Benchmarking Project

Definitions of Criteria

Although there are 464 organizations in the Benchmarking Database, it is important to remember you are limiting the results of the database with each criteria you specify. The database will not return results unless 5 or more organizations fit the criteria specified by you. If you are having difficulty get results returned try expanding the criteria selected. Below are the definitions of the eight different criteria you may select from:

Type of Society

This criterion will limit the responses to a specific type of society. The types and total number of the societies in the data base are as follows:
• County (111 organizations)
• State (49 organizations)
• State Specialty (143)
• National or National Specialty (161)

Location

This criterion will limit responses to the specific geographic region, as defined by the US Census Bureau. The regions and the total number of organizations in each region are as follows:

• New England States (ME, VT, NH. MA, CT, RI) (21 organizations)
• Middle Atlantic (NY, PA, NJ) (35 organizations)
• South Atlantic (DE, MD, DC, WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL) (133 organizations)
• East South Central (KY, TN, MS, AL) (24 organizations)
• East North Central (OH, IN, MI, IL, WI) (108 organizations)
• West South Central (OK, AR, LA, TX) (34 organizations)
• West North Central (MN, IA, MO, KS, NE, SD, ND) (40 organizations)
• Mountain (MT, ID, WY, NV, UT, CO, AZ, NM) (25 organizations)
• Pacific (AK, OR, CA, HI, WA) (43 organizations)
• International (0 organizations)

Staff Size

This criterion will limit responses to the organizations that have staff size between and including the numbers you have selected. Please note: staff size information is compiled from the annual salary survey, and is limited to only 101 organizations. Using staff size will significantly reduce the number of organizations in the results.

Membership Size

This criterion will limit responses to the organizations that have memberships between and including the number you have selected. Membership sizes only include active practicing physicians. Please note: membership size information is complied from the annual executive compensation survey, and is limited to only 101 organizations. Using membership size will significantly reduce the number organizations in the results.

IRS Classification

This criterion will limit responses to the organization’s tax status. The types of classification and the total number matching that criterion are as follows:

• 501(c)(3) - Designates an organization as charitable and tax exempt. Organizations qualifying under this section include religious, educational, charitable, amateur athletic, scientific or literary groups, foundations, organizations testing for public safety or organizations involved in prevention of cruelty to children or animals. (113 organizations)
• 501(c)(6)- organizations such as chambers of commerce, boards of trade, business leagues, and similar organizations from federal taxation. Such organizations may not receive tax-deductible donations. (345 organizations)
• Other (0 organizations)

Accounting Method

This criterion will limit response to the organization’s accounting method. The types of classification and the total number matching that criterion are as follows:

• Cash - Revenue is recorded when received in cash and expenses are recorded in the period in which cash payment is made. (117 organizations)
• Accrual – Revenue is recorded in the period in which it is earned and expenses are recorded in the period in which they are incurred. (332 organizations)

Total Revenue

This criterion will limit responses to the organizations that have total revenue (as reported on Item 12 of the 990) between and including the number you have selected.

Total Expenses

This criterion will limit responses to the organizations that have total 17 (as reported on Item 17 of the 990) between and including the number you have selected

Selecting Criteria for your Query

You may query by as many or few criteria as you wish. Criteria left with “any” as its choice will be ignored in the selection of organizations. Any criteria selected will be used in your selection.

When sorting data by more then one criteria it is important to remember organizations need to fulfill all criteria selected, not just one of the criteria. Example: if you choose county societies (Organization Type Criterion) in the northeast (Location Criterion), only organizations that are both county societies and are located in the northeast will be result of your query.

The database will only return results if the criteria selected includes five or more organizations. If the criterion chosen do not result in five organizations, broadening the scope of your criterion should alleviate the problem.

When selecting criterion’s that are numbers (staff size, membership size, total revenue and total expenses) please use only numbers, not the words for numbers (1000000 vs. one million)

Staff size and membership size information is complied from the annual executive compensation survey, and is limited to only 101 organizations. Using staff size or membership size will significantly reduce the number organizations in the results. Using these two criterions in combination with other criterion may result in less then five organizations being in the results.

When you have selected your criterion hit the “submit” button to be taken to the results page.

Reviewing the Results of Your Query

After hitting the submit button you will be taken to the results page.

At the top of the results page you will see the criterion that was selected on the previous screen.

By hitting the “show organization” button, a listing of the organization and the total number of organizations will be displayed. To hide the list of organizations, hit the “show organization” button again.

The data tabulated will displayed in the table on the results page. Below is a definition of each of the columns:

• Item – The item number for that row from the 2008 IRS form 990.
• Description – The description of the row from the 2008 IRS form 990.
• N – The number of organizations from the selected query who had completed that item number (Note because not all organizations fill out every item, this number will vary from the total number of organizations in the query)
• Mean – The average of the answers from that item number.
• Median – The number separating the higher half of the query from the lower half.
• Max – The highest reported number for that item
• Min – The lowest reported number for that item
• Org – The number, if any, your organization reported for that item number

To print the report, select “printable” from the drop down box on the left hand side and hit the “submit” button.

When printing, the page is best viewed in Landscape mode. Enable colors and images in your printing options for best results. If using Firefox, this can be done by going to File->Page Setup and checking “Print Background (colors & images). If using Internet Explorer, this can be done by going to Tools->Internet Options->Advanced and in the “Printing” section, check “Print background colors and images”.

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