Best Beginnings mobilizies people and resources to ensure all alaska children begin school ready to succeed. Free, quality books to more than 18,000 children 0-5 in over 100 communities. Parent education and community campaigns on early childhood.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$95K 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

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
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
0 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $54K a year · 8% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 0 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
79%
of spending
Looks good: 79% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$95K
to officers and key staff · 12% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 12% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $64K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$42K
10% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 10% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 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
$710K
Spent
$773K
To programs
79%
Net assets
$382K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$710K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$710K
FY2021$729K
FY2022$586K
FY2023$552K
FY2024$729K
Expenses
$773K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$773K
FY2021$780K
FY2022$624K
FY2023$556K
FY2024$845K
Net assets
$382K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$382K
FY2021$331K
FY2022$293K
FY2023$289K
FY2024$173K

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending June 2020) · 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 (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in May 2013.

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

Where the money goes

79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 79% · $611K Management & general 17% · $128K Fundraising 4% · $34K

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; $95K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Di
$95,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Amie Collins’s $93K as Executive Di is at the 81st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1264 $100K–1M philanthropy & grantmaking 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
Abbe Hensley——$93,923$95,000$95,000
Amie Collins$92,750$73,347———

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 Best Beginnings 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

Provides free books and parent education to prepare young Alaskan children for school success.

Questions for Best Beginnings

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $611K · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Literacy and Language Development

Best beginnings is the statewide sponsor of imagination library in alaska and provides training, technical assistance, and some funding to affiliates in alaska.

$468Kprogram expense
02

Community Awareness

Board books, informational pieces, videos, website with educational information, surveys, newsletters, and social media.

$143Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$64K
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 25 grants · $345K · 2019–2023
Sprout Family ServicesAK · FY2023$6,500
Kodiak Island School DistrictFY2023$5,023
Mat-Su Imagination LibraryFY2022$18,000
Sprout Family ServicesAK · FY2022$5,750
Mat-Su Imagination LibraryFY2021$17,800
Sprout Family ServicesAK · FY2021$5,340
Mat-Su Imagination LibraryFY2020$20,000
See all 25 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$710K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$704K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Money outPt IX
$773K
Ln 25
Programscol B$611K
Managementcol C$128K
Fundraisingcol D$34K
Owns and owesPt X
$382K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$401K
Total assetsLn 16$424K
LiabilitiesLn 26$42K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$704K
Government grantsLn 1e$510K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Total revenueLn 12$710K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
SavingsLn 2$401K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$401K
Total assetsLn 16$424K
LiabilitiesLn 26$42K
Net assetsLn 32$382K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 56
VolunteersI 652
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$439K$401K
Total assetsLn 16$464K$424K
LiabilitiesLn 26$19K$42K
Net assetsLn 32$444K$382K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$80K$80K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$103K$51K$51K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$159K$92K$42K$25K
Payroll taxesLn 10$21K$13K$6K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$170$170
Accounting feesLn 11c$16K$9K$8K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$4K$4K
Office expensesLn 13$14K$13K$1K
Information technologyLn 14$8K$2K$3K$3K
OccupancyLn 16$29K$19K$10K
TravelLn 17$4K$2K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$1K$1K
InsuranceLn 23$4K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$329K$325K$720$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$773K$611K$128K$34K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $729K$845K−$116K$173K 990 PDF
FY2023 $552K$556K−$4K$289K 990 PDF
FY2022 $586K$624K−$38K$293K 990 PDF
FY2021 $729K$780K−$51K$331K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $710K$773K−$63K$382K 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 $710,041 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $590,608$704,154
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $44$4,325
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,242$1,562
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$219$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $592,675$710,041
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $84,055$80,020
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $256,810$282,586
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $320,151$410,087
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $661,016$772,693
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$68,341−$62,652
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
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 $710,041 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$509,802
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$194,352
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$704,154
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $4,325$4,325
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $1,562$1,562
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $4,325 · Excluded from tax $1,562$710,041
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $772,693 across 14 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $80,020$80,020
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $51,341 · Management $51,341$102,682
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $91,896 · Management $41,917 · Fundraising $25,031$158,844
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $13,360 · Management $5,622 · Fundraising $2,078$21,060
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $170$170
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $8,551 · Management $7,628$16,179
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $4,344$4,344
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $13,175 · Management $1,104$14,279
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,884 · Management $2,682 · Fundraising $3,300$7,866
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $19,050 · Management $9,525$28,575
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,969 · Management $1,778$3,747
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $1,446$1,446
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $4,356$4,356
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $325,241 · Management $720 · Fundraising $3,164$329,125
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $610,831 · Management $128,289 · Fundraising $33,573$772,693
Part X · Balance sheet $423,835 assets, 11 lines filed
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $438,914$401,087
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $5,887$6,031
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $17,366$16,717
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $463,613$423,835
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $19,141$24,188
X-25 Other liabilities$17,827
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $19,141$42,015
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $43,058$2,065
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $401,414$379,755
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $444,472$381,820
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $463,613$423,835
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $381,820 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$710,041
XI-2 Total expenses$772,693
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$62,652
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$444,472
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$381,820

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

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