Boston Library Consortium FY2024 filing

Tax-deductible

Franklin, MA501(c)(3)EIN 04-2605198Revenue $1.5M in FY2024

On file with the IRSblc.org31 Hayward St Ste 2f, 02038-2169 · Franklin, MATax-exempt since Aug 1977Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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The Boston Library Consortium (blc) was founded in 1970 and incorporated in 1977 with a focus on resource sharing. Today, blc includes 19 academic and research libraries in massachusetts, connecticut, new hampshire and rhode island. And, while we remain focused on providing high quality and cost effective sharing, we recently initiated a major focus on workforce development aimed at assisting the member libraries in training and leadership development of their staffs. In july 2015, blc became the administrative host and fiscal agent for the eastern academic scholars' trust (east) project, a shared print program involving over 40 libraries in the eastern US whose mission is to protect the print scholarly record.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
80¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$177K 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

FY2024 · 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
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $60K a year · 5% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
80%
of spending
Looks good: 80% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$177K
to officers and key staff · 12% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 12% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $130K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$469K
36% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 36% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
25
of 25 voting members
Looks good: 25 of 25 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.5M
+22% vs prior year
Spent
$1.5M
To programs
80%
Net assets
$847K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.5M
FY2024▲ +22%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$666K
FY2021$772K
FY2022$816K
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$1.5M
FY2025$1.8M
Expenses
$1.5M
FY2024▲ +8%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$610K
FY2021$658K
FY2022$763K
FY2023$1.4M
FY2024$1.5M
FY2025$1.6M
Net assets
$847K
FY2024▲ +12%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$817K
FY2021$931K
FY2022$865K
FY2023$754K
FY2024$847K
FY2025$1.1M

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending May 2024) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 1977.

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

Where the money goes

80 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 80% · $1.2M Management & general 20% · $299K

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

30 people listed on the 990; $177K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$177,065Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Resigned December 2023
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President - Elect
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Charles Barlow$190,152$177,065$166,392$164,833$80,000—
Susan Stearns————$108,170$184,563

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 Boston Library Consortium 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

Shares library resources and develops staff training for academic and research institutions.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $876K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Resource Sharing

BLC was founded upon a shared commitment to promote cooperation in making resources more readily available. Today, the BLC remains committed to facilitating high-quality and cost-effective sharing of print and digital content through its resource sharing programs, including interlibrary loan and controlled digital lending.

$366Kprogram expense
02

Professional Developement

BLC offers regular webinars and workshops designed to facilitate sharing expertise, highlighting the work of librarians and library staff across the BLC member institutions. BLC coordinates the activities of more than 20 membership communities across a wide range of library practice areas.

$259Kprogram expense
03

Effective october 1, 2023, BLC entered into an agreement with the project reshare steering committee to be the fiscal sponsor of project reshare. Project reshare is a collaborative effort among libraries, consortia, informative organizations and developers to build a user-centered, app-based, community-owned resource sharing platform.

$251Kprogram 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 · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$130K
Grants paid · 2 grants · $277K · 2021–2022

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.5M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.5M
Investment incomeLn 3$22K
Other incomeLn 4–11$6K
Money outPt IX
$1.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.2M
Managementcol C$299K
Owns and owesPt X
$847K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$739K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$469K
PeoplePt VI, VII
30
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a25
IndependentVI 1b25
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.5M
Investment incomeLn 3$22K
Other incomeLn 4–11$6K
Total revenueLn 12$1.5M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$123K
SavingsLn 2$615K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$739K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$338K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$469K
Net assetsLn 32$847K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 619
Fiscal year endsHeaderMay
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$693K$739K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$287K$338K
Total assetsLn 16$1.1M$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$314K$469K
Net assetsLn 32$754K$847K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$175K$122K$52K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$355K$285K$70K
Legal feesLn 11b$12K$10K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$45K$45K
Office expensesLn 13$14K$2K$12K
TravelLn 17$202K$162K$41K
InsuranceLn 23$3K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$668K$601K$67K
All other expensesLn 24e$8K$8K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.5M$1.2M$299K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.8M$1.6M$195K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $1.5M$1.5M$49K$847K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.3M$1.4M−$107K$754K 990 PDF
FY2022 $816K$763K$53K$865K 990 PDF
FY2021 $772K$658K$114K$931K 990 PDF
FY2020 $666K$610K$55K$817K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,531,667 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,260,731$1,503,725
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year −$731$22,141
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$5,801
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,260,000$1,531,667
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $257,801$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $546,730$529,442
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $562,456$952,753
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,366,987$1,482,195
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$106,987$49,472
Part VI · Governance 25 of 25 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body25
VI-1b Independent voting members25
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
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,531,667 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$1,145,380
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$358,345
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,503,725
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $22,141$22,141
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $5,801$5,801
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $27,942$1,531,667
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,482,195 across 9 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $122,378 · Management $52,447$174,825
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $284,656 · Management $69,961$354,617
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $10,417 · Management $1,980$12,397
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $45,492$45,492
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $2,322 · Management $11,742$14,064
IX-17 TravelPrograms $161,629 · Management $40,725$202,354
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,703$2,703
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $601,496 · Management $66,521$668,017
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $7,726$7,726
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,182,898 · Management $299,297 · Fundraising $0$1,482,195
Part X · Balance sheet $1,316,335 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $247,060$123,410
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $445,721$615,259
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $81,838$239,833
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $6,000$0
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $287,060$337,833
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,067,679$1,316,335
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $43,520$67,483
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $270,541$401,887
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $314,061$469,370
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $544,351$730,246
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $209,267$116,719
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $753,618$846,965
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,067,679$1,316,335
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $846,965 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,531,667
XI-2 Total expenses$1,482,195
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$49,472
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$753,618
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$43,875
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$846,965

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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