Lee University FY2024 filing

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Lee University is a private, comprehensive University located in cleveland, tennessee. The University is operated under the auspices of the church of god and is governed by a board of trustees.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$1.3M 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

FY2024 · 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
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $5.8M a year · 6% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
82%
of spending
Looks good: 82% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$1.3M
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
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $34.3M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 1.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $92K
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$29.4M
15% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 15% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
24
of 24 voting members
Looks good: 24 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
$91.6M
-6% vs prior year
Spent
$91.4M
To programs
82%
Net assets
$169.4M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$91.6M
FY2024▼ -6%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$106.1M
FY2021$108.0M
FY2022$108.8M
FY2023$97.3M
FY2024$91.6M
FY2025$111.3M
Expenses
$91.4M
FY2024▼ -2%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$102.9M
FY2021$101.3M
FY2022$105.9M
FY2023$93.5M
FY2024$91.4M
FY2025$93.2M
Net assets
$169.4M
FY2024▲ +2%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$152.3M
FY2021$163.5M
FY2022$160.8M
FY2023$166.2M
FY2024$169.4M
FY2025$187.2M

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending June 2024) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 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 Oct 1951.

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

Where the money goes

82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 82% · $75.2M Management & general 18% · $16.2M

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

33 people listed on the 990; $1.3M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
$205,431Pt VII · Sec A
President
$201,045Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President for Business & Finance
$152,241Pt VII · Sec A
Dean, School of Nursing
$135,400Pt VII · Sec A
$132,819Pt VII · Sec A
Dean, College of Education
$122,980Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing
$116,424Pt VII · Sec A
Chair, Department of Natural Sciences
$115,382Pt VII · Sec A

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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Charles Paul Conn$170,643$205,431$265,717$175,926——
Mark Walker$146,090$201,045$207,654$210,758$165,337$131,995
Paul Conn————$146,164$162,897
Andrea Dismukes$158,297—————
Chris Conine$140,984$152,241$150,717$147,484$146,291$146,346
Christopher Coulter——$138,843———
Sara Campbell—$135,400$124,088$123,332$121,576$119,404
Deborah Murray$123,819$132,819$133,319$130,269$128,819$118,819

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 Lee University executive salaries →

Questions the 990 asks

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

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Provides Christian liberal arts and professional education, integrating faith with academics.

Questions for Lee University

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Your first name shows with your question. Lee University answers here, for everyone.

3 programs · $66.8M · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Instructional Expenses

Instruction is provided to approximately 2,964 full time equivalent students in various programs throughout the academic year. This includes both undergraduate and graduate programs.

$51.1Mprogram expense
02

Student Services

Provides services to enrolled students including student athletics, health clinic, spiritual life programs, residential life programs, etc.

$11.6Mprogram expense
03

Academic Support

Provides support services to various attendees of the university, as well as, support of programs within the university. Academic support includes faculty development, the library and research centers.

$4.1Mprogram 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
See all 5 funders →
Grants paid · 6 grants · $159.5M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$25,865,979
Unitemized GrantFY2023$25,112,594
Unitemized GrantFY2022$24,154,333
Unitemized GrantFY2021$26,600,552
Unitemized GrantFY2020$28,393,393
Unitemized GrantFY2019$29,350,971

Federal money

Single Audit · Federal Audit Clearinghouse · money spent from federal programs
Year ending Jun 2025 · $24.5M federal money spent
Federal Direct Student LoansDepartment of Education · ALN 84.268 · Direct$16.5M
Federal Pell Grant ProgramDepartment of Education · ALN 84.063 · Direct$6.9M
Trio Student Support ServicesDepartment of Education · ALN 84.042 · Direct$279K
Trio McNair Post-Baccalaureate AchievementDepartment of Education · ALN 84.217 · Direct$233K
Federal Work-Study ProgramDepartment of Education · ALN 84.033 · Direct$220K

Plus 6 smaller programs.

The auditor reported no findings.

Year ending Jun 2024 · $24.1M federal money spent
Federal Direct Student LoansDepartment of Education · ALN 84.268 · Direct$17.6M
Federal Pell Grant ProgramDepartment of Education · ALN 84.063 · Direct$5.4M
Trio Student Support ServicesDepartment of Education · ALN 84.042 · Direct$262K
Trio McNair Post-Baccalaureate AchievementDepartment of Education · ALN 84.217 · Direct$256K
Federal Work-Study ProgramDepartment of Education · ALN 84.033 · Direct$236K

Plus 5 smaller programs.

The auditor reported no findings.

Year ending Jun 2023 · $26.5M federal money spent
Federal Direct Student LoansDepartment of Education · ALN 84.268 · Direct$19.7M
Federal Pell Grant ProgramDepartment of Education · ALN 84.063 · Direct$4.9M
Education Stabilization FundDepartment of Education · ALN 84.425 · Direct$686K
Trio_student Support ServicesDepartment of Education · ALN 84.042 · Direct$274K
Trio_mcnair Post-Baccalaureate AchievementDepartment of Education · ALN 84.217 · Direct$271K

Plus 6 smaller programs.

The auditor reported no findings.

Year ending Jun 2022 · $38.8M federal money spent
Federal Direct Student LoansDepartment of Education · ALN 84.268 · Direct$22.4M
Education Stabilization FundDepartment of Education · ALN 84.425 · Direct$9.0M
Federal Pell Grant ProgramDepartment of Education · ALN 84.063 · Direct$5.9M
Trio_mcnair Post-Baccalaureate AchievementDepartment of Education · ALN 84.217 · Direct$257K
Trio_student Support ServicesDepartment of Education · ALN 84.042 · Direct$254K

Plus 7 smaller programs.

