Blackburn University: Nonprofit Profile, Financials & Form 990 (EIN 37-0661491)

Laura Wiedlocher’s $159K as Provost is at the 19th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3683 $10–100M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

Name	FY2025	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Julie Murray-Jensen	—	—	—	—	$230,000	$244,187
Mark Biermann End 1323	—	—	$220,723	—	—	—
Gregory Meyer End 63024	—	$220,000	—	—	—	—
Mark Biermann	—	—	—	$218,818	$91,884	—
Laura Wiedlocher	$159,267	—	—	—	—	—
Sarah Mouch End 2224	—	$156,000	—	—	—	—
Karla McCain	—	—	$149,502	—	—	—
John McClusky	—	—	—	$118,846	$141,074	$140,560

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Prepares graduates for careers and lifelong learning through liberal arts education and work programs.

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1 program · $19.5M · in their own filed words · FY2024

01

464 students served during fall semester 2024; 430 students served during spring semester 2025.

$19.5Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid

Grants received · FY2024

Sterling CollegeFY2024$127K

Donor Advised Charitable Giving INCFY2024$73K

Associated Colleges of Illinois INCFY2024$20K

Charities Aid Foundation AmericaFY2024$11K

Vanguard Charitable Endowment ProgramFY2024$6K

Lincoln Financial Foundation INCFY2024$1K

Shell Oil Company FoundationFY2024$1K

Total grants receivedfrom 7 funders$240K

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Grants paid · 9 grants · $26.8M · 2019–2024

Unitemized GrantFY2024$5,041,390

Unitemized GrantFY2023$3,472,093

Unitemized GrantFY2022$3,864,170

Unitemized GrantFY2022$31,930

Unitemized GrantFY2021$3,832,658

Unitemized GrantFY2021$1,202,100

Unitemized GrantFY2020$4,652,654

Unitemized GrantFY2019$4,316,547

Unitemized GrantFY2019$413,450

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

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from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$20.4M

Ln 12

Fees for servicesLn 2g$14.6M

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.1M

Other incomeLn 4–11$516K

Money outPt IX

$24.6M

Ln 25

Programscol B$19.5M

Managementcol C$4.3M

Fundraisingcol D$770K

Owns and owesPt X

$69.6M

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$728K

Total assetsLn 16$80.7M

LiabilitiesLn 26$11.1M

PeoplePt VI, VII

25

listed · VII A

PaidVII A6

Voting boardVI 1a19

IndependentVI 1b18

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.1M

Government grantsLn 1e$2.9M

Noncash giftsLn 1g$198K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$14.6M

Investment incomeLn 3$234K

Other incomeLn 4–11$516K

Gains on assetsLn 7$147K

Total revenueLn 12$20.4M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$5K

SavingsLn 2$723K

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$728K

InvestmentsLn 11–13$34.9M

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$37.9M

Other assetsLn 15$3.8M

Total assetsLn 16$80.7M

LiabilitiesLn 26$11.1M

Net assetsLn 32$69.6M

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 5407

VolunteersI 6230

Fiscal year endsHeaderJune

Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes

Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes

Records policyVI 14Yes

3Year over year

Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B

Line	Start FY25	End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$3.8M	$728K
InvestmentsLn 11–13	$39.2M	$34.9M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$33.3M	$37.9M
Total assetsLn 16	$84.1M	$80.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$13.7M	$11.1M
Net assetsLn 32	$70.4M	$69.6M

