Seattle Athenaeum

Seattle, WA · Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Since 2014 · Education

✓ Tax-deductible
Revenue
$361K
-20% vs prior year
Spent
$367K
To programs
78%
Net assets
$238K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$361K
FY2025▼ -20%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$227K
FY2021$203K
FY2022$249K
FY2023$366K
FY2024$450K
FY2025$361K
Expenses
$367K
FY2025▲ +18%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$216K
FY2021$228K
FY2022$264K
FY2023$253K
FY2024$312K
FY2025$367K
Net assets
$238K
FY2025▼ -3%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$28K
FY2021$4K
FY2022−$6K
FY2023$106K
FY2024$244K
FY2025$238K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

Status and standing

Is it real, and can you give to it?

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Yes — filed FY2025
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CSeattle Athenaeum
EINHdr · item D47-2486862
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 2015
Year of formationHdr · item L2014
Latest filingForm 990FY2025 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CSeattle, WA
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEducation (B70)
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.folioseattle.org

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.78 Management & general $0.14 Fundraising $0.08
Program services78%$286K
Management & general14%$51K
Fundraising8%$29K
Total functional expensesLn 25$367K

Financial health

Is it on solid ground?

Program efficiency
78%
of spending reaches programs▲ +7% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
2.4mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +243% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-2%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -106% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Total assets
$242K
FY2025▼ -14%
Total assets by fiscal year
FY2020$51K
FY2021$39K
FY2022$38K
FY2023$168K
FY2024$283K
FY2025$242K
Total liabilities
$4K
FY2025▼ -89%
Total liabilities by fiscal year
FY2020$22K
FY2021$35K
FY2022$44K
FY2023$62K
FY2024$39K
FY2025$4K
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$6K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$242K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B78%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 39
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 49

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$73K
Total assetsLn 16$242K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$4K
Total net assetsLn 32$238K
Months of cash on handcomputed2.4

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$314K · 87%
Program service revenue$28K · 8%
Other revenue$19K · 5%
Contributions & grants87%$314K
Program service revenue8%$28K
Other revenue5%$19K
Investment income$80
— government grantsLn 1e$30K
Total revenueLn 12$361K

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $73K · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $367K · Less non-cash grants $10K · Cash operating expenses/yr $357K
2.4 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $286K · Total expenses $367K
78%
Management & General
Management & general $51K · Total expenses $367K
14%
Fundraising
Fundraising $29K · Total expenses $367K
8%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $28K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $333K
$0.09 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $314K · Total revenue $361K
87%
Government reliance
Government grants $30K · Total revenue $361K
8%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $28K · Total revenue $361K
8%
Investment reliance
Investment income $80 · Total revenue $361K
+0.02%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $28K · Total expenses $367K
8%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $361K · Prior year $450K
-20%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $227K · FY2025 $361K
+10%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $238K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $361K · Expenses $367K
-2%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $242K
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $238K · Total assets $242K
98%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $242K
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Caroline Cumming · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $95K · Total expenses $367K
26%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $226K · Total expenses $367K
62%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 78%——
Overhead ratio 14%——
Fundraising cost ratio 9%——
Revenue growth -20%——

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.

Leadership and pay

Who runs it, and what are they paid?

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$95,000Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Trustees (ended May 2025)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Vice Pres (feb-Dec 2025)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Trustees (ended Dec 2025)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Trustees (apr - Dec 2025)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Trustees (ended Nov 2025)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Trustees
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Trustees (ended April 2025)
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Caroline Cumming’s $95K as Executive Director is at the 81st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Caroline Cumming$95,000$97,461————
Caroline Cumming——$73,308$68,708$62,591$68,281

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 Seattle Athenaeum executive salaries →

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Governance & Policies

Part VI
  • 9Voting board membersPt VI · Ln 1a
  • 9Independent board membersPt VI · Ln 1b
  • Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
  • Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
  • Top official’s pay independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Family or business ties among leadersPt VI · Ln 2No

Mission and programs

What it does.

Preserves books, shares them through libraries, and hosts cultural programs and writer workspaces.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Seattle Athenaeum claims this page.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $286K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2025.
01

Folio

The Seattle Athenaeum connects a dynamic literary community through acurated book collection, diverse programming, and opportunities for engaging conversations and transformative ideas.The library serves over 750 members; individuals, families, and students.While the majority of our members are in Seattle, we have members throughout…

$286Kprogram expense

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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 3 funders$47K
See all 3 funders →

Filing history

Every return on file.

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2025 Latest Viewing $361K$367K-20% 990 PDF
FY2024 $450K$312K+23% 990 PDF
FY2023 $366K$253K+47% 990 PDF
FY2022 $249K$264K+23% 990 PDF
FY2021 $203K$228K-10% 990 PDF
FY2020 $227K$216K 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

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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