Words Alive EIN 33-0857381 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Words Alive FY2023 filing

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Connects people to reading's power through programs and volunteers. For fiscal year 2023 it reported $3.1M in revenue, $1.0M in expenses, and $3.0M in net assets.Pt I

Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Arts & Culture
Location
San Diego, CA
Website
www.wordsalive.org
Filings
5 on file (2021–2023)
Revenue
$3.1MFY2023
Expenses
$1.0M
Net assets
$3.0M
People
18
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  33-0857381 Public charity (501(c)(3)) San Diego, CA
Form 990 (PDF)
You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Connects people to reading's power through programs and volunteers.
Leadership
Rachael Orose · Executive Director · $94K
Money in and out
$3.1M revenue, $1.0M expenses
Bottom line
66% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2023
Total revenue
$3.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$1.0M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$3.0M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $2.1M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.66 Management & general $0.17 Fundraising $0.17
Program efficiency
66%
of spending reaches programs
Surplus margin
+68%
revenue over expenses, this year
Donor-funded
95%
of revenue is gifts & grants

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2023 · Form 990
Revenue
$3.1M
FY2023▲ +137%
Expenses
$1.0M
FY2023▲ +27%
Total assets
$3.0M
FY2023▲ +224%
Total liabilities
$55K
FY2023▼ -14%
Total revenue
$3.1M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$1.0M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$3.0M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$2.1M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$3.0M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B66%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 315
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 415

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CWords Alive
EINHdr · item D33-0857381
Principal addressHdr · item CSan Diego, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.wordsalive.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFArts & Culture (A70)
Ruling yearIRS BMFJul 1999

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a15
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b15
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$93,909Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Hampton Nonprofit Mgt Jan -Dec 2024’s $79K as Executive Director is at the 17th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3916 $1–10M 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Rachael Orose$53,125$119,447$93,909$102,515$100,000
Hampton Nonprofit Mgt Jan -Dec 2024$79,388
T Hampton Dohrman$46,420
Anastasia Rollins Optima Started Dec 2024$1,108

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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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $664K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2022.
01

Read Aloud Program Read Aloud volunteers share the joy of a good story while helping children develop the cognitive, language and social-emotional skills needed to be capable readers. The program inspires students to be curious, courageous, and compassionate by exploring diverse and relevant books together with caring adults.

$392Kprogram expense
02

Adolescent Book Group Adolescent Book Group ignites a love of reading by connecting teenagers with volunteer facilitators to discuss, write, and create projects that bring books alive. As students share perspectives in this safe space, they improve communication skills, gain confidence, and enhance their ability to express themselves…

$141Kprogram expense
03

Family Literacy Program Family Literacy Program inspires parents to make exploring books a robust family habit by making reading more playful.Parents receive new childrens books to grow their personal libraries and learn engagement strategies and exploratory activities to read as a family at home.

$131Kprogram expense

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$2.9M · 95%
Program service revenue$125K · 4%
Other revenue$23K · 1%
Contributions & grants95%$2.9M
Program service revenue4%$125K
Other revenue1%$23K
Investment income$894
Total revenueLn 12$3.1M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.66 Management & general $0.17 Fundraising $0.17
Program services66%$664K
Management & general17%$168K
Fundraising17%$169K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.0M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$902K
Total assetsLn 16$3.0M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$55K
Total net assetsLn 32$3.0M
Months of cash on handcomputed10.8

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2023 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $916K · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $1.0M · Less non-cash grants $2.1M · Cash operating expenses/yr $-1.1M
Highly liquid reserves (cash & marketable securities on Pt X) ÷ monthly operating expenses (Pt IX total, less non-cash grants & depreciation when reported).
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $664K · Total expenses $1.0M
66%
Management & General
Management & general $168K · Total expenses $1.0M
17%
Fundraising
Fundraising $169K · Total expenses $1.0M
17%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $139K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $1.7M
$0.08 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $2.9M · Total revenue $3.1M
95%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $3.1M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $125K · Total revenue $3.1M
4%
Investment reliance
Investment income $894 · Total revenue $3.1M
+0.03%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $125K · Total expenses $1.0M
12%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $3.1M · Prior year $1.3M
+137%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $3.0M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $3.1M · Expenses $1.0M
+68%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $3.0M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $3.0M · Total assets $3.0M
98%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $14K · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $3.0M
0.5%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Rachael Orose · Reported title Executive Director · Highest reported compensation $94K · Total expenses $1.0M
9%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $643K · Total expenses $1.0M
64%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 66%
Overhead ratio 17%
Fundraising cost ratio 6%
Revenue growth 137%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 1%
Accounting fee ratio 1%

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.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$19K
Grants paid · 3 grants · $62K · 2020–2022
Unitemized GrantFY2022$17,205
Unitemized GrantFY2021$16,380
Unitemized GrantFY2020$28,810

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$1.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$1.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$3.1M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$1.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$1.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2023IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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