The Ad Fontes mission is to glorify god by assisting christian parents in equipping their children to be servant leaders through a classical education based on eternal biblical truth.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
92¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$169K 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

FY2023 · Form 990Independent: 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
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $180K a year · 6% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
92%
of spending
Looks good: 92% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$169K
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Concern: 0.3 months of spending in cash; under 2 weeks.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $51K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$774K
85% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 85% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$2.9M
-5% vs prior year
Spent
$2.9M
To programs
92%
Net assets
$141K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$2.9M
FY2023▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$2.5M
FY2021$3.2M
FY2022$3.0M
FY2023$2.9M
FY2024$3.3M
FY2025$3.1M
Expenses
$2.9M
FY2023▼ -9%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$2.5M
FY2021$2.8M
FY2022$3.1M
FY2023$2.9M
FY2024$2.8M
FY2025$2.8M
Net assets
$141K
FY2023▲ +5%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$195K
FY2021$248K
FY2022$134K
FY2023$141K
FY2024$620K
FY2025$887K

From the FY2023 Form 990 (year ending June 2023) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 1998.

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

Where the money goes

92 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 92% · $2.6M Management & general 6% · $184K Fundraising 2% · $56K

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

10 people listed on the 990; $169K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Head of School
$77,500Pt VII · Sec A
Interim Head of School
$46,200Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$35,000Pt VII · Sec A
Trustee
$10,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Trustee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Trustee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Josh McCroskey’s $62K as Former Head is at the 11th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M 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 · 7 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Joshua McCroskey—$125,000$77,500———
Dean Luckenbaugh———$54,226$117,345$118,360
Josh McCroskey$62,500—————
Karen Dougherty$59,975—————
Beth Strachan——$46,200$6,000——
Richard Leed——$35,000———
Sam Cox——$10,000$21,700$5,500—

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 Ad Fontes Educational Trust 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Funds Christian education programs and operates a Christian school.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $2.6M · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Support christian based education programs, including operation of a k-12 school, which provided a christian based education to 195 students for the 2022/2023 school year.

$2.6Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$2.9M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.7M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$200K
Other incomeLn 4–11$276
Money outPt IX
$2.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.6M
Managementcol C$184K
Fundraisingcol D$56K
Owns and owesPt X
$141K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$77K
Total assetsLn 16$914K
LiabilitiesLn 26$774K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A4
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$200K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$23K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2.7M
Investment incomeLn 3$6
Other incomeLn 4–11$276
Total revenueLn 12$2.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$77K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$77K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$828K
Total assetsLn 16$914K
LiabilitiesLn 26$774K
Net assetsLn 32$141K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 554
VolunteersI 655
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
LineStart FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$230K$77K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$886K$828K
Total assetsLn 16$1.1M$914K
LiabilitiesLn 26$992K$774K
Net assetsLn 32$134K$141K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$445K$445K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$169K$34K$118K$17K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.3M$1.2M$38K$6K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$76K$69K$6K$970
Payroll taxesLn 10$123K$111K$10K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$11K$11K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$6K$6K
Office expensesLn 13$173K$170K$3K
OccupancyLn 16$214K$214K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$34K$34K
InterestLn 20$12K$12K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$60K$60K
InsuranceLn 23$22K$22K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$216K$188K$28K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.9M$2.6M$184K$56K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $3.1M$2.8M$267K$887K 990 PDF
FY2024 $3.3M$2.8M$479K$620K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $2.9M$2.9M$6K$141K 990 PDF
FY2022 $3.0M$3.1M−$113K$134K 990 PDF
FY2021 $3.2M$2.8M$443K$248K 990 PDF
FY2020 $2.5M$2.5M−$3K−$195K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $2,858,237 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $192,760$200,491
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $2,815,716$2,657,464
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $16$6
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$276
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $3,008,492$2,858,237
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $464,488$445,182
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,843,542$1,659,094
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $813,928$747,491
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,121,958$2,851,767
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$113,466$6,470
Part VI · Governance 6 of 8 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $2,858,237 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$200,491
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$22,877
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$200,491
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $2,657,464$2,657,464
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $6$6
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $276$276
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $2,657,740 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $6$2,858,237
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,851,767 across 14 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $445,182$445,182
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $33,740 · Management $118,090 · Fundraising $16,870$168,700
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,247,271 · Management $38,245 · Fundraising $6,232$1,291,748
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $68,699 · Management $6,443 · Fundraising $970$76,112
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $110,597 · Management $10,373 · Fundraising $1,564$122,534
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $10,575$10,575
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $5,829$5,829
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $170,029 · Fundraising $2,823$172,852
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $213,546$213,546
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $34,197$34,197
IX-20 InterestPrograms $12,248$12,248
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $59,812$59,812
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $22,165$22,165
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $188,477 · Fundraising $27,790$216,267
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $2,611,792 · Management $183,726 · Fundraising $56,249$2,851,767
Part X · Balance sheet $914,471 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $230,277$76,647
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,365$2,220
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $885,519$827,627
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $9,144$7,977
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,126,305$914,471
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $177,476$73,492
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $253,845$266,018
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $545,016$434,052
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $991,866$773,562
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $134,439$140,909
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $134,439$140,909
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,126,305$914,471
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $140,909 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$2,858,237
XI-2 Total expenses$2,851,767
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$6,470
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$134,439
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$140,909

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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