First Literacy INC FY2020 filing

Boston, MA · Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Since 1988 · Education

✓ Tax-deductible
Revenue
$459K
Spent
$540K
To programs
72%
Net assets
$1.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$459K
FY2020
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$459K
FY2021$654K
FY2022$616K
FY2023$491K
FY2024$797K
FY2024$670K
Expenses
$540K
FY2020
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$540K
FY2021$646K
FY2022$730K
FY2023$753K
FY2024$701K
FY2024$770K
Net assets
$1.3M
FY2020
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.5M
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$984K
FY2024$1.2M
FY2024$1.0M

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending June 2020) · see the original

You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Status and standing

Is it real, and can you give to it?

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Filed FY2024 (typical filing lag)
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CFirst Literacy INC
EINHdr · item D04-2997446
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 1988
Year of formationHdr · item L1988
Latest filingForm 990FY2024 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CBoston, MA
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEducation (B190)
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.firstliteracy.org

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.72 Management & general $0.16 Fundraising $0.12
Program services72%$390K
Management & general16%$86K
Fundraising12%$64K
Total functional expensesLn 25$540K

Financial health

Is it on solid ground?

Program efficiency
72%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
28.9mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
-18%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2020 · Form 990
Total assets
$1.3M
FY2020
Total assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.7M
FY2022$1.3M
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$1.4M
FY2024$1.2M
Total liabilities
$93K
FY2020
Total liabilities by fiscal year
FY2020$93K
FY2021$137K
FY2022$132K
FY2023$145K
FY2024$244K
FY2024$197K
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$82K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$1.3M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B72%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 318
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 417

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$162K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$93K
Total net assetsLn 32$1.3M
Months of cash on handcomputed3.6

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$392K · 85%
Investment income$67K · 15%
Contributions & grants85%$392K
Investment income15%$67K
Total revenueLn 12$459K

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2020 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $1.3M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $540K · Less non-cash grants $12K · Cash operating expenses/yr $529K
28.9 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $390K · Total expenses $540K
72%
Management & General
Management & general $86K · Total expenses $540K
16%
Fundraising
Fundraising $64K · Total expenses $540K
12%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense $64K · Solicited contributions $392K
$0.16 to raise $1
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $392K · Total revenue $459K
85%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $459K
—
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $0 · Total revenue $459K
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $67K · Total revenue $459K
+15%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $0 · Total expenses $540K
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $459K · Prior year —
No prior year on file
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $1.3M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $459K · Expenses $540K
-18%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $1.3M
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $1.3M · Total assets $1.3M
93%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $1.1M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $1.3M
83%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Theresa B Witherell · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $50K · Total expenses $540K
9%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $313K · Total expenses $540K
58%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 72%——
Overhead ratio 16%——
Fundraising cost ratio 16%——
Investment management fee ratio 0.8%——
Accounting fee ratio 5%——

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Leadership and pay

Who runs it, and what are they paid?

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
Former Executive Director
$64,271Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$50,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Ex Officio Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Theresa B Witherell’s $174K as Executive Director is at the 97th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1612 $100K–1M 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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Theresa B Witherell$174,387$152,749$150,000$148,674$123,088$50,000
Skye M Morrison—————$64,271

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.

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Governance & Policies

Part VI
  • 18Voting board membersPt VI · Ln 1a
  • 17Independent board membersPt VI · Ln 1b
  • Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
  • Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
  • Top official’s pay independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Family or business ties among leadersPt VI · Ln 2No

Mission and programs

What it does.

Funds new ideas to improve adult literacy and transform lives.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until First Literacy INC claims this page.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $390K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2019.
01

Professional development workshops provide adult educators with information and resources on evidence-based teaching methodology and curriculum design, cross-cultural issues, and student assessment approaches relevant to the adult education classroom.

$227Kprogram expense
02

Our first literacy lab initiative offers small grants to adult basic education programs to improve practice and to strengthen programs. The flexibility of these grants allows programs to meet emerging student needs in a timely fashion.

$89Kprogram expense
03

Adult learners who have successfully completed basic studies in an abe program and are pursuing college or technical education are eligible for a first literacy scholarship. Recipients are awarded scholarships in recognition of their educational achievements and potential, their commitment to community service, and their resiliency and…

$74Kprogram expense

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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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$1K
Grants paid · 9 grants · $297K · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$53,614
The Literacy Project INCMA · FY2024$11,125
Unitemized GrantFY2022$74,125
Unitemized GrantFY2021$52,500
Charlestown Adult EducationMA · FY2021$15,000
Mujeres Unidas Avanzando INCMA · FY2021$15,000
The Literacy Project INCMA · FY2021$7,500
Unitemized GrantFY2020$42,500
Unitemized GrantFY2019$25,300

Filing history

Every return on file.

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2024 $797K$701K+62% 990 PDF
FY2023 $491K$753K-20% 990 PDF
FY2022 $616K$730K-6% 990 PDF
FY2021 $654K$646K+43% 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $459K$540K 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

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2020IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

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