National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National Council of State Boards of Nursing reported $144.0 million in revenue and $133.2 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $93.28 went to program services, $6.72 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 81.6% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $992,453 (Secretary & CEO). 75 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 54% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $133MFor context, the median across 5,634 covered health care charities: $86.19 programs, $13.81 management, $0.00 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $144MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 93.3% | 85.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.7% | 13.7% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | Not reported | $0.00 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.3% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 81.6% | 93.7% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $992,453 | $975,831 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.75% | 1.34% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 75 | 27 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 25.9 | 6.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 11 of 11 | 88.9% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseNurse Competence NCSBN became the first organization to implement computerized adaptive testing (CAT) nationwide licensure examinations (NCLEX) in 1994. Since 1994 more than about 8.6 million candidates for nurse licensure have taken the NCLEX exam via CAT
Information NCSBN provides technology and comprehensive data management for use by its members. NCSBN maintains the NURSYS database that coordinates national publicly available nurse licensure information. NURSYS is the only national database for verification of nurse licensure, discipline and practice privileges for RNs and LPN/VNS licensed in participating jurisdictions including all states in the nurse licensure compact. It allows employers to retrieve licensure/discipline documentation from a single location
Nurse Regulatory OutcomeU.S. boards of nursing regulate more than 5 million licensed nurses. NCSBN provides an organization through which boards of nursing, act and counsel together on matters of common interest and concern affecting the public health, safety and welfare. NCSBN provides resources, communication and education for use by its members and external stakeholders. NCSBN expands and enhances evidenced based regulation. The NCSBN Center for Regulatory Excellence grant program provides funding for scientific research projects that advance the science of nursing regulation
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary & CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $919,025 | $0 | $73,428 | $992,453 |
| Chief Financial Off (Until 08/25) Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $341,049 | $0 | $56,268 | $397,317 |
| Chief Off, Nursing Reg (Until 12/24) Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $350,951 | $0 | $40,561 | $391,512 |
| Chief Operations Officer Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $265,139 | $0 | $60,766 | $325,905 |
| Chief Human Resources Officer Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $274,380 | $0 | $50,724 | $325,104 |
| Deputy Chief Officer, Examinations Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $273,519 | $0 | $47,017 | $320,536 |
| Measurement & Testing Director Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $264,538 | $0 | $54,986 | $319,524 |
| Member Outreach & Engagement Dir Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $258,581 | $0 | $54,559 | $313,140 |
75 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.2M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b11 · 11 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5177
- Volunteers Part I, line 673
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from National Council of State Boards of Nursing's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for National Council of State Boards of Nursing, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 National Council of State Boards of Nursing spent in FY2025, $93.28 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Questions people ask
How much of National Council of State Boards of Nursing's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, National Council of State Boards of Nursing reported that 93.3% of its $133.2 million in expenses went to program services, 6.7% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does National Council of State Boards of Nursing pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation National Council of State Boards of Nursing reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $992,453, for the role of Secretary & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does National Council of State Boards of Nursing get its money?
Of $144.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 0.0% came from contributions and grants and 81.6% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is National Council of State Boards of Nursing a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 36-3481016 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, object 202600439349301690 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202530439349300633 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202440459349301714 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202330419349301323 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202200419349300900 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202100469349302115 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 36-3481016: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.