Mars Hill University FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

Mars Hill, NC501(c)(3)Since 1859Colleges & UniversitiesEIN 56-0554207Revenue $61.9M in FY2020

On file with the IRSmhu.edu100 Athletic St, 28754-9134 · Mars Hill, NCTax-exempt since Jun 1946School — 170(b)(1)(A)(ii)

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The organization is a private liberal arts univesrity offering programs leading to five degrees: bachelor of arts, science, music, social work and fine arts.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$570K 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

FY2020 · 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
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.8M a year · 3% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
79%
of spending
Looks good: 79% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$570K
to officers and key staff · 1% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 1% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $27K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$57.0M
36% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 36% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
31
of 31 voting members
Looks good: 31 of 31 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$61.9M
Spent
$51.8M
To programs
79%
Net assets
$102.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$61.9M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$61.9M
FY2021$54.4M
FY2022$63.2M
FY2023$52.0M
FY2024$51.6M
FY2025$61.9M
Expenses
$51.8M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$51.8M
FY2021$54.0M
FY2022$53.8M
FY2023$54.7M
FY2024$57.7M
FY2025$62.5M
Net assets
$102.3M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$102.3M
FY2021$116.3M
FY2022$121.0M
FY2023$116.1M
FY2024$113.9M
FY2025$110.0M

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending May 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 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 Jun 1946.

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

Where the money goes

79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 79% · $40.9M Management & general 19% · $9.7M Fundraising 2% · $1.2M

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

36 people listed on the 990; $570K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
President
$193,109Pt VII · Sec A
Vp-Institutional Advanceme
$118,058Pt VII · Sec A
$117,187Pt VII · Sec A
$112,042Pt VII · Sec A
Vp-Student Life
$29,715Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Tony Floyd’s $280K as President is at the 61st 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
Tony Floyd$280,000$280,000$289,693$268,948$199,814$193,109
Tracy Parkinson$178,000$165,000$155,000$138,458$66,281—
Daniel Wright$169,583—————
Roger Slagle—$150,000$148,400$121,042——
Joanna Pierce——$142,336———
Greta Byrd$127,625$127,625————
Grainger Caudle$124,377$118,781$118,781$115,458——
Dave Rozeboom$123,439$123,439$117,258$108,833$77,379$29,715

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

Educates students in liberal arts, offering degrees in arts, science, music, social work, and fine arts.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $40.9M · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Instruction

Private liberal arts university offering programs leading to five degrees: bachelor of arts, science, music, social work, and fine arts. Approximately 1030 students benefited.

$39.3Mprogram expense
02

Academic Support

Services that are an integral part of the university's primary mission of education.

$1.0Mprogram expense
03

Public Service

Activities established primarily to provide non-instructional services to groups external to the university.

$520Kprogram 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 2 funders$27K
Grants paid · 6 grants · $135.2M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$27,325,886
Unitemized GrantFY2023$24,829,361
Unitemized GrantFY2022$21,640,386
Unitemized GrantFY2021$21,276,787
Unitemized GrantFY2020$19,974,702
Unitemized GrantFY2019$20,199,990

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$61.9M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$40.3M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$21.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$200K
Money outPt IX
$51.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$40.9M
Managementcol C$9.7M
Fundraisingcol D$1.2M
Owns and owesPt X
$102.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$21.1M
Total assetsLn 16$159.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$57.0M
PeoplePt VI, VII
36
listed · VII A
PaidVII A5
Voting boardVI 1a31
IndependentVI 1b31
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$21.3M
Government grantsLn 1e$3.3M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$5.4M
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$185K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$40.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$200K
Other incomeLn 4–11$171K
Gains on assetsLn 7$54K
Total revenueLn 12$61.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$21.1M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$21.1M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$48.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$73.0M
Other assetsLn 15$11.0M
Total assetsLn 16$159.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$57.0M
Net assetsLn 32$102.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5617
VolunteersI 624
Fiscal year endsHeaderMay
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$5.9M$21.1M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$49.7M$48.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$74.5M$73.0M
Total assetsLn 16$147.3M$159.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$54.3M$57.0M
Net assetsLn 32$93.0M$102.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$20.2M$20.2M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$501K$151K$349K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$13.3M$10.7M$1.9M$716K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$558K$558K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2.5M$122K$2.4M
Payroll taxesLn 10$1.1M$1.1M
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$1.0M$266K$729K$8K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$474K$156K$128K$189K
Office expensesLn 13$1.7M$1.2M$318K$186K
Information technologyLn 14$662K$175K$481K$5K
OccupancyLn 16$1.4M$1.3M$111K
TravelLn 17$834K$709K$91K$35K
InterestLn 20$1.3M$1.3M
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$2.7M$2.5M$224K
InsuranceLn 23$747K$747K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$2.8M$2.1M$669K$18K
All other expensesLn 24e$117K$117K
Total functional expensesLn 25$51.8M$40.9M$9.7M$1.2M

