Telos Classical Foundation

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The mission of Telos Classical Foundation is to develop student's academic potential and purpose by nurturing their mind, soul, and body, empowering them to pursue wisdom and virtue for the rest of their lives. Telos Classical Foundation will aim to educate children in kindergarten through 8th grade using a Classical curriculum that includes latin, math, literature, grammar, penmanship, writing, logic, Classical studies, and history. The school day runs from 8:45 to 3:35, monday through thursday. On fridays, the school offers classes from 9-noon in hands-on, experiential subjects such as sewing, woodworking, music, gymnastics, etc.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 30 volunteers and 14 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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 3
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $150K a year · 15% of revenue · last 3 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 3 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 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
$132K
to officers and key staff · 13% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 13% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
4
named funders · $115K
Looks good: 4 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$140K
29% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 29% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.1M
+4% vs prior year
Spent
$1.0M
To programs
82%
Net assets
$338K
By yearFY2023–FY2025
Revenue
$1.1M
FY2025▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$803K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.1M
Expenses
$1.0M
FY2025▲ +16%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023$681K
FY2024$870K
FY2025$1.0M
Net assets
$338K
FY2025▲ +53%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$6K
FY2024$221K
FY2025$338K

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

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 2023.

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% · $829K Management & general 18% · $179K

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

5 people listed on the 990; $132K 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
Head of School
$124,831Pt VII · Sec A
Lifetime Trustee
$7,500Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Susan Goers’s $125K as Head of School is at the 49th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024
Susan Goers$124,831$46,038
Stephanie Murray$7,500$47,453

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 Telos Classical 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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Educates K-8 students in classical subjects and hands-on skills, fostering wisdom and virtue.

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1 program · $829K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

During the fiscal year, the organization had the following accomplishments: 1. Growing enrollment for the program and fiscal stability through increased enrollment from 54 to 67 students. 2. Approved and started the process for school accreditation through society of classical learning and middle states. 3.

$829Kprogram 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 · FY2024
See all 4 funders →
Grants paid · 5 grants · $189K · 2022–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$58,500
Unitemized GrantFY2023$32,500
Unitemized GrantFY2023$13,000
Unitemized GrantFY2022$59,100
Unitemized GrantFY2022$25,471

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.1M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$781K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$330K
Investment incomeLn 3$14K
Money outPt IX
$1.0M
Ln 25
Programscol B$829K
Managementcol C$179K
Owns and owesPt X
$338K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$455K
Total assetsLn 16$478K
LiabilitiesLn 26$140K
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$330K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$781K
Investment incomeLn 3$14K
Total revenueLn 12$1.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$172K
SavingsLn 2$283K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$455K
Accounts receivableLn 4$290
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$23K
Total assetsLn 16$478K
LiabilitiesLn 26$140K
Net assetsLn 32$338K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 514
VolunteersI 630
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$274K$455K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$27K$23K
Total assetsLn 16$301K$478K
LiabilitiesLn 26$80K$140K
Net assetsLn 32$221K$338K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$58K$58K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$660K$536K$124K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$21K$17K$4K
Payroll taxesLn 10$59K$48K$11K
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$26K$26K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$13K$13K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$8K$8K
Information technologyLn 14$8K$6K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$33K$26K$7K
TravelLn 17$795$636$159
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$4K$4K
InsuranceLn 23$4K$3K$757
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$100K$97K$3K
All other expensesLn 24e$13K$13K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.0M$829K$179K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Feb 5, 2026 $1.1M$1.0M$117K$338K 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS Mar 27, 2025 $1.1M$870K$210K$221K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS May 15, 2024 $803K$681K$123K$6K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,125,508 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $406,472$330,428
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $673,838$781,053
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $8$14,027
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,080,318$1,125,508
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $45,500$58,500
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $617,024$739,742
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $207,767$210,284
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $870,291$1,008,526
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $210,027$116,982
Part VI · Governance 4 of 4 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,125,508 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$330,428
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$330,428
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $781,053$781,053
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $14,027$14,027
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $795,080 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,125,508
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,008,526 across 15 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $58,500$58,500
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $535,711 · Management $124,231$659,942
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $16,960 · Management $3,933$20,893
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $47,818 · Management $11,089$58,907
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $2,500$2,500
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $25,666$25,666
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $13,014$13,014
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $7,643$7,643
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $6,025 · Management $1,506$7,531
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $26,234 · Management $6,558$32,792
IX-17 TravelPrograms $636 · Management $159$795
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $4,137$4,137
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,028 · Management $757$3,785
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $96,855 · Management $2,930$99,785
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $12,636$12,636
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $829,197 · Management $179,329 · Fundraising $0$1,008,526
Part X · Balance sheet $477,976 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $245,279$172,092
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $28,340$282,839
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $424$290
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $26,892$22,755
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $300,935$477,976
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $26,632$11,888
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $53,200$128,003
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $79,832$139,891
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $221,103$338,085
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $221,103$338,085
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $300,935$477,976
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $338,085 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,125,508
XI-2 Total expenses$1,008,526
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$116,982
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$221,103
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$338,085

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

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