOAL OF THE SOCIETY AND THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE SOCIETY'S PUBLISHING PROGRAM. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A VARIETY OF PUBLICATIONS AND INFORMATION PRODUCTS, INCLUDING 35 TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS, CIVIL ENGINEERING MAGAZINE, AN ONLINE BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASE, CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, STANDARDS, AND TECHNICAL REPORTS.
- $7.2 million spent. ENGINEERING PROGRAMS: THE SOCIETY'S ENGINEERING PROGRAMS DIVISION DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE SOCIETY'S PURPOSE OF ADVANCING THE SCIENCE OF ENGINEERING BY PRODUCING TECHNICAL CONTENT FOR PUBLICATIONS, CONFERENCES AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THE DIVISION CONSISTS OF NINE DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC INSTITUTES AND SIX TECHNICAL GROUPS. THE WORK OF THE DIVISION IS ACCOMPLISHED BY MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN MORE THAN 700 TECHNICAL COMMITTEES. THE DIVISION HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR OVERSIGHT OF THE EDITORIAL BOARDS OF 28 OF ASCE'S 35 JOURNALS. EACH YEAR THE DIVISION HOLDS MORE THAN A DOZEN CONGRESSES AND SPECIALTY CONFERENCES. BOTH ASCE MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE INSTITUTES.
- $6.6 million spent. CONFERENCES & MEETINGS: THE SOCIETY HOSTS APPROXIMATELY 50 CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS EACH YEAR. THE CONFERENCES ARE SEPARATED INTO TWO CATEGORIES - SPECIALTY AND CORPORATE. THE SPECIALTY CONFERENCES PROVIDE CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ALLOWING THE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER TO MAINTAIN THEIR LICENSURE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATES. EACH SPECIALTY CONFERENCE IS GENERALLY COMPRISED OF AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, TECHNICAL TOURS AND AN EXHIBIT HALL, AND IS SPECIFIC TO A DESIGNATED DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE CIVIL ENGINEERING FIELD. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE LATEST TECHNICAL ADVANCES, BEST PRACTICES, AND PROMOTE THE SHARING OF IDEAS. THE CORPORATE CONFERENCES ALSO PROVIDE CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CATERING TO LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, BEST PRACTICES AND OVERARCHING ISSUES AND TOPICS WITH A BROAD APPEAL TO THE CIVIL ENGINEER IN GENERAL. MEETINGS INCLUDE COMMITTEES, TASK FORCES, FOCUS GROUPS, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS DESIGNED TO BRING TOGETHER CIVIL ENGINEERING EXPERTS EITHER FROM SPECIFIC FIELDS OR THOSE WITH A BROAD RANGE OF EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS. THESE MEETINGS DEAL WITH SPECIFIC TOPICS AND ISSUES FACING CIVIL ENGINEERS SUCH AS AMERICA'S FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE, SUSTAINABILITY, EARTHQUAKES, AND BRIDGE COLLAPSES.
- $4.8 million spent. MEMBERSHIP SERVICES: IN ADDITION TO DEVELOPING MEMBERS, PROVIDING VALUE TO EXISTING MEMBERS, ENGAGING AND RETAINING STUDENT MEMBERS, PROMOTING MEMBER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MARKETING THE SOCIETY'S PRODUCTS TO MEMBERS, MEMBERSHIP CONDUCTS RESEARCH ON MEMBER NEEDS AND SATISFACTION, PROVIDES CAREER RESOURCES INCLUDING A SALARY SURVEY AND ASSOCIATED PUBLICATION ON CIVIL ENGINEERING INCOME AS WELL AS AN ONLINE MENTORING PROGRAM. MEMBERSHIP ALSO WORKS WITH VARIOUS SERVICE PROVIDERS TO OFFER ASCE MEMBERS SPECIAL INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL PROGRAMS.
- $4.9 million spent. GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: THE SOCIETY'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMS ENCOMPASS A BROAD RANGE OF ACTIVITIES INTENDED TO BETTER INFORM THE PUBLIC AND POLICY LEADERS OF CRITICAL ISSUES AND THE VITAL ROLE THE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSION PLAYS IN THE EVERY DAY LIVES OF CITIZENS. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE COORDINATING ALL INTERVIEWS AND MEETINGS WITH MEDIA/NEWS OUTLETS; WRITING AND DISSEMINATION OF ALL SOCIETY NEWS RELEASES; TRAINING SOCIETY LEADERS AND MEMBERS IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS AND EFFECTIVE MEDIA RELATIONS; PROVIDING COMMUNICATIONS COUNSEL TO THE SOCIETY'S VARIOUS STATE AND LOCAL UNITS; PROVIDING INPUT AND FEEDBACK TO VARIOUS SOCIETY MARKETING INITIATIVES; OVERSEEING CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH EFFORTS; CONTRIBUTING TO WEB SITE AND CONTENT MANAGEMENT; COORDINATION OF ALL ASCE K-12 PRE-COLLEGE OUTREACH PROGRAMS; AND MANAGEMENT OF ASCE DIVERSITY PROGRAMS. THE SOCIETY'S GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND UPDATING OF THE ORGANIZATION'S 172 PUBLIC POLICY STATEMENTS PERTAINING TO A WIDE RANGE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING TOPICS INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORTATION, WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND R & D; MONITORING FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS AND REPORTING BACK TO SOCIETY MEMBERS AND LEADERS; PROVIDING EXPERT TESTIMONY TO CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES; MAINTAINING A CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWS PROGRAM; TRAINING ASCE MEMBERS; BUILDING AND MAINTAINING ISSUES-BASED COALITIONS; PROMOTING CIVIL ENGINEERS FOR FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS TO KEY POLICY POSITIONS IN GOVERNMENT; AND MONITORING POLICY AND ISSUE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE VARIOUS U.S. STATES.
