Catawba College
70% goes to programs $1 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Catawba College is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Salisbury, North Carolina, registered in 1941, with $310,506,126 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 70% of spending to programs.
2300 W Innes St, Salisbury, NC, 28144 EIN 56-0530251 Since 1941
Revenue (FY2024)
$310.5M
▲ 159.1% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2024)
$95.2M
Net assets
$818.5M
Employees
765
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B+
BProgram efficiency40% of the rating70% to programs · $1 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Catawba College: 70% to programs · $1 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating103 mo reserves · +69% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Catawba College: 103 mo reserves · +69% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Catawba College: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Catawba College: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Catawba college was founded in newton, north carolina, in 1851 by the german reformed church. the college - which is today affiliated with the united church of christ - moved to its present location in salisbury in 1925. the college endeavors to attract students both nationally and internationally of good ability and character. a private, co-educational institution, catawba offers the bachelor of arts, bachelor of arts-education, bachelor of business administration, bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of science, and master of education to traditional and non-traditional students. the college also serves the public through educational outreach and volunteer service programs for the world community.
What they do
Student aid - provided scholarships for worthy and needy students.
Contact & location
- Address
- 2300 W Innes St, Salisbury, NC, 28144
- City
- Salisbury
- State
- North Carolina
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Colleges & Universities
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $50.1M (FY2013) to $310.5M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $14.7MNet assets $818.5M
Operating margin
69.3%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$833.2M
Total liabilities
$14.7M
Net assets
$818.5M
Salaries & benefits
$29.7M
31% of expenses
Board members
20
20 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $310,506,126▲159% | $95,170,917▲21.2% | $818,480,997▲50.1% | $833,178,617▲49.4% | 990 |
| 2023 | $119,840,475▲21.4% | $78,537,233▲15.6% | $545,332,257▲26.2% | $557,500,506▲26.1% | 990 |
| 2022 | $98,707,113▼64.2% | $67,931,220▲10.4% | $432,019,316▲8.7% | $442,162,950▲9.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $275,797,439▲196% | $61,529,338▲6.9% | $397,595,715▲96.8% | $404,243,208▲88.6% | 990 |
| 2020 | $93,252,723▲39.4% | $57,550,510▼4.0% | $202,021,266▲35.6% | $214,355,781▲19.0% | 990 |
| 2019 | $66,906,876▼11.9% | $59,922,353▲1.2% | $148,930,951▲7.2% | $180,170,732▲9.0% | 990 |
| 2018 | $75,906,143▲18.1% | $59,206,506▲2.6% | $138,932,064▲13.6% | $165,328,150▲9.9% | 990 |
| 2017 | $64,281,199▲14.9% | $57,693,468▲7.8% | $122,346,122▲9.6% | $150,476,316▲7.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $55,931,851▲19.4% | $53,499,783▲3.4% | $111,614,063▲6.8% | $140,674,305▲4.7% | 990 |
| 2015 | $46,828,695▼27.6% | $51,756,576▲9.6% | $104,465,651▼5.0% | $134,331,088▼3.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $64,670,025▲29.1% | $47,229,110▲1.7% | $109,972,349▲19.8% | $138,454,453▲13.2% | 990 |
| 2013 | $50,074,131 | $46,433,198▲10.3% | $91,812,966▲10.0% | $122,284,523▲6.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $42,104,990▲0.4% | $83,436,718▲10.5% | $114,993,967▲5.1% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $41,955,539▲1.3% | $75,519,643▼1.7% | $109,380,675▼2.0% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $41,417,149 | $76,795,658 | $111,644,818 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: David P Nelson — $328,357 (0.35% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| David P Nelson | President | 40 | $328,357 |
| Monica Cowart | Evp & Provost | 40 | $244,900 |
| Margaret K Dees | Vp of Development | 40 | $228,379 |
| Imran G Chowdhury | Dean of School of Business | 40 | $221,583 |
| Lee Ball | Vp of Sustainability/exec | 40 | $176,353 |
| Cayce C Will | Chief Information Officer | 40 | $158,105 |
| John E Morrison | Executive Director, Clean | 40 | $149,817 |
| Michelle P Caddigan | Vp of Athletics | 40 | $147,982 |
| Valerie Rakes | Chair of Nursing Department | 40 | $145,191 |
| Christine Lynn | Assoc. Dean of School of Business | 40 | $143,950 |
| Jared Tice | Svp & Chief Strategy Officer | 40 | $140,977 |
| Sandra Quaye | Vp Pf Finance and Admin | 40 | $126,500 |
| Barbara L Marshall | Vice Chair (term'd 3/25/25)/chair (began 3/25/25) | 1 | — |
| Bart Edge | Director | 1 | — |
| Bill Wagoner | Director | 1 | — |
| C Shuford Abernethy III | Director (term'd 3/25/25) | 1 | — |
| Dr Randall S Crumpler | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Fred J Stanback Jr | Director | 1 | — |
| Gary Blabon | Director | 1 | — |
| Gerald Francis | Director/vice Chair (began 3/25/25) | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| The Budd Group Inc | Outsourced Property and Maintenance Serv | $3,832,867 |
| Truist | Credit Card Payments | $3,091,167 |
| Compass Group USA Inc Chartwells Din | Dining Services | $2,959,902 |
| Cmta Inc | Construction | $2,688,772 |
| Balfour Beatty Construction Group Inc | Construction | $1,794,926 |
Grants received · $232.3M total
67 grants to Catawba College totaling $232.3M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Catawba College a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Catawba College is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 56-0530251, based in Salisbury, North Carolina. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Catawba College's EIN?
- Catawba College's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 56-0530251.
- How much revenue does Catawba College report?
- Catawba College reported $310,506,126 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Catawba College's spending goes to programs?
- Catawba College spends about 70% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Catawba College have?
- CharityIndex grades Catawba College B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Catawba College's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Catawba College's latest Form 990 is $328,357, paid to David P Nelson (President).
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Data for Catawba College (EIN 56-0530251) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.