Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 2017.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
9 people listed on the 990.
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
Connects educational groups to build open technologies for libraries and learning.
Questions for Open Library Foundation
Your first name shows with your question. Open Library Foundation answers here, for everyone.
Software Development Infrastructure
The foundation provides a sophisticated software development environment for our constituent project communities that include code repositories, software testing environments, support for specialist consulting, infrastructure for servers, network identity, software license compliance tools and structures, and other affordances to improve…
Administrative Infrastructure & Community Formation
The foundation provides a legal, non-for-profit structure to provide administrative functions to the foundation's component software development projects. This includes legal advising on licensing and intellectual property rights, banking & accounting functions, web presence & outreach, and meeting & event support.
Collaborative Infrastructure
The foundation performs several services to support collaboration between institutions, library organizations, and library-technology vendors. These include web conferencing services, shared document storage, electronic mailing lists, user experience design software, and discussion boards.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2018 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY18 | End FY18 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $369K | $500K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $369K | $500K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $0 | $130 |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $369K | $499K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal feesLn 11b | $3K | $3K | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $33K | $33K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $164 | $164 | ||
| Information technologyLn 14 | $40K | $40K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $19K | $19K | ||
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $35K | $35K | ||
| InterestLn 20 | $207 | $207 | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $755K | $755K | ||
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $885K | $885K | $0 | $0 |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 LatestFiled with the IRS Jan 28, 2026 | $844K | $752K | $91K | $727K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024Filed with the IRS Feb 6, 2025 | $567K | $512K | $55K | $636K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS May 14, 2024 | $822K | $590K | $232K | $581K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS May 11, 2023 | $190K | $449K | −$259K | $349K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | Not on file | ||||
| FY2020 | Not on file | ||||
| FY2019Filed with the IRS Mar 8, 2021 | $1.3M | $1.5M | −$177K | $322K | 990 PDF |
| FY2018 ViewingFiled with the IRS Mar 8, 2021 | $1.0M | $885K | $130K | $499K | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2018 990
Part I · Summary $1,015,312 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 0 of 6 board members independent, 3 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,015,312 across 4 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $884,861 across 8 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $499,617 assets, 6 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $499,487 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2018 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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