- $3.9 million spent. MEMBER COMMUNITIES: MEMBER COMMUNITIES PROVIDES MEMBER SUPPORT, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATION FOR AND TO THE SOCIETY'S GEOGRAPHIC UNITS INCLUDING ITS REGIONS, SECTIONS, BRANCHES, YOUNGER MEMBER GROUPS, AND STUDENT CHAPTERS. IT ALSO PROMOTES ENGINEERING EDUCATION EXPOSURE FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES K-12 AND ENGAGEMENT FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS VIA STUDENT CONFERENCES. THE SOCIETY PROVIDES FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO ITS GEOGRAPHIC UNITS TO SUPPORT THEIR DELIVERY OF A BROAD RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND PUBLIC SERVICE OFFERINGS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. THE SOCIETY ALSO PROVIDES LEADER TRAINING THROUGH EVENTS SUCH AS THE MULTI-REGION LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES.GLOBAL PROGRAMS ADVANCE CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE BY DISSEMINATING KNOWLEDGE ON ENGINEERING IN THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT. THE SOCIETY COLLABORATES WITH ENGINEERING SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS, EXCHANGE IDEAS, SHARE KNOWLEDGE FOR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, AND ADVANCE THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING. ADDITIONALLY, THIS AREA SERVES THE NEEDS OF THE SOCIETY'S INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS AND THE OPERATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL SECTIONS AND GROUPS WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING NETWORKING AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. GLOBAL PROGRAMS ALSO COORDINATES WITH OTHER SOCIETY ACTIVITY AREAS TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES, EVENTS, EDUCATION, AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE, ESPECIALLY VIA GLOBAL LINK, THE INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER.
- $576,320 spent. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES - THE SOCIETY'S EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES PROGRAMS IMPROVE THE FORMAL EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADUATE STUDIES. THESE ACTIVITIES ENHANCE CIVIL ENGINEERING EDUCATION BY DEFINING THE CIVIL ENGINEERING BODY OF KNOWLEDGE (BOK) TO BE FULFILLED BEFORE PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AS A CIVIL ENGINEER, CONDUCTING ACCREDITATION ACTIVITIES TO ASSURE QUALITY EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND PROCESSES, PRESENTING FACULTY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS TO HONE THE TEACHING SKILLS OF UNIVERSITY ENGINEERING FACULTY, AND HOSTING INTERACTIONS AMONG STUDENTS, FACULTY AND PRACTITIONERS. SPECIFICALLY, THE SOCIETY HAS COMPREHENSIVELY DEFINED THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ATTITUDES NECESSARY TO ENTER THE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSION. THE SOCIETY FOSTERS ACCOMPLISHING THIS BOK THROUGH FORMAL EDUCATION CURRICULA AND DOCUMENTED EXPERIENCE. FURTHER, THE SOCIETY LEADS THE ACCREDITATION ACTIVITIES OF UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ABET, INC., THE ENGINEERING ACCREDITATION ORGANIZATION IN THE US. TO IMPROVE THE TEACHING ABILITIES OF ENGINEERING FACULTY, THE SOCIETY CONDUCTS ITS WORLD-RENOWNED ASCE EXCELLENCE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING EDUCATION (EXCEED) TEACHING WORKSHOPS WITH MORE THAN 1000 GRADUATES FROM 256 INSTITUTIONS.
- $155,112 spent. GRANTS & CONTRACTS: THE SOCIETY RECEIVES FEDERAL AND PRIVATE GRANT AND CONTRACT FUNDS THAT PAY FOR SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES RELATING TO IMPROVEMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING IN THE U.S. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
- $211,315 spent. HONORS AND AWARDS: THE HONORS AND AWARDS PROGRAM PRIDES ITSELF IN RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS. IT PRESENTS 92 SOCIETY AWARDS, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERSHIP, OUTSTANDING PROJECTS AND LEADERS AWARDS (OPAL) AND SEVERAL EXTERNAL AWARDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE LAUDABLE AND SUPERB PROJECTS AND INDIVIDUALS.
