The Golden Triangle Development Link

Not tax-deductible

Columbus, MS501(c)(6)Since 1959EIN 64-0387161Revenue $3.5M in FY2025

On file with the IRSgtrlink.orgPo Box 1328, 39703-1328 · Columbus, MSTax-exempt since Apr 1976

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The Golden Triangle Development Link is a voluntary organization of business and professional men and women who have joined together for the purpose of promoting the economic well being of the business and industrial community of columbus-lowndes county, west point-clay county, and starkville-oktibbeha county, ms.

72¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$882K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(6)
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
No
Donations are not tax-deductible
Worth a look: the IRS does not list 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 $373K a year · 14% 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
72%
of spending
Fine: 72% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$882K
to officers and key staff · 28% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 28% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
13 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 12.7 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $12K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$2.7M
34% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 34% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
26
of 26 voting members
Looks good: 26 of 26 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$3.5M
+24% vs prior year
Spent
$3.2M
To programs
72%
Net assets
$5.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$3.5M
FY2025▲ +24%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$2.3M
FY2021$2.3M
FY2022$2.4M
FY2023$2.8M
FY2024$2.9M
FY2025$3.5M
Expenses
$3.2M
FY2025▲ +44%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.9M
FY2021$1.9M
FY2022$2.1M
FY2023$2.7M
FY2024$2.2M
FY2025$3.2M
Net assets
$5.3M
FY2025▲ +6%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$3.5M
FY2021$4.0M
FY2022$4.3M
FY2023$4.4M
FY2024$5.0M
FY2025$5.3M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending September 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 1976.

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

Where the money goes

72 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 72% · $2.3M Management & general 22% · $689K Fundraising 6% · $201K

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

34 people listed on the 990; $882K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Prior Executive Director
$430,325Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$188,750Pt VII · Sec A
Employee
$144,091Pt VII · Sec A
Officer
$118,750Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Committee
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Committee
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 7 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Joe Max Higgins$430,325$503,828————
Joe Higgins——$426,846$403,224$402,637$411,159
Meryl Fisackerly$188,750$161,097$139,530$111,500$108,411—
Nealie Young$144,091$127,728$121,496———
Macaulay a Whitaker———$133,771$130,187$124,278
Leah Upton$118,750$106,750————
Brenda Lathan—————$100,198

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 The Golden Triangle Development Link 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

Fosters economic growth through industrial, commercial, and community development, promoting civic pride in Mississippi's Golden Triangle region.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $2.3M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The link encourages, fosters, and advances economic growth through industrial, commercial and community development, and promotes civic pride and awareness in columbus and lowndes county, MS, west point and clay county, MS, and starkville and oktibbeha county, MS.

$2.3Mprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$12K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$3.5M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.5M
Investment incomeLn 3$655K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$425K
Money outPt IX
$3.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.3M
Managementcol C$689K
Fundraisingcol D$201K
Owns and owesPt X
$5.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$3.4M
Total assetsLn 16$8.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.7M
PeoplePt VI, VII
34
listed · VII A
PaidVII A4
Voting boardVI 1a26
IndependentVI 1b26
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.5M
Government grantsLn 1e$1.9M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$425K
Investment incomeLn 3$655K
Other incomeLn 4–11$500
Gains on assetsLn 7$415K
Total revenueLn 12$3.5M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$247K
SavingsLn 2$3.1M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$3.4M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3.9M
Other assetsLn 15$127K
Total assetsLn 16$8.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.7M
Net assetsLn 32$5.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 59
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$4.5M$3.4M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$280K$3.9M
Total assetsLn 16$5.4M$8.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$422K$2.7M
Net assetsLn 32$5.0M$5.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$1.5M$1.0M$366K$88K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$195K$135K$49K$12K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$87K$60K$22K$5K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$91K$63K$23K$5K
Payroll taxesLn 10$80K$55K$20K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$182K$125K$56K
Accounting feesLn 11c$50K$50K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$100K$100K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$59K$41K$15K$4K
Office expensesLn 13$40K$27K$10K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$39K$27K$10K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$20K$14K$5K$1K
TravelLn 17$24K$24K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$5K$3K$1K$282
InterestLn 20$96K$66K$30K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$58K$40K$14K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$28K$19K$7K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$421K$369K$42K$10K
All other expensesLn 24e$137K$105K$26K$5K
Total functional expensesLn 25$3.2M$2.3M$689K$201K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $3.5M$3.2M$359K$5.3M 990 PDF
FY2024 $2.9M$2.2M$658K$5.0M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.8M$2.7M$11K$4.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.4M$2.1M$353K$4.3M 990 PDF
FY2021 $2.3M$1.9M$446K$4.0M 990 PDF
FY2020 $2.3M$1.9M$409K$3.5M 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $3,533,351 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,181,034$2,453,319
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $438,889$424,782
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $237,201$654,750
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$500
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,857,124$3,533,351
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,302,306$1,917,923
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $896,628$1,256,622
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $2,198,934$3,174,545
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $658,190$358,806
Part VI · Governance 26 of 26 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body26
VI-1b Independent voting members26
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $3,533,351 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$596,633
VIII-1e Government grants$1,856,686
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$2,453,319
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $424,782$424,782
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $239,487$239,487
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $415,263$415,263
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $500$500
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,080,032 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$3,533,351
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $3,174,545 across 19 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $1,010,029 · Management $365,952 · Fundraising $87,829$1,463,810
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $134,731 · Management $48,814 · Fundraising $11,717$195,262
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $60,312 · Management $21,852 · Fundraising $5,244$87,408
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $63,127 · Management $22,872 · Fundraising $5,489$91,488
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $55,169 · Management $19,989 · Fundraising $4,797$79,955
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $125,263 · Fundraising $56,277$181,540
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $49,715$49,715
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $100,000$100,000
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $40,547 · Management $14,691 · Fundraising $3,526$58,764
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $27,464 · Management $9,954 · Fundraising $2,386$39,804
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $27,182 · Management $9,849 · Fundraising $2,363$39,394
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $13,676 · Management $4,955 · Fundraising $1,189$19,820
IX-17 TravelPrograms $23,661$23,661
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $3,240 · Management $1,174 · Fundraising $282$4,696
IX-20 InterestPrograms $66,319 · Management $29,796$96,115
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $39,824 · Management $14,429 · Fundraising $3,463$57,716
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $18,981 · Management $6,877 · Fundraising $1,651$27,509
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $369,097 · Management $41,900 · Fundraising $10,056$421,053
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $105,336 · Management $26,325 · Fundraising $5,174$136,835
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $2,283,958 · Management $689,144 · Fundraising $201,443$3,174,545
Part X · Balance sheet $7,990,051 assets, 10 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $655,643; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $85,941$246,617
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $4,454,095$3,110,713
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $279,718$3,850,489
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $612,102$126,589
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $5,431,856$7,990,051
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $15,441$188,808
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $421,968$2,688,808
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,009,888$5,301,243
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $5,009,888$5,301,243
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $5,431,856$7,990,051
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $5,301,243 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$3,533,351
XI-2 Total expenses$3,174,545
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$358,806
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$5,009,888
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$67,451
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$5,301,243

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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