Literacy Lab

IRS exemption revoked

Mill Valley, CAUnknown exempt organizationEIN 47-2116172Revenue $487K in FY2021

On file with the IRSlitlab.org1 Weatherly Dr Apt 101 · Mill Valley, CA

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Litlab's mission is to create connected and interactive early learning environments by deploying books, digital content, and blended learning solutions for under-resourced children, their caregivers, and educators.

71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 6 volunteers and 3 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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FY2021 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
Revoked
IRS exemption revoked
Concern: the IRS revoked its tax exemption.
IRS Auto-Revocation List
Latest return
FY2021
latest Form 990
Concern: the latest return is for FY2021, 5 tax years back; more than 4 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
1 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $89K a year · 18% of revenue · last 2 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$124K
to officers and key staff · 44% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 44% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $70K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$49K
32% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 32% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$487K
+2% vs prior year
Spent
$281K
To programs
71%
Net assets
$106K
By yearFY2020–FY2021
Revenue
$487K
FY2021▲ +2%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$477K
FY2021$487K
Expenses
$281K
FY2021▼ -45%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$506K
FY2021$281K
Net assets
$106K
FY2021▲ +310%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$50K
FY2021$106K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · see the original

990 PDF Claim
IRS revoked this organization's tax-exempt status on May 15, 2025

Is it real?

No. The IRS revoked its tax exemption. Latest filing on record: FY2021.

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

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $200K Management & general 23% · $65K Fundraising 6% · $16K

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

7 people listed on the 990; $124K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$123,663Pt VII · Sec A
Board President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2021FY2020
Laura Reed$123,663$153,750

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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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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Provides books, digital content, and blended learning for under-resourced children and educators.

Questions for Literacy Lab

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $172K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Special Initiatives

Literacy lab staff are constantly prototyping new ways to help children succeed in their educational journey. During 2018, gitlab developed a back-end utility app that enables monitoring of the littab multi-app environment usage, to help providers and parents gain insights into how best to guide learners as they use the littab program.

$83Kprogram expense
02

Interactive Reading & Learning Tools

The littab program combines a tablet, ebooks, and learning apps to transform how a child experiencing poverty develops learning pathways for school readiness and success. Literacy lab makes learning resources to children by providing high-quality ebooks and learning apps, accessible in multiple languages, the littab program also changes…

$59Kprogram expense
03

Access to Books

Literacy lab believes in an interactive blended approach to early learning. Many education centers lack the necessary tools to help bridge the 30-MILLION word gap that exists between low-income children and their higher-income counterparts.

$30Kprogram expense

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 · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$70K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$487K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$481K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$5K
Other incomeLn 4–11$549
Money outPt IX
$281K
Ln 25
Programscol B$200K
Managementcol C$65K
Fundraisingcol D$16K
Owns and owesPt X
$106K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$105K
Total assetsLn 16$155K
LiabilitiesLn 26$49K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$481K
Government grantsLn 1e$152K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Fees for servicesLn 2g$5K
Other incomeLn 4–11$549
Total revenueLn 12$487K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$104K
SavingsLn 2$594
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$105K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$155K
LiabilitiesLn 26$49K
Net assetsLn 32$106K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 66
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$33K$105K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0$0
Total assetsLn 16$83K$155K
LiabilitiesLn 26$134K$49K
Net assetsLn 32−$50K$106K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$114K$107K$1K$6K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$46K$46K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$1K$1K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$24K$24K
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$12K$4K$483
Accounting feesLn 11c$17K$17K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$6K$5K$409
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$180$1K
Office expensesLn 13$5K$686$4K$244
Information technologyLn 14$5K$3K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$4K$4K
TravelLn 17$53$53
InterestLn 20$904$904
InsuranceLn 23$918$918
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$38K$31K$0$7K
Total functional expensesLn 25$281K$200K$65K$16K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2021 Latest Viewing $487K$281K$206K$106K 990 PDF
FY2020 $477K$506K−$29K−$50K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $486,996 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $469,078$480,952
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$5,495
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,316$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $6,769$549
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $477,163$486,996
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 $338,120$202,329
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $167,804$78,385
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $505,924$280,714
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$28,761$206,282
Part VI · Governance 6 of 7 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $486,996 across 10 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $549 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$152,353
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$328,599
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$480,952
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $5,495 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$5,495
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $6,044 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$486,996
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $280,714 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $106,684 · Management $1,235 · Fundraising $6,275$114,194
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $46,472$46,472
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsManagement $1,438$1,438
IX-9 Other employee benefitsManagement $23,790$23,790
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $11,906 · Management $4,046 · Fundraising $483$16,435
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $17,465$17,465
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $5,373 · Fundraising $409$5,782
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $180 · Fundraising $1,408$1,588
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $686 · Management $3,820 · Fundraising $244$4,750
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $3,098 · Management $2,301$5,399
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $3,735$3,735
IX-17 TravelFundraising $53$53
IX-20 InterestManagement $904$904
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $918$918
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $30,741 · Management $0 · Fundraising $7,050$37,791
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $199,767 · Management $65,025 · Fundraising $15,922$280,714
Part X · Balance sheet $155,212 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $32,772$104,368
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $13$594
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $48,765$48,765
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,529$1,485
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $83,079$155,212
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $12,266$167
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $71,300$49,250
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $133,566$49,417
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$50,487$105,795
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$50,487$105,795
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $83,079$155,212
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $105,795 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$486,996
XI-2 Total expenses$280,714
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$206,282
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$50,487
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments−$50,000
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$105,795

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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