Bellingrath-Morse Foundation FY2020 filing

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Provide for the operations and maintenance of Bellingrath gardens and home for education and enjoyment of the general public and to provide continued support for certain colleges and churches all as provided in the entity's organizational documents.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$4K 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.4M a year · 18% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 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
$4K
to officers and key staff · 0.07% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 0% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
12 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $95.6M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 12.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Liabilities
$97K
0.09% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
0
of 5 voting members
Concern: none of 5 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$9.8M
Spent
$5.6M
To programs
82%
Net assets
$103.7M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$9.8M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$9.8M
FY2021$8.7M
FY2022$5.9M
FY2023$5.7M
FY2024$7.9M
Expenses
$5.6M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$5.6M
FY2021$6.4M
FY2022$7.6M
FY2023$4.7M
FY2024$6.7M
Net assets
$103.7M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$103.7M
FY2021$109.5M
FY2022$90.8M
FY2023$99.0M
FY2024$102.4M

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 (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Aug 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% · $4.6M Management & general 18% · $1.0M

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

7 people listed on the 990; $4K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$1,000Pt VII · Sec A
$1,000Pt VII · Sec A
$1,000Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$1,000Pt VII · Sec A
Corp. Trustee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Former Trustee/Exec Dir
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Walter Edgar’s $1K as Trustee is at the 0th 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 · 6 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Robert Baker JR$1,000$2,000$1,000——
Walter Edgar$1,000$1,000$1,000$1,000$1,000
George Garzon JR$1,000$1,000$1,000$1,000$1,000
Preston Bolt$1,000$1,000$1,000$1,000$1,000
Helen Meaher$1,000$1,000$1,000——
Stephen G Crawford———$1,000$1,000

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 Bellingrath-Morse Foundation 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
  • Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II2 listed

Programs and updates

Maintains Bellingrath Gardens and Home for public enjoyment, and supports colleges and churches.

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1 program · $4.6M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Distribution of total return distributable amount from trust to two churches, three colleges and bellingrath gardens & home foundation.

$4.6Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · this organization's grantmaking
Grants paid · 19 grants · $26.2M · 2020–2024
Rhodes CollegeTN · FY2024$2,721,792
Huntingdon CollegeAL · FY2024$1,360,896
Stillman CollegeAL · FY2024$680,448
Rhodes CollegeTN · FY2023$2,167,218
Huntingdon CollegeAL · FY2023$1,083,609
Stillman CollegeAL · FY2023$541,804
Rhodes CollegeTN · FY2022$2,751,118
Huntingdon CollegeAL · FY2022$1,375,559
Stillman CollegeAL · FY2022$687,780
Rhodes CollegeTN · FY2021$2,111,790
Huntingdon CollegeAL · FY2021$1,055,895
Stillman CollegeAL · FY2021$527,948
Rhodes CollegeTN · FY2020$2,296,989
Huntingdon CollegeAL · FY2020$1,148,495
Stillman CollegeAL · FY2020$574,247
See all 19 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$9.8M
Ln 12
Investment incomeLn 3$9.8M
Money outPt IX
$5.6M
Ln 25
Programscol B$4.6M
Managementcol C$1.0M
Owns and owesPt X
$103.7M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$5.8M
Total assetsLn 16$103.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$97K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A4
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Investment incomeLn 3$9.8M
Gains on assetsLn 7$7.8M
Total revenueLn 12$9.8M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$5.8M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$5.8M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$95.6M
Other assetsLn 15$135K
Total assetsLn 16$103.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$97K
Net assetsLn 32$103.7M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3More from this return
EndowmentSch D · Pt V
LineFY20FY19FY18FY17FY16
End of yearLn 1g$103.7M$96.9M$85.9M$95.2M$88.6M
SpentLn 1d–1f$5.6M$6.1M$6.0M$5.1M$4.9M
4Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$3.7M$5.8M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$91.4M$95.6M
Total assetsLn 16$97.0M$103.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26$189K$97K
Net assetsLn 32$96.9M$103.7M
5Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$4.6M$4.6M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$70K$70K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$945$945
Payroll taxesLn 10$5K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$735K$735K
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$6K
Investment management feesLn 11f$117K$117K
InsuranceLn 23$62K$62K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$41K$41K
All other expensesLn 24e$2K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$5.6M$4.6M$1.0M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Nov 13, 2025 $7.9M$6.7M$1.2M$102.4M 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 12, 2024 $5.7M$4.7M$941K$99.0M 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2023 $5.9M$7.6M−$1.7M$90.8M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2022 $8.7M$6.4M$2.3M$109.5M 990 PDF
FY2020 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 15, 2021 $9.8M$5.6M$4.1M$103.7M 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $9,772,001 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $0$0
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $8,795,180$9,798,112
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$47,553−$26,111
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $8,747,627$9,772,001
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $4,550,280$4,600,790
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $166,078$75,984
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,351,108$962,463
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $6,067,466$5,639,237
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $2,680,161$4,132,764
Part VI · Governance 0 of 5 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members0
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $9,772,001 across 4 lines filed
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $2,033,148$2,033,148
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $7,764,964$7,764,964
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax −$26,111−$26,111
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $9,772,001$9,772,001
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $5,639,237 across 10 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $4,600,790$4,600,790
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $70,346$70,346
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesManagement $945$945
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $4,693$4,693
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $734,905$734,905
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,030$6,030
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $117,378$117,378
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $61,831$61,831
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Management $40,519$40,519
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $1,800$1,800
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $4,600,790 · Management $1,038,447 · Fundraising $0$5,639,237
Part X · Balance sheet $103,842,292 assets, 12 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $2,144,859; see the IRS return.
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $3,715,885$5,791,250
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $180,760$213,707
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $86,332,858$91,314,201
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $5,098,027$4,242,811
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $135,464$135,464
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $97,049,661$103,842,292
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $169,740$94,398
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $19,187$2,852
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $188,927$97,250
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $96,860,734$103,745,042
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $96,860,734$103,745,042
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $97,049,661$103,842,292
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $103,745,042 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$9,772,001
XI-2 Total expenses$5,639,237
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$4,132,764
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$96,860,734
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$2,751,544
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$103,745,042

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

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