The auditor reported no findings.

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$91.6M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$85.2M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$6.3M
Investment incomeLn 3$283K
Money outPt IX
$91.4M
Ln 25
Programscol B$75.2M
Managementcol C$16.2M
Owns and owesPt X
$169.4M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$9.1M
Total assetsLn 16$198.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$29.4M
PeoplePt VI, VII
33
listed · VII A
PaidVII A9
Voting boardVI 1a24
IndependentVI 1b24
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$6.3M
Government grantsLn 1e$1.1M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$15K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$85.2M
Investment incomeLn 3$283K
Gains on assetsLn 7$423K
Total revenueLn 12$91.6M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$9.1M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$9.1M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$34.3M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$147.6M
Other assetsLn 15$700K
Total assetsLn 16$198.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$29.4M
Net assetsLn 32$169.4M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 51,868
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3More from this return
BondsSch K, Pt X
Tax-exempt bond debt owedX 20$8.6M
Bond issues listedSch K Pt I5
Raised by those issuesSch K Pt I$36.2M
EndowmentSch D · Pt V
LineFY24FY23FY22FY21FY20
End of yearLn 1g$32.9M$30.0M$27.8M$30.7M$24.9M
Given inLn 1b$628K$939K$1.2M$1.1M$791K
SpentLn 1d–1f$988K$1.6M$91K$1.2M$631K
4Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$11.0M$9.1M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$30.9M$34.3M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$148.4M$147.6M
Total assetsLn 16$197.0M$198.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$30.8M$29.4M
Net assetsLn 32$166.2M$169.4M
5Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$25.1M$25.1M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$692K$692K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$28.7M$23.0M$5.7M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$1.1M$807K$265K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2.7M$2.1M$577K
Payroll taxesLn 10$2.1M$1.7M$395K
Legal feesLn 11b$232K$10K$221K
Accounting feesLn 11c$75K$75K
Investment management feesLn 11f$68K$68K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$3.5M$638K$2.9M
Advertising and promotionLn 12$794K$673K$121K
Office expensesLn 13$923K$590K$333K
Information technologyLn 14$1.4M$1.4M
TravelLn 17$3.1M$2.7M$434K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$319K$208K$111K
InterestLn 20$541K$500K$41K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$5.1M$4.7M$386K
InsuranceLn 23$1.5M$378K$1.1M
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$13.4M$11.3M$2.1M
Total functional expensesLn 25$91.4M$75.2M$16.2M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS May 11, 2026 $111.3M$93.2M$18.0M$187.2M 990 PDF
FY2024 ViewingFiled with the IRS Apr 3, 2025 $91.6M$91.4M$209K$169.4M 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS May 10, 2024 $97.3M$93.5M$3.8M$166.2M 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Feb 28, 2023 $108.8M$105.9M$2.8M$160.8M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Feb 15, 2022 $108.0M$101.3M$6.7M$163.5M 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS May 17, 2021 $106.1M$102.9M$3.2M$152.3M 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $91,560,640 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $11,424,448$6,252,245
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $84,314,088$85,249,950
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,401,405$283,019
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $114,890−$224,574
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $97,254,831$91,560,640
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $24,154,333$25,112,594
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $39,201,605$35,196,351
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $30,106,668$31,043,041
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $93,462,606$91,351,986
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $3,792,225$208,654
Part VI · Governance 24 of 24 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body24
VI-1b Independent voting members24
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
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 $91,560,640 across 8 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for −$151,409 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$1,123,420
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$5,128,825
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$15,042
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$6,252,245
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $85,176,785$85,176,785
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax −$139,995−$139,995
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $423,014$423,014
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $85,025,376 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $283,019$91,560,640
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $91,351,986 across 19 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $25,112,594$25,112,594
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $691,536$691,536
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $23,023,655 · Management $5,662,818$28,686,473
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $807,251 · Management $264,647$1,071,898
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $2,106,060 · Management $576,626$2,682,686
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $1,668,370 · Management $395,388$2,063,758
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $10,500 · Management $221,033$231,533
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $74,515$74,515
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $67,795$67,795
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $638,118 · Management $2,895,037$3,533,155
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $673,021 · Management $120,992$794,013
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $590,021 · Management $333,126$923,147
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $1,412,193$1,412,193
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,685,575 · Management $433,823$3,119,398
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $207,725 · Management $111,074$318,799
IX-20 InterestPrograms $500,084 · Management $40,723$540,807
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $4,741,928 · Management $386,144$5,128,072
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $378,113 · Management $1,079,281$1,457,394
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $11,343,428 · Management $2,098,792$13,442,220
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $75,177,979 · Management $16,174,007 · Fundraising $0$91,351,986
Part X · Balance sheet $198,829,507 assets, 17 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $9,542; see the IRS return.
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $10,985,421$9,122,664
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $515,696$365,696
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $4,655,433$6,688,115
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $48,224$53,369
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $148,399,998$147,622,329
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $30,946,403$34,268,209
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,014,172$699,583
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $196,959,701$198,829,507
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $8,262,144$7,917,317
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $1,703,189$1,588,262
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $12,394,168$8,625,405
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $8,414,709$11,267,317
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $30,791,783$29,398,301
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $139,243,724$140,680,737
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $26,924,194$28,750,469
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $166,167,918$169,431,206
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $196,959,701$198,829,507
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $169,431,206 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$91,560,640
XI-2 Total expenses$91,351,986
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$208,654
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$166,167,918
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$3,054,634
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$169,431,206

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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