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2	$5.0M	$5.0M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$1.0M	$755K	$214K	$62K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$9.9M	$7.0M	$2.4M	$490K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$960K	$686K	$229K	$45K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$674K	$490K	$145K	$39K
Investment management feesLn 11f	$23K		$23K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$1.3M	$586K	$678K	$51K
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$33K	$4K	$28K	$586
OccupancyLn 16	$481K	$210	$480K	$455
TravelLn 17	$490K	$402K	$52K	$35K
InterestLn 20	$342K		$342K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$1.3M	$782K	$508K
InsuranceLn 23	$291K	$17K	$274K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$1.9M	$1.5M	$367K	$11K
All other expensesLn 24e	$875K	$2.2M	−$1.4M	$35K
Total functional expensesLn 25	$24.6M	$19.5M	$4.3M	$770K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2025 Latest Viewing	$20.4M	$24.6M	−$4.2M	$69.6M	990 PDF
FY2024	$22.8M	$21.4M	$1.4M	$70.4M	990 PDF
FY2023	$17.8M	$20.5M	−$2.6M	$66.1M	990 PDF
FY2022	$24.5M	$20.4M	$4.2M	$64.5M	990 PDF
FY2021	$22.6M	$20.5M	$2.1M	$66.0M	990 PDF
FY2020	$20.6M	$19.9M	$631K	$57.3M	990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash

See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $20,420,086 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $8,472,013$5,100,287

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $12,257,919$14,569,160

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,638,716$234,344

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $462,179$516,295

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $22,830,827$20,420,086

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $3,472,093$5,041,390

I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $11,134,013$12,533,069

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $6,803,741$7,002,508

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $21,409,847$24,576,967

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,420,980−$4,156,881

Part VI · Governance 18 of 19 board members independent, no flags

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body19

VI-1b Independent voting members18

VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo

VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes

VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes

VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $20,420,086 across 11 lines filed

Lines not itemized here account for $16,603 of total revenue; see the IRS return.

VIII-1e Government grants$2,894,623

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$2,205,664

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$197,896

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$5,100,287

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $14,569,160$14,569,160

VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business −$4,960 · Excluded from tax $92,728$87,768

VIII-5 RoyaltiesExcluded from tax $1,776$1,776

VIII-6 Net rental income or lossRelated to mission $185,439$185,439

VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsUnrelated business $13,744 · Excluded from tax $132,832$146,576

VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $312,477$312,477

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $14,771,202 · Unrelated business $8,784 · Excluded from tax $539,813$20,420,086

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $24,576,967 across 15 lines filed

IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $5,041,390$5,041,390

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $754,947 · Management $214,383 · Fundraising $61,987$1,031,317

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $7,023,952 · Management $2,353,801 · Fundraising $489,722$9,867,475

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $685,655 · Management $229,168 · Fundraising $45,187$960,010

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $489,836 · Management $144,959 · Fundraising $39,472$674,267

IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $22,579$22,579

IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $585,898 · Management $677,814 · Fundraising $51,237$1,314,949

IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $4,406 · Management $27,541 · Fundraising $586$32,533

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $210 · Management $479,896 · Fundraising $455$480,561

IX-17 TravelPrograms $402,236 · Management $52,472 · Fundraising $34,932$489,640

IX-20 InterestManagement $342,104$342,104

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $782,109 · Management $508,053$1,290,162

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $17,000 · Management $274,301$291,301

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $1,485,677 · Management $366,976 · Fundraising $10,895$1,863,548

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,204,007 · Management −$1,364,066 · Fundraising $35,190$875,131

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $19,477,323 · Management $4,329,981 · Fundraising $769,663$24,576,967

Part X · Balance sheet $80,701,281 assets, 20 lines filed

Asset lines not itemized here account for $1,713,835; see the IRS return.

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $5,000$5,000

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $3,754,168$722,718

X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $343,182$230,735

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $1,570,117$1,004,341

X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $34,963$36,449

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $313,122$408,256

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $33,335,436$37,941,098

X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $207,890$45,520

X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $39,014,742$34,822,151

X-15 Other assetsStart of year $3,727,386$3,771,178

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $84,136,032$80,701,281

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $3,921,195$2,168,361

X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $1,012,146$922,260

X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $4,357,543$4,044,490

X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $2,271,476$1,873,950

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $13,747,000$11,087,759

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $32,357,649$35,781,855

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $38,031,383$33,831,667

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $70,389,032$69,613,522

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $84,136,032$80,701,281

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $69,613,522 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$20,420,086

XI-2 Total expenses$24,576,967

XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$4,156,881

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$70,389,032

XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$3,359,110

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$22,261

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$69,613,522

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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