Creating a world where everyone can find themselves on the pages of a book.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$50K 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
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
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $304K a year · 24% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 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
$50K
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
14 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 14.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $8K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$599K
Spent
$404K
To programs
79%
Net assets
$548K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$599K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$599K
FY2021$1.3M
FY2022$1.7M
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$1.8M
FY2025$1.0M
Expenses
$404K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$404K
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$1.3M
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$797K
Net assets
$548K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$548K
FY2021$771K
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$2.0M
FY2025$2.3M

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 (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 2015.

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% · $320K Management & general 11% · $46K Fundraising 9% · $37K

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

4 people listed on the 990; $50K 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 Director
$50,000Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Caroline Richmond’s $105K as Executive Director is at the 35th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M 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 · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Caroline Richmond$105,262$113,048$110,992$92,525$52,831—
Nicole Johnson—————$50,000
Dhonielle Clayton————$5,000—
Ellen Oh————$1,000—
Judy Schricker————$1,000—

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 We Need Diverse Books 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

Distributes books with diverse characters to all children.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $260K · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

Awards and Grants

This program encompasses the following:annual walter awards recognizes diverse authors whose works gesture diverse main characters and address diversity in a meaningful WAY.THE walter grant provides financial support to diverse authors and illustrators who are currently unpublished.

$101Kprogram expense
02

Outreach and Promotion

The WNDB booktalking kit, developed in coordination with school library journal, is a physical collection of hand selling tools that is distributed for free to educators, librarians and booksellers as part of an effort to aid these professionals in the discovery of and amplification of select diverse TITLES.THIS program also includes…

$94Kprogram expense
03

In the Classroom

WNDB will provide funding to purchase 5,000 to 15,000 copies of the walter award winning book to give to students in title 1 schools across the country

$66Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$8K
Grants paid · 6 grants · $950K · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$138,650
Unitemized GrantFY2023$161,800
Unitemized GrantFY2022$232,700
Unitemized GrantFY2021$231,982
Unitemized GrantFY2020$138,748
Unitemized GrantFY2019$45,700

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$599K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$488K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$70K
Other incomeLn 4–11$37K
Money outPt IX
$404K
Ln 25
Programscol B$320K
Managementcol C$46K
Fundraisingcol D$37K
Owns and owesPt X
$548K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$479K
Total assetsLn 16$548K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$488K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$12K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$70K
Investment incomeLn 3$3K
Other incomeLn 4–11$37K
Total revenueLn 12$599K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$10K
SavingsLn 2$469K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$479K
Total assetsLn 16$548K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$548K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
VolunteersI 6131
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$376K$479K
Total assetsLn 16$376K$548K
LiabilitiesLn 26$34K$0
Net assetsLn 32$342K$548K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$46K$46K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$62K$25K$37K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$43K$38K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$6K$6K
Accounting feesLn 11c$13K$13K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$91K$85K$6K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$16K$7K$9K
OccupancyLn 16$3K$3K
TravelLn 17$32K$31K$710
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$12K$12K
InsuranceLn 23$3K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$75K$75K$148
Total functional expensesLn 25$404K$320K$46K$37K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.0M$797K$210K$2.3M 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.8M$1.1M$716K$2.0M 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.1M$1.1M$6K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.7M$1.3M$476K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.3M$1.1M$223K$771K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $599K$404K$195K$548K 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 $598,939 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $437,100$488,483
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$70,350
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $92$3,262
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $18,700$36,844
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $455,892$598,939
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $54,994$45,700
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $88,375$104,959
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $229,599$252,945
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $372,968$403,604
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $82,924$195,335
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $598,939 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$488,483
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$11,742
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$488,483
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $70,350$70,350
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $3,262$3,262
VIII-5 RoyaltiesExcluded from tax $36,844$36,844
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $70,350 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $40,106$598,939
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $403,604 across 13 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $45,700$45,700
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $24,800 · Fundraising $37,200$62,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $38,009 · Management $4,950$42,959
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $5,607$5,607
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $13,196$13,196
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $84,807 · Management $6,339$91,146
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $2,468$2,468
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,981 · Management $9,094$16,075
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $3,498$3,498
IX-17 TravelPrograms $30,944 · Management $710$31,654
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $12,067$12,067
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,513$2,513
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $74,573 · Fundraising $148$74,721
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $320,349 · Management $45,907 · Fundraising $37,348$403,604
Part X · Balance sheet $547,748 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $87,701$10,380
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $288,776$469,021
X-4 Accounts receivable$68,347
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $376,477$547,748
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $34,040$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $34,040$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $342,437$365,010
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$182,738
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $342,437$547,748
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $376,477$547,748
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $547,748 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$598,939
XI-2 Total expenses$403,604
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$195,335
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$342,437
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$9,976
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$547,748

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

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