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American Society for Cell Biology

EIN 39-6054285 · Rockville, MD

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood86 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO LEAD A DIVERSE, GLOBAL AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY FOCUSED ON THE CELL, THE BASIC UNIT OF ALL LIFE.

Income
$7.1 million
Spending
$6.6 million
Spent on programs
66%
Reserves
17.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 66%
Employees
25
Volunteers
290
Highest pay
$394,422, chief executive officer

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

Good: 86 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 17.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 29% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    66% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    17 of 17 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (8)
  1. $1.7 million spent. ANNUAL MEETING: THE ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING IS HELD FOR FIVE DAYS IN DECEMBER AND IS ATTENDED BY ABOUT 5,000 PEOPLE. IT INCLUDES SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIA SUMMARIZING RECENT ADVANCES IN CELL BIOLOGY, AND PRESENTATION OF APPROXIMATELY 3,000 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PAPERS. THE ABSTRACTS OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS FROM THE ANNUAL MEETING ARE PUBLISHED ANNUALLY BY THE SOCIETY. THE MEETING ALSO FEATURES COMMERCIAL EXHIBITS OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR SCIENTISTS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF BIOLOGY THAT INCLUDE SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, LABORATORY EQUIPMENT, CHEMICALS, AND PUBLICATIONS. THE ANNUAL MEETING FEATURES EXTENSIVE EDUCATION, CAREER DEVELOPMENT, AND PUBLIC POLICY SESSIONS OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO EARLY CAREER, TRANSITIONAL CAREER, AND UNDERREPRESENTED CELL BIOLOGISTS.
  2. $1.3 million spent. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: ASCB HAS CURRENT GOVERNMENT-FUNDED GRANTS AND ONE FOUNDATION-FUNDED GRANT THAT INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR BROADENING PARTICIPATION IN THE BIOMEDICAL WORKFORCE.NIH PROGRAMS: INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE RESEARCH TRAINING (IPERT) CONCLUDED IN FEBRUARY 2024 - THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO SUPPORT CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE THE DIVERSITY OF THE BIOMEDICAL WORKFORCE AND SUPPORT CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSITION (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O). THE PROGRAM IS FOR SCIENTISTS UNDERREPRESENTED IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND PROVIDES MENTORSHIP TO HELP PARTICIPANTS OVERCOME CHALLENGES TO SUCCESSFUL CAREER TRANSITION. THE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION FROM POSTDOCTORAL TO FACULTY AND FACULTY TO FULL-TENURED FACULTY. MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCIENTIFIC AND ACADEMIC INDEPENDENT CAREERS (MOSAIC) - THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO BROADEN PARTICIPATION WITHIN THE ACADEMIC BIOMEDICAL WORKFORCE TO FACILITATE THE TRANSITION FROM POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS TO RESEARCH-INTENSIVE FACULTY. THE PROGRAM IS FOR SCIENTISTS UNDERREPRESENTED IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE. THE PROGRAM DEVELOPS COHORTS, PROVIDES CAREER AND SCIENCE MENTORSHIP, ENHANCES SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, AND PROVIDES CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SKILLS. NSF PROGRAMS: FACULTY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT (FRED) PROGRAM - THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE GRANT FUNDING SUCCESS FOR SENIOR POSTDOCTORAL AND JUNIOR FACULTY FROM BACKGROUNDS UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM. THE PROGRAM ALSO SERVES POSTDOCTORAL AND JUNIOR FACULTY AT MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS. RCN LEAPS - LEVERAGING, ENHANCING, AND DEVELOPING BIOLOGY (LED-BIO) SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES SHEDDING LIGHT ON PERSISTENT CULTURAL CHALLENGES- THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO CREATE AND LEVERAGE AN EXPANDED NETWORK OF A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICES ACROSS DISCIPLINES. THE PROGRAM WILL COLLABORATIVELY IDENTIFY EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES THAT ADDRESS CULTURAL CHALLENGES FOUND IN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. FOUNDATION-FUNDED PROGRAM: PARTNERING TO ADVANCE IMAGING RESEARCH FOR UNDERREPRESENTED SCIENTISTS PROGRAM - THIS PROGRAM OFFERS IMAGING WORKSHOPS; RESEARCH FUNDS FOR NOVEL, COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS USING ADVANCED IMAGING TECHNIQUES; AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS.
  3. $517,339 spent. JOURNAL AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS: THE ASCB OWNS AND PUBLISHES THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL, THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL CBE - LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION, AND THE ASCB NEWSLETTER, ALSO PUBLISHED 4 TIMES A YEAR.
  4. $442,916 spent. THE SAN FRANCISCO DECLARATION ON RESEARCH ASSESSMENT: THE ASCB IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE ENTITY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO DECLARATION ON RESEARCH ASSESSMENT (DORA). DORA IS AN INITIATIVE TO ADVANCE PRACTICAL AND ROBUST APPROACHES TO RESEARCH ASSESSMENT GLOBALLY AND ACROSS ALL SCHOLARLY DISCIPLINES. TO DO THIS, DORA RAISES AWARENESS AND FACILITATES IMPLEMENTATION OF RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH ASSESSMENT PRACTICES TO IMPROVE EQUITY AND CATALYZE WIDESPREAD CHANGE IN HIRING, PROMOTION, AND FUNDING DECISIONS.
  5. $198,703 spent. COALITION FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES: THE ASCB IS A MEMBER OF THE COALITION FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES, (CLS). THE CLS IS AN ALLIANCE OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER TO FOSTER PUBLIC POLICIES THAT ADVANCE BASIC BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE AND OTHER FIELDS. THE ISSUES ADDRESSED BY THE CLS INCLUDE SCIENCE EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, AND THE FUNDING, MANAGEMENT, AND OVERSIGHT OF SCIENTIFIC WORK, ESPECIALLY BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
  6. $193,873 spent. PUBLIC POLICY
  7. $33,428 spent. SCIENCE, OUTREACH AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPS AND MANAGES MULTIPLE SCIENCE, OUTREACH, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. THE GOAL OF THE DEPARTMENT IS TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERS AT ALL STAGES HAVE ACCESS TO INITIATIVES THAT WILL SUCCESSFULLY PROGRESS THEIR CAREERS.
  8. THE COMMITTEES: THE SOCIETY ORGANIZES COMMITTEES TO BRING INDIVIDUALS TOGETHER TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE MEANS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS; IMPLEMENTS PROGRAMS TO BENEFIT THE CELL BIOLOGY COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC.THE SOCIETY'S ACTIVE COMMITTEES ARE AS FOLLOWS: EDUCATION, FINANCE & AUDIT, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, PEERS, PROGRAM, SCOPE, COUNCIL, EXECUTIVE, PUBLIC POLICY, WOMEN IN CELL BIOLOGY, NOMINATING COMMITTEE, MEMBERSHIP, LGBTQ+, COMPASS AND COMMITTEE FOR POST-DOCTORAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDENTS.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since October 1966.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.