The preservation and interpretation of the history and material culture of the early american south and the moravian town of Salem.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
78¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$607K 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 $230K a year · 4% 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
78%
of spending
Looks good: 78% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$607K
to officers and key staff · 14% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 14% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
9 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $37.1M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 8.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
14
named funders · $352K
Looks good: 14 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$1.9M
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
21
of 21 voting members
Looks good: 21 of 21 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$3.2M
Spent
$4.4M
To programs
78%
Net assets
$77.5M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$3.2M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$3.2M
FY2021$3.8M
FY2022$6.6M
FY2023$7.1M
FY2024$7.7M
FY2025$6.0M
Expenses
$4.4M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$4.4M
FY2021$4.6M
FY2022$5.3M
FY2023$6.1M
FY2024$6.4M
FY2025$6.2M
Net assets
$77.5M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$77.5M
FY2021$80.1M
FY2022$65.3M
FY2023$69.0M
FY2024$72.0M
FY2025$76.6M

From the FY2020 Form 990 · 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 1950.

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

Where the money goes

78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 78% · $3.4M Management & general 16% · $689K Fundraising 7% · $291K

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

48 people listed on the 990; $607K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$170,118Pt VII · Sec A
$170,118Pt VII · Sec A
$76,558Pt VII · Sec A
$76,558Pt VII · Sec A
V.p. Collect
$56,960Pt VII · Sec A
V.p. Collect
$56,960Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Terry Taylor’s $135K as President/Ce is at the 58th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3924 $1–10M arts & culture 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 · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Mr Frank Vagnone————$220,007$170,118
Terry Taylor$134,853$133,821$134,434—$89,166$76,558
Franklin Vagnone End 630———$119,820——
Terry Taylor Beg 71———$111,078——
Mr Robert Leath—————$56,960

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 Old Salem Incorporated 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

Preserves and interprets the history and material culture of the early American South and Salem.

Questions for Old Salem Incorporated

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Provided by the organization

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4 programs · $5.3M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Educational Program

Guided interpretive tours and special events are held for educational purposes as well as museum classes and summer apprenticeship programs.

$1.6Mprogram expense
02

Educational Program

Guided interpretive tours and special events are held for educational purposes as well as museum classes and summer apprenticeship programs.

$1.6Mprogram expense
03

Museum Program

A museum of early southern decorative arts.

$1.1Mprogram expense
04

Museum Program

A museum of early southern decorative arts.

$1.1Mprogram 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 14 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$3.2M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.0M
Investment incomeLn 3$829K
Other incomeLn 4–11$196K
Money outPt IX
$4.4M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.4M
Managementcol C$689K
Fundraisingcol D$291K
Owns and owesPt X
$77.5M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$3.2M
Total assetsLn 16$79.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.9M
PeoplePt VI, VII
48
listed · VII A
PaidVII A6
Voting boardVI 1a21
IndependentVI 1b21
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.0M
Government grantsLn 1e$1.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$117K
Investment incomeLn 3$829K
Other incomeLn 4–11$196K
Total revenueLn 12$3.2M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$3.2M
Total assetsLn 16$79.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1.9M
Net assetsLn 32$77.5M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5129
VolunteersI 642
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $6.0M$6.2M−$143K$76.6M 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS Jun 26, 2025 $7.7M$6.4M$1.3M$72.0M 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Jun 20, 2024 $7.1M$6.1M$958K$69.0M 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Jun 20, 2023 $6.6M$5.3M$1.3M$65.3M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Sep 6, 2022 $3.8M$4.6M−$827K$80.1M 990 PDF
FY2020 ViewingFiled with the IRS Mar 23, 2022 $3.2M$4.4M−$1.2M$77.5M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (1 part)
Part VI · Governance 21 of 21 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body21
VI-1b Independent voting members21
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

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

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