The Boulder Library Foundation increases funding for services that help the people of Boulder develop and grow by raising money, increasing awareness, advocating for the Library, and encouraging community involvement.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
93¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2020 · 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
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $10K a year · 1% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
93%
of spending
Looks good: 93% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $5.9M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 3.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
7
named funders · $69K
Looks good: 7 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$1K
0.02% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$557K
Spent
$618K
To programs
93%
Net assets
$6.0M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$557K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$557K
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$522K
FY2024$855K
FY2025$984K
Expenses
$618K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$618K
FY2021$1.3M
FY2022$782K
FY2023$759K
FY2024$988K
FY2025$768K
Net assets
$6.0M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$6.0M
FY2021$5.8M
FY2022$5.0M
FY2023$5.3M
FY2024$5.3M
FY2025$6.1M

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 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 Oct 2025.

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

Where the money goes

93 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 93% · $573K Management & general 7% · $44K Fundraising 0% · $1K

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

11 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Christopher a Barge’s $160K as CEO 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022
Christopher a Barge$160,282$144,313$136,082$132,685

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 Boulder Public Library Foundation INC 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Raises funds and awareness to support library services that help Boulder residents develop and grow.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $573K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Main Library Programs

Funding for speakers, workshops and activities for children and adults at the boulder public librarysummer reading program - funding for summer reading activities at the boulder public library serving 3,500+ CHILDRENAUTHOR/SPEAKER series - funding to bring in notable speakers to the boulder public LIBRARY.HALO program - help a library…

$573Kprogram 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 · FY2024
See all 7 funders →
Grants paid · 6 grants · $3.2M · 2020–2025
Boulder Public Library DistrictFY2025$325,228
Boulder Public Library DistrictFY2024$669,177
Boulder Public LibraryFY2023$376,534
Boulder Public LibraryFY2022$409,807
Boulder Public LibraryFY2021$972,155
Boulder Public LibraryFY2020$436,153

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$557K
Ln 12
Investment incomeLn 3$387K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$168K
Other incomeLn 4–11$2K
Money outPt IX
$618K
Ln 25
Programscol B$573K
Managementcol C$44K
Fundraisingcol D$1K
Owns and owesPt X
$6.0M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$154K
Total assetsLn 16$6.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$168K
Government grantsLn 1e$10K
Investment incomeLn 3$387K
Other incomeLn 4–11$2K
Gains on assetsLn 7$198K
Total revenueLn 12$557K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$88K
SavingsLn 2$66K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$154K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$5.9M
Total assetsLn 16$6.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1K
Net assetsLn 32$6.0M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 650
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$200K$154K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$5.5M$5.9M
Total assetsLn 16$5.7M$6.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$1K$1K
Net assetsLn 32$5.7M$6.0M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$436K$436K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$97K$87K$10K
Payroll taxesLn 10$7K$7K$743
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K
Investment management feesLn 11f$17K$17K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$34K$34K
Office expensesLn 13$7K$7K
Information technologyLn 14$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$4K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$8K$7K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$618K$573K$44K$1K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $984K$768K$215K$6.1M 990 PDF
FY2024 $855K$988K−$133K$5.3M 990 PDF
FY2023 $522K$759K−$238K$5.3M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.2M$782K$386K$5.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.1M$1.3M−$233K$5.8M 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $557K$618K−$61K$6.0M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $557,045 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $750,309$168,455
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $227,043$386,830
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $2,795$1,760
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $980,147$557,045
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $409,623$436,153
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $53,993$104,513
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $166,221$77,115
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $629,837$617,781
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $350,310−$60,736
Part VI · Governance 11 of 11 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members11
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $557,045 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$10,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$158,455
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$168,455
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $188,886$188,886
VIII-5 RoyaltiesExcluded from tax $1,760$1,760
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $197,944$197,944
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $197,944 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $190,646$557,045
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $617,781 across 10 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $436,153$436,153
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $87,377 · Management $9,709$97,086
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,684 · Management $743$7,427
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $5,422$5,422
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $16,809$16,809
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $33,920$33,920
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $6,888$6,888
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,197$2,197
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $3,930$3,930
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $6,727 · Fundraising $1,222$7,949
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $573,058 · Management $43,501 · Fundraising $1,222$617,781
Part X · Balance sheet $6,008,902 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $136,248$87,773
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $63,855$66,185
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $5,458,889$5,854,944
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $5,658,992$6,008,902
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $1,278$1,313
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $1,278$1,313
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,225,803$5,552,461
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $431,911$455,128
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $5,657,714$6,007,589
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $5,658,992$6,008,902
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $6,007,589 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$557,045
XI-2 Total expenses$617,781
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$60,736
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$5,657,714
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$410,611
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$6,007,589

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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