Spring Arbor University FY2022 filing

Tax-deductible

Spring Arbor, MI501(c)(3)Since 1873Colleges & UniversitiesEIN 38-1359569Revenue $70.9M in FY2022

On file with the IRSspringarbor.edu106 E Main St, 49283-9701 · Spring Arbor, MITax-exempt since May 1972School — 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)

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SPRING ARBOR UNIVERSITY PROVIDES POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION TO OVER 2,441 STUDENTS, GRANTING BA, BS, MA ,MS, and DNP DEGREES.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
91¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$1.0M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2022 · Form 990-TIndependent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990-T
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $6.9M a year · 10% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
91%
of spending
Looks good: 91% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$1.0M
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
4
named funders · $35K
Looks good: 4 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$30.1M
25% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 25% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
22
of 24 voting members
Looks good: 22 of 24 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$70.9M
<0.01% vs prior year
Spent
$60.7M
To programs
91%
Net assets
$90.9M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$70.9M
FY2022<0.01%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$68.0M
FY2021$70.9M
FY2022$70.9M
FY2023$57.8M
FY2024$62.4M
FY2025$74.6M
Expenses
$60.7M
FY2022▼ -1%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$64.6M
FY2021$61.5M
FY2022$60.7M
FY2023$59.4M
FY2024$58.0M
FY2025$58.6M
Net assets
$90.9M
FY2022▲ +11%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$66.6M
FY2021$82.1M
FY2022$90.9M
FY2023$90.1M
FY2024$99.1M
FY2025$108.5M

From the FY2022 Form 990 (year ending May 2022) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 1972.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

91 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 91% · $55.2M Management & general 8% · $4.8M Fundraising 1% · $706K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

30 people listed on the 990-T; $1.0M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2021); the FY2022 filing did not itemize Part VII
President
$405,109Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Vice President
$128,342Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Information Officer
$126,686Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Finance & Administration
$123,214Pt VII · Sec A
Provost/Cao
$122,353Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Enrollment & Marketing
$107,683Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary-Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Brent Ellis’s $326K as President is at the 70th 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Brent Ellis$326,066$319,643$314,893$405,109$230,987$241,949
Carol Green$145,880$144,888$139,396$122,353$119,964$122,188
Doug Wilcoxson$134,224$134,047$130,205$128,342$127,634$126,671
Kevin Rose—————$131,707
Randall Melton$123,631$122,649$119,726$126,686$116,784$111,584
Dawn Schnitkey$92,362$126,405$125,113$123,214$107,760—
Ronald Delap——$103,205—$108,961—
Ron Delap—————$108,149

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.

See Spring Arbor University executive salaries →

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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

Provides Christian post-secondary education to over 2,400 students through on-campus and online programs, granting associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $55.2M · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Spring arbor university is a christian institution serving over 2,685 students. All program service expenses are related to instruction, academic support, student and auxiliary services for those students who study at our main campus, through our online education or at one of our sites around the state of michigan.

$55.2Mprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$35K
See all 4 funders →
Grants paid · 9 grants · $100.0M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$17,464,574
Unitemized GrantFY2023$16,217,011
Unitemized GrantFY2022$15,758,938
Unitemized GrantFY2021$15,349,437
Unitemized GrantFY2021$2,388,725
Unitemized GrantFY2020$15,268,344
Unitemized GrantFY2020$811,268
Unitemized GrantFY2019$16,004,298
Unitemized GrantFY2019$770,000

By the numbers

The FY2022 990-T, line by line.

1The main four
Money in
$70.9M
Fees for services$53.7M
Gifts and grants$15.4M
Other income$910K
Money out
$60.7M
Programs$55.2M
Management$4.8M
Fundraising$706K
Owns and owes
$90.9M
net assets
Cash and savings$31.2M
Total assets$121.0M
Liabilities$30.1M
People
30
listed
Paid6
Voting board24
Independent22
2In more detail
Revenue in detail
Gifts and grants$15.4M
Government grants$5.8M
Fees for services$53.7M
Investment income$852K
Other income$910K
Total revenue$70.9M
Assets in detailEnd of year
Cash and savings together$31.2M
Total assets$121.0M
Liabilities$30.1M
Net assets$90.9M
Operations
Employees1,118
Volunteers20
Fiscal year endsMay
Conflict-of-interest policyYes
Whistleblower policyYes
Records policyYes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $74.6M$58.6M$15.9M$108.5M 990 PDF
FY2024 $62.4M$58.0M$4.4M$99.1M 990 PDF
FY2023 $57.8M$59.4M−$1.6M$90.1M 990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing $70.9M$60.7M$10.2M$90.9M 990 PDF
FY2021 $70.9M$61.5M$9.4M$82.1M 990 PDF
FY2020 $68.0M$64.6M$3.4M$66.6M 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

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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