Educational and publishing initiatives in the genre of literary Nonfiction.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
34¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$64K 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
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $39K a year · 7% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
34%
of spending
Concern: 34% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$64K
to officers and key staff · 32% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 32% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
11 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 10.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $110K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$120K
60% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 60% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$61K
-80% vs prior year
Spent
$203K
To programs
34%
Net assets
$79K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$61K
FY2024▼ -80%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$595K
FY2021$862K
FY2022$898K
FY2023$302K
FY2024$61K
FY2025$133K
Expenses
$203K
FY2024▼ -54%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$759K
FY2021$743K
FY2022$767K
FY2023$441K
FY2024$203K
FY2025Not on file
Net assets
$79K
FY2024▼ -64%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$108K
FY2021$227K
FY2022$359K
FY2023$220K
FY2024$79K
FY2025$54K

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending June 2024) · 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 Jul 1994.

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

Where the money goes

34 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 34% · $69K Management & general 66% · $133K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $64K 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
President
$42,692Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary/Treasurer
$21,276Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Lee Gutkind’s $43K as President is at the 38th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Lee Gutkind$42,692$45,463$35,029$34,695$45,262
Patricia Park$21,276$13,907$11,595$10,409$9,887

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 Creative Nonfiction Foundation 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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Promotes literary nonfiction through educational programs and publishing.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

The in fact books imprint specializes in high-quality, research driven narrative nonfiction on a wide variety of topics and real-life experiences.

Pt IX · col B
02

Creative nonfiction's online courses offer instruction in the craft of nonfiction writing to a wide variety of students.

Pt IX · col B
03

The quarterly magazine is a resource for a growing audience of readers, writers, students, and teachers.

Pt IX · col B

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2022
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$110K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$61K
Ln 12
Other incomeLn 4–11$48K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$13K
Investment incomeLn 3$265
Money outPt IX
$203K
Ln 25
Programscol B$69K
Managementcol C$133K
Owns and owesPt X
$79K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$179K
Total assetsLn 16$199K
LiabilitiesLn 26$120K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$13K
Investment incomeLn 3$265
Other incomeLn 4–11$48K
Total revenueLn 12$61K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$179K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$179K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$20K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$162
Total assetsLn 16$199K
LiabilitiesLn 26$120K
Net assetsLn 32$79K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 512
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$295K$179K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$21K$20K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0$0
Total assetsLn 16$316K$199K
LiabilitiesLn 26$96K$120K
Net assetsLn 32$220K$79K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Legal feesLn 11b$16K$16K
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$7K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$36K$36K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$5K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$3K$3K
RoyaltiesLn 15$2K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$2K$2K
InterestLn 20$46$46
InsuranceLn 23$3K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$122K$69K$53K
All other expensesLn 24e$4K$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$203K$69K$133K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $133K$54K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $61K$203K−$141K$79K 990 PDF
FY2023 $302K$441K−$139K$220K 990 PDF
FY2022 $898K$767K$131K$359K 990 PDF
FY2021 $862K$743K$119K$227K 990 PDF
FY2020 $595K$759K−$164K$108K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $61,269 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $15,390$13,037
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $76,026$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $327$265
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $210,755$47,967
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $302,498$61,269
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $130,435$0
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $311,022$202,627
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $441,457$202,627
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$138,959−$141,358
Part VI · Governance 7 of 8 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $61,269 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$13,037
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$13,037
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $265$265
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $95$95
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $47,872$47,872
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $48,232 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$61,269
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $202,627 across 12 lines filed
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $15,823$15,823
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,763$6,763
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $36,185$36,185
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $5,330$5,330
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $1,739$1,739
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $2,867$2,867
IX-15 RoyaltiesManagement $2,454$2,454
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $1,800$1,800
IX-20 InterestManagement $46$46
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $3,269$3,269
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $69,395 · Management $52,515$121,910
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $4,441$4,441
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $69,395 · Management $133,232 · Fundraising $0$202,627
Part X · Balance sheet $199,315 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $294,746$178,813
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$0
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $20,849$20,340
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $736$162
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $316,331$199,315
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $3,189$27,531
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $92,868$92,868
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $96,057$120,399
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $119,069$42,654
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $101,205$36,262
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $220,274$78,916
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $316,331$199,315
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $78,916 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$61,269
XI-2 Total expenses$202,627
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$141,358
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$220,274
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$78,916

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

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