Salem Education Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
541253003
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Salem, VA, USA
Phone
5403896021
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alumni Associations

Reported finances

Revenue
$845,700
Expenses
$275,555
Assets
$6,643,763
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • THOMAS M MCDONALD III (DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT)
  • MG JAMES ARCHER (DIRECTOR & VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JENNY PARRISH (DIRECTOR & SECRETARY): $6,750 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Develop endowments with contributions from graduates of salem high school and other interested parties; encourage salem high school graduates to continue their educations by providing scholarships; create an alumni hall of fame to recognize salem high school graduates'outstanding achievements; promote the principles of good citizenship; encourage service-minded people to serve their community without personal financial reward.

What it reported doing in 2025

Provide scholarships to graduating seniors of salem high school salem, Virginia

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 73% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 10
  • Sustainability: 90
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 52.7%; rating input score 53
  • Program expense ratio: 78.7%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 67.4%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 24.11; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.4%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 52.7% of revenue deployed · 78.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 11 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $217K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $7K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2016 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 53/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 54/100.