First Literacy INC FY2024 filing

Tax-deductible

Boston, MA501(c)(3)Since 1988EducationEIN 04-2997446

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Funding innovation in adult Literacy to change lives. We DO this by: offering free best practice workshops for teachers and other adult education professionals; encouraging, supporting, and sharing innovative practices, curriculum and resources through our First Literacy lab program grant initiative; and awarding scholarships and providing support for adult learners who are starting college.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
69¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$153K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $71K a year · 12% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
69%
of spending
Fine: 69% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$153K
to officers and key staff · 22% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 22% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.8 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $1K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$244K
17% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 17% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
16
of 17 voting members
Looks good: 16 of 17 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$797K
+62% vs prior year
Spent
$701K
To programs
69%
Net assets
$1.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$797K
FY2024▲ +62%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$459K
FY2021$654K
FY2022$616K
FY2023$491K
FY2024$797K
FY2024$670K
Expenses
$701K
FY2024▼ -7%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$540K
FY2021$646K
FY2022$730K
FY2023$753K
FY2024$701K
FY2024$770K
Net assets
$1.2M
FY2024▲ +18%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.5M
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$984K
FY2024$1.2M
FY2024$1.0M

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending June 2024) · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Mar 1988.

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

Where the money goes

69 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 69% · $482K Management & general 12% · $85K Fundraising 19% · $134K

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

13 people listed on the 990; $153K 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
$152,749Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$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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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

Funds new ideas to improve adult literacy and transform lives.

Provided by the organization

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3 program services account for $482K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2023.
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.

$217Kprogram expense
02

Scholarships and support for 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.

$143Kprogram expense
03

First literacy 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.

$122Kprogram 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

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$797K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$476K
Other incomeLn 4–11$250K
Investment incomeLn 3$71K
Money outPt IX
$701K
Ln 25
Programscol B$482K
Managementcol C$85K
Fundraisingcol D$134K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$49K
Total assetsLn 16$1.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$244K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a17
IndependentVI 1b16
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$476K
Investment incomeLn 3$71K
Other incomeLn 4–11$250K
Gains on assetsLn 7$50K
Total revenueLn 12$797K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$42K
SavingsLn 2$6K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$49K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.1M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$7K
Other assetsLn 15$144K
Total assetsLn 16$1.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$244K
Net assetsLn 32$1.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 650
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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$92K$49K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.0M$1.1M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$22K$7K
Total assetsLn 16$1.1M$1.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$145K$244K
Net assetsLn 32$984K$1.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$40K$40K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$31K$31K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$164K$113K$15K$36K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$207K$145K$14K$48K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$14K$10K$1K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$31K$22K$2K$7K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$939$1K$696
Accounting feesLn 11c$31K$10K$14K$7K
Investment management feesLn 11f$7K$7K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$43K$13K$20K$10K
Office expensesLn 13$13K$4K$4K$5K
OccupancyLn 16$79K$69K$2K$8K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$14K$11K$544$3K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$22K$15K$2K$6K
Total functional expensesLn 25$701K$482K$85K$134K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Viewing $797K$701K$96K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2023 $491K$753K−$262K$984K 990 PDF
FY2022 $616K$730K−$114K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2021 $654K$646K$8K$1.5M 990 PDF
FY2020 $459K$540K−$82K$1.3M 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 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $796,853 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$475,748
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$475,748
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $20,770$20,770
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $49,983$49,983
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $250,352$250,352
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $321,105$796,853
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $700,620 across 15 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $40,200$40,200
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $31,250$31,250
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $112,815 · Management $14,715 · Fundraising $35,970$163,500
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $144,874 · Management $13,688 · Fundraising $48,454$207,016
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $9,890 · Management $1,106 · Fundraising $3,243$14,239
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $21,519 · Management $2,406 · Fundraising $7,055$30,980
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $939 · Management $1,365 · Fundraising $696$3,000
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $9,553 · Management $13,889 · Fundraising $7,076$30,518
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $7,326$7,326
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $13,469 · Management $19,582 · Fundraising $9,976$43,027
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,617 · Management $4,348 · Fundraising $4,696$12,661
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $68,569 · Management $2,108 · Fundraising $8,365$79,042
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $10,521 · Management $544 · Fundraising $2,915$13,980
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $1,862$1,862
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $14,626 · Management $1,653 · Fundraising $5,740$22,019
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $481,842 · Management $84,592 · Fundraising $134,186$700,620
Part X · Balance sheet $1,401,927 assets, 16 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $87,907$42,113
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $4,470$6,430
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $6,000$150,000
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $557$201
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $21,870$7,440
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $1,000,233$1,051,995
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $8,125$143,748
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,129,162$1,401,927
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $41,746$64,685
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $100,004$40,801
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $3,125$138,748
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $144,875$244,234
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $931,287$1,004,793
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $53,000$152,900
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $984,287$1,157,693
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,129,162$1,401,927
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,157,693 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$796,853
XI-2 Total expenses$700,620
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$96,233
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$984,287
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$77,246
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$73
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,157,693

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

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