Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Aug 1977.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
55 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
3 people listed on the 990; $135K paid to officers and key staff.
Deborah Chasman’s $135K as Managing Editor/Dir and Secretary is at the 97th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2215 $100K–1M arts & culture 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deborah Chasman | $135,061 | $123,047 | $118,836 | $114,080 | $112,152 |
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 Critic INC 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 15aYes
Programs and updates
Publishes a free literary and political magazine exploring philosophy, art, and current issues.
Questions for Boston Critic INC
Your first name shows with your question. Boston Critic INC answers here, for everyone.
The organization believes a flourishing democracy depends on engaged public discussion of ideas that matter. Boston review creates that discussion in print and on an open access website and at public events, with a range that extends from politics and economics to ethical and religious thought, from philosophy and science to imaginative…
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2024 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY24 | End FY24 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $244K | $353K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $25K | $0 |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $790K | $612K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $55K | $23K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $735K | $589K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $169K | $145K | $16K | $8K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $251K | $125K | $117K | $9K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $33K | $22K | $9K | $2K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $35K | $25K | $9K | $1K |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $49K | $49K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $88K | $51K | $37K | |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $8K | $5K | $3K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $82K | $60K | $18K | $4K |
| Information technologyLn 14 | $46K | $20K | $26K | |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $38K | $38K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $4K | $2K | $2K | |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $25K | $25K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $1K | $1K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $1K | $189 | $189 | $1K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $830K | $455K | $345K | $31K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Sep 22, 2025 | $684K | $830K | −$146K | $589K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2024 | $986K | $947K | $39K | $735K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2023 | $869K | $1.0M | −$137K | $696K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 4, 2022 | $1.4M | $880K | $511K | $833K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2021 | $840K | $704K | $137K | $322K | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $684,209 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 2 of 3 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $684,209 across 5 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $830,003 across 14 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $611,673 assets, 12 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $589,155 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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