- $332,698 spent. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: THROUGH ITS PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT ACTIVITIES, ASCE ENCOURAGES, GUIDES, AND PROMOTES THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE DEFINITION OF THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ATTITUDES NECESSARY TO PRACTICE AS A CIVIL ENGINEER, INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR. THE SOCIETY DEVELOPS EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND RESOURCES TO HELP CIVIL ENGINEERS DEVELOP THESE KNOWLEDGE AREAS AND SKILLSETS AND PROMOTES THE USE OF APPROPRIATE CREDENTIALS, SUCH AS LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION, TO DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCE. ASCE WORKS TOWARDS ITS VISION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS AS GLOBAL LEADERS BY OFFERING ONLINE AND IN PERSON LEADER DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS ON TOPICS SUCH AS DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. THE SOCIETY ALSO OFFERS CAREER ADVANCEMENT RESOURCES TO INFORM CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE CIVIL ENGINEERS ON THE DIVERSE CAREER PATHS AVAILABLE IN THE PROFESSION AND EQUIP THEM TO BETTER NAVIGATE CAREER CHALLENGES, TRANSITIONS, AND OPPORTUNITIES. ASCE HAS LONG CONSIDERED SUSTAINABILITY A STRATEGIC ISSUE CONFRONTING PRACTICING CIVIL ENGINEERS. ITS INTEGRATION INTO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IS REQUIRED TO ADDRESS CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ETHICALLY AND RESPONSIBLY. ALTHOUGH CHALLENGING ISSUES SUCH A CLIMATE CHANGE, URBANIZATION, AND THE RAPID PACE OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT CREATE OPPORTUNITIES, THEY ALSO REQUIRE SERIOUS RE-EVALUATION OF CURRENT PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AND STANDARDS. TO ADDRESS THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS, ASCE HAS OUTLINED A ROADMAP TO TRANSFORM THE PROFESSION. ASCE'S EFFORTS ARE GUIDED BY THE ASCE FIVE-YEAR ROADMAP TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH FOUR SPECIFIC GOALS: 1) SUSTAINABLE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT - DO THE RIGHT PROJECT2) STANDARDS AND PROTOCOLS - DO THE PROJECT RIGHT3) EXPAND TECHNICAL CAPACITY 4) COMMUNICATE AND ADVOCATE.
- $1.5 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: MISCELLANEOUS SMALL PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT THE SOCIETY'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
- $670,508 spent. FUNDRAISING PROGRAM ACTIVITIES: PROVIDES SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS WITHIN STRATEGIC AREAS OF LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION AND STUDENT ACTIVITIES PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT CURRENT AND FUTURE ENGINEERS; PROGRAMS THAT ENCOURAGE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND ADVANCEMENT TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF SOCIETY AND ENCOURAGE THE INCORPORATION OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES.
- $3.9 million spent. CONTINUING EDUCATION: A KEY GOAL OF THE SOCIETY IS TO ENCOURAGE AND PROVIDE THE TOOLS FOR LIFELONG LEARNING TO AID OUR MEMBERS' CONTINUED GROWTH THROUGH THEIR CAREERS. LIFELONG LEARNING IS CRITICAL TO CIVIL ENGINEERS IN KEEPING UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST TECHNICAL ADVANCES AND ENSURING THAT THEY CAN REMAIN COMPETENT. IN FY24, ASCE CONTINUED EXPANDING ITS ONLINE AND LIVE LEARNING PROGRAMS. OUR NEW LIVESTREAMING CAPABILITIES GAVE PARTICIPANTS THE OPTION OF IN-PERSON OR ONLINE ATTENDANCE FOR A GROWING NUMBER OF COURSES. THIS TECHNOLOGY ALSO ALLOWED US TO RECORD TECHNICAL CONTENT FROM ASCE CONFERENCES, ENSURING A STEADY FLOW OF NEW MATERIAL TO THE ON-DEMAND CATALOG. IN FY24, OVER 96,929 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HOUR (PDH) CREDITS WERE AWARDED, AND AROUND 115 NEW COURSES WERE OFFERED. PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER (PE) REVIEW COURSES WERE UPDATED TO MEET NEW NCEES GUIDELINES EFFECTIVE MARCH 2024 AND ARE NOW OFFERED YEAR-ROUND IN AN ON-DEMAND FORMAT. THESE COURSES ASSIST CIVIL AND ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERS IN PASSING THE PE LICENSING EXAM.
- $465,286 spent. FUTURE WORLD VISION: INFRASTRUCTURE REIMAGINED. ENGINEERS ARE CONFRONTING A VARIETY OF CHALLENGES, DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES THAT WILL REQUIRE A DRASTIC RETHINKING OF HOW WE BUILD, OPERATE, AND MAINTAIN INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS. TO HELP ANTICIPATE THE COMING CHANGES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON ENGINEERS AND THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE, THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS HAS SUPPORTED A PROJECT TO HELP ENGINEERS PREPARE FOR FUTURE CHANGE, KNOWN AS FUTURE WORLD VISION. THE FUTURE WORLD VISION PROGRAM ADDRESSES THESE CHALLENGES BY CREATING A SIMULATION/VR/AR ENABLED IMMERSIVE COMPUTER MODEL TO ALLOW ENGINEERS TO DEMONSTRATE AND VISUALIZE HOW INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS WILL OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. ASCE HAS FUNDED A FILM, CITIES OF THE FUTURE, WHICH IS SHOWING IN SCIENCE CENTERS WORLDWIDE TO DEMONSTRATE POTENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS TO THE PUBLIC.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1975.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.