Society for Public Health Education Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 36% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE SOCIETY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION (SOPHE) IS A NONPROFIT ASSOCIATION THAT SUPPORTS LEADERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH, HEALTH EDUCATION, AND PROMOTION TO ADVANCE HEALTHY AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE GLOBE. SOPHE MEMBERS WORK IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS, COMMUNITIES, BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, WORKSITES, AND IN LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
- Income
- $1.6 million
- Spending
- $2.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 37%
- Reserves
- 4.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 31%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 52
- Highest pay
- $220,362, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 5% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.9 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 48% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 37% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 33% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1536% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 50 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 19 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 December 31, 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 (4)
- $450,775 spent. MEETINGS:SOPHE PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR HEALTH EDUCATION RESEARCHERS, FACULTY, PRACTITIONERS, AND STUDENTS BY CONDUCTING AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THE 2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, WHICH WAS SOPHE'S 75TH ANNUAL MEETING. CONFERENCE CONTENT INCLUDED PLENARY AND CONCURRENT SESSIONS, WORKSHOPS, ROUNDTABLES, POSTERS, EXHIBITS, AWARD PRESENTATIONS, AND STUDENT CASE STUDY COMPETITIONS. THE CONFERENCE PROVIDED A MAJOR SOURCE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS FOR CERTIFIED HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALISTS, MASTER CERTIFIED HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALISTS, AND PROFESSIONALS CERTIFIED IN PUBLIC HEALTH. ADDITIONALLY, SOPHE OFFERED SEVERAL OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDING NATIONAL HEALTH EDUCATION WEEK WEBINARS WITH MORE THAN 700 ATTENDEES. SOPHE'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR HEALTH EDUCATION CREDENTIALING (NCHEC) CONTINUES WITH COLLABORATIVE WEBINARS TO EXPLORE CAREERS IN HEALTH EDUCATION.
- $164,995 spent. JOURNALS & PUBLICATIONS:IN 2024, SOPHE PUBLISHED 16 ISSUES OF ITS THREE PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS, "HEALTH PROMOTION PRACTICE;" "HEALTH EDUCATION & BEHAVIOR; AND "PEDAGOGY IN HEALTH PROMOTION: THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING." OUR JOURNALS SHARE CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH, PRACTICE-BASED TOOLS, AND INNOVATIVE TEACHING CONCEPTS WITH READERS ACROSS THE WORLD. SOPHE CONTINUED TO PUBLISH SPECIAL FOCUS ISSUES AND SUPPLEMENTS ON IMPORTANT EMERGING ISSUES IN HEALTH PROMOTION AND EDUCATION.
- $112,340 spent. HEALTH EDUCATION:SOPHE CONTINUED TO BUILD HEALTH PROMOTION AND HEALTH EDUCATION CONTENT FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION, AVAILABLE IN SOPHE'S CENTER FOR ONLINE RESOURCES AND EDUCATION (CORE). THIS CONTENT IS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS AT ALL TIMES FOR THEIR CONVENIENCE.SOPHE CONTINUED TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ON NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATORS AND ITS WORK WITH THE COUNCIL FOR ACCREDITATION OF EDUCATOR PREPARATION (CAEP). CAEP RECOGNIZES SOPHE AS A SPECIALIZED PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION IN SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR HEALTH EDUCATION CREDENTIALING, SOPHE CONTINUED TO DISSEMINATE THE RESULTS OF THE PSYCHOMETRIC STUDY OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALISTS PRACTICE ANALYSIS II, WHICH ENUMERATES THE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY, COMPETENCIES, AND SUB-COMPETENCIES FOR THE HEALTH EDUCATION WORKFORCE. IN 2024, SOPHE PARTNERED WITH NCHEC TO BEGIN THE THIRD ITERATION OF THE HEALTH EDUCATION SPECIALISTS PRACTICE ANALYSIS (HESPA III). SOPHE JOINED FIVE OTHER LEADING HEALTH EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NATIONAL CONSENSUS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION, WHICH RELEASED THE THIRD EDITION OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH EDUCATION STANDARDS FOR VOLUNTARY USE BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND STATE, TERRITORIAL, AND TRIBAL EDUCATION AGENCIES.
- $77,046 spent. HEALTH PROMOTION:SOPHE LEADS MANY HEALTH PROMOTION INITIATIVES WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THE GLOBAL EFFORT TO IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES AND ACHIEVE HEALTH EQUITY. THESE INITIATIVES INCLUDE PROGRAMS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT TRAIN STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS ON THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, HEALTH EDUCATION, HEALTH PROMOTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT. SOPHE ALSO WORKS WITH OTHER NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, FEDERAL AGENCIES, BUSINESSES, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS HEALTH INEQUITY AND TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF COMMUNITIES BY REDUCING CHRONIC DISEASE RISKS DUE TO POOR NUTRITION, PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, TOBACCO USE AND OTHER LIFESTYLE RISK FACTORS. SOPHE'S WORK INCLUDES SUPPORTING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN PUBLIC HEALTH, INCREASE STUDENT HEALTH OUTCOMES AND INSTRUCTION.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1994.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.
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