Advertising Council Inc
501(c)(3) Donations tax-deductible
79% goes to programs $11 to raise $100 Strong reserves Declining revenue
Advertising Council Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in New York, New York, registered in 1948, with $78,792,786 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 79% of spending to programs.
815 Second Ave 9th Flr, New York, NY, 10017 EIN 13-0417693 Since 1948
Revenue (FY2023)
$78.8M
▲ 9.7% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2023)
$68.9M
Net assets
$77.8M
Employees
197
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating79% to programs · $11 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Advertising Council Inc: 79% to programs · $11 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating14 mo reserves · +13% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Advertising Council Inc: 14 mo reserves · +13% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Advertising Council Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Advertising Council Inc: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The ad council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences.
Contact & location
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $44.6M (FY2013) to $78.8M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $28.2MNet assets $77.8M
Operating margin
12.6%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$106.1M
Total liabilities
$28.2M
Net assets
$77.8M
Salaries & benefits
$30.6M
44% of expenses
Board members
139
138 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $78,792,786▲9.7% | $68,900,074▲5.0% | $77,835,869▲16.5% | $106,079,700▲14.5% | 990 |
| 2022 | $71,825,199▲8.1% | $65,598,836▼21.6% | $66,791,668▲12.0% | $92,630,672▲19.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $66,445,245▼43.3% | $83,683,011▲5.4% | $59,617,145▼25.9% | $77,224,523▼28.8% | 990 |
| 2020 | $117,135,538▲132% | $79,387,210▲73.8% | $80,488,926▲104% | $108,411,517▲86.4% | 990 |
| 2019 | $50,471,539▼1.4% | $45,684,269▼11.1% | $39,509,513▲13.3% | $58,170,440▲21.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $51,168,618▲1.2% | $51,405,205▲11.4% | $34,870,040▲0.3% | $47,828,938▼3.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $50,568,790▲2.7% | $46,149,861▲0.1% | $34,760,984▲12.2% | $49,472,301▲8.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $49,254,165▼2.1% | $46,087,253▼4.0% | $30,981,809▲14.0% | $45,440,161▲7.7% | 990 |
| 2015 | $50,316,811▲12.3% | $47,991,304▲11.8% | $27,170,779▲8.2% | $42,203,062▲3.6% | 990 |
| 2014 | $44,788,978▲0.5% | $42,930,736▲0.9% | $25,103,639▲2.2% | $40,747,730▲6.1% | 990 |
| 2013 | $44,571,027 | $42,528,600▲4.6% | $24,551,712▲13.3% | $38,400,894▲5.7% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $40,667,218▲7.0% | $21,677,612▲9.4% | $36,321,773▲10.0% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $38,014,006▲1.7% | $19,811,581▲7.1% | $33,009,942▲3.7% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $37,366,547▲0.6% | $18,504,634▲35.1% | $31,838,838▲14.2% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $37,143,913 | $13,694,034 | $27,880,172 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Lisa Sherman — $1,374,339 (1.99% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Sherman | President and Ceo | 44.38 | $1,374,339 |
| Barbara Leshinsky | Chief Revenue & Dev, Thru Dec. 2023 | 28.75 | $884,648 |
| Paula Veale | Chief Marketing & Communication | 37.96 | $504,742 |
| Kenneth M Kroll | Chief Financial Officer | 41.04 | $459,997 |
| Heidi Arthur | Chief Campaign Development | 38.53 | $385,827 |
| Michelle Hillman | Chief Campaign Development | 37.83 | $377,642 |
| Elise James | Chief Equity Officer Equity & Inclusion | 45.96 | $359,412 |
| Regina Bradley | Chief Talent & Facilities | 45.68 | $353,885 |
| Kate Emanuel | Chief Business Operations & Strategy | 34.97 | $344,929 |
| Charysse Nunez | Chief Insights & Analytics Officer | 38.07 | $333,990 |
| Danielle Linet | Svp, Creative Studio & Marketing Operations | 38.11 | $258,091 |
| Anthony Foleno | Svp, Strategy & Evaluation | 39.28 | $255,718 |
| Dinukshini Jeromine Perera | Chief Media Officer | 35.68 | $254,749 |
| Anthony Signorelli | Svp,corporate Partnerships | 36.29 | $241,885 |
| Anne Deo | Svp, Analytics | 41.28 | $239,361 |
| Kathryn Ashley Menschner | Svp, Media Strategy & Engagement | 35.87 | $233,037 |
| Kathleen Kayse | Chief Media, Thru May 2023 | 12.08 | $206,107 |
| Aaron Walton | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Adam Gerhart | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Alan Moss | Director | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk Inc | Programmatic Dsp | $2,937,010 |
| Cg Visual Solutions Corporation | Digital Printing - Billboard & Signage | $2,273,315 |
| Creative & Response Research Services I | Research | $1,480,358 |
| Home Front Communications | Digital Marketing | $1,316,767 |
| Fcb New York | Psa Production | $1,106,052 |
Grants received · $11.6M total
73 grants to Advertising Council Inc totaling $11.6M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $300,586 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Community development | 2024 | $100,000 |
| American Medical Association | Ad council's gun violence prevention initiative | 2024 | $50,000 |
| United States Tennis Association Inc | Program grant | 2024 | $35,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $5,000 |
| Ihc Health Services Inc | Support community health | 2023 | $2,000,000 |
| The Johns Hopkins Health System Corporation | Program support | 2023 | $500,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $212,945 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Community development | 2023 | $200,000 |
| Association of National Advertisers Inc | Advertising industry program and initiatives | 2023 | $50,000 |
| United States Tennis Association Inc | Program grant | 2023 | $35,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $15,000 |
| Business Roundtable Inc | General support | 2023 | $15,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $6,700 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2023 | $5,000 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is Advertising Council Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Advertising Council Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 13-0417693, based in New York, New York. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Advertising Council Inc's EIN?
- Advertising Council Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 13-0417693.
- How much revenue does Advertising Council Inc report?
- Advertising Council Inc reported $78,792,786 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Advertising Council Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Advertising Council Inc spends about 79% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Advertising Council Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Advertising Council Inc A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Advertising Council Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Advertising Council Inc's latest Form 990 is $1,374,339, paid to Lisa Sherman (President and Ceo).
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Data for Advertising Council Inc (EIN 13-0417693) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.