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $61.9M$62.5M−$631K$110.0M 990 PDF
FY2024 $51.6M$57.7M−$6.1M$113.9M 990 PDF
FY2023 $52.0M$54.7M−$2.7M$116.1M 990 PDF
FY2022 $63.2M$53.8M$9.5M$121.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $54.4M$54.0M$460K$116.3M 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $61.9M$51.8M$10.1M$102.3M 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $61,921,343 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $11,733,981$21,260,341
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $42,946,956$40,290,662
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,069,588$199,531
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $254,311$170,809
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $57,004,836$61,921,343
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $20,907,601$20,199,990
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $17,566,503$17,932,858
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $14,543,495$13,643,032
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $53,017,599$51,775,880
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $3,987,237$10,145,463
Part VI · Governance 31 of 31 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body31
VI-1b Independent voting members31
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 $61,921,343 across 12 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $207,760 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$184,846
VIII-1e Government grants$3,301,606
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$17,773,889
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$5,353,483
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$21,260,341
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $40,082,902$40,082,902
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $83,269 · Excluded from tax $62,398$145,667
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $88,350$88,350
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission −$159,117 · Excluded from tax $212,981$53,864
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$6,895−$6,895
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $89,354$89,354
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $40,220,899 · Unrelated business $83,269 · Excluded from tax $356,834$61,921,343
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $51,775,880 across 17 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $20,199,990$20,199,990
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $151,486 · Management $349,295$500,781
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $10,738,423 · Management $1,877,058 · Fundraising $715,895$13,331,376
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsManagement $557,902$557,902
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $122,359 · Management $2,364,622$2,486,981
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $1,055,818$1,055,818
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $265,512 · Management $728,578 · Fundraising $8,219$1,002,309
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $156,380 · Management $128,202 · Fundraising $189,011$473,593
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,155,085 · Management $318,358 · Fundraising $186,400$1,659,843
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $175,457 · Management $481,464 · Fundraising $5,431$662,352
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $1,253,073 · Management $111,336$1,364,409
IX-17 TravelPrograms $708,676 · Management $90,858 · Fundraising $34,791$834,325
IX-20 InterestPrograms $1,269,899$1,269,899
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $2,480,146 · Management $224,484$2,704,630
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $746,661$746,661
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $2,120,983 · Management $668,728 · Fundraising $18,347$2,808,058
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $116,953$116,953
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $40,914,422 · Management $9,703,364 · Fundraising $1,158,094$51,775,880
Part X · Balance sheet $159,252,141 assets, 18 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $3,093,463; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $5,915,657$21,140,920
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,313,123$1,320,110
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $881,923$714,054
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $327,621$335,684
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $96,305$72,830
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $74,457,892$73,014,066
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $2,033,452$73,464
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $47,623,001$48,492,011
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $12,738,434$10,995,539
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $147,318,547$159,252,141
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $4,038,094$3,356,118
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $789,416$4,014,591
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $2,257,930$1,475,348
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $54,284,258$56,969,633
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $16,792,601$26,331,252
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $76,241,688$75,951,256
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $93,034,289$102,282,508
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $147,318,547$159,252,141
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $102,282,508 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$61,921,343
XI-2 Total expenses$51,775,880
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$10,145,463
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$93,034,289
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$670,530
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$1,567,774
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$102,282,508

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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