Letters Charity is a nonprofit organization on a mission to use art as a conduit to transform passive compassion into immediate assistance through the distribution of money given, without expectation or judgement, directly to families suffering poverty.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
82¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 100 volunteers and 2 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
82%
of spending
Looks good: 82% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$128K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.4 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $10K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$32K
20% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 20% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
23
of 23 voting members
Looks good: 23 of 23 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$690K
+45% vs prior year
Spent
$722K
To programs
82%
Net assets
$127K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$690K
FY2025▲ +45%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$219K
FY2021$307K
FY2022$369K
FY2023$383K
FY2024$475K
FY2025$690K
Expenses
$722K
FY2025▲ +76%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$250K
FY2021$292K
FY2022$396K
FY2023$365K
FY2024$411K
FY2025$722K
Net assets
$127K
FY2025▼ -20%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$89K
FY2021$104K
FY2022$77K
FY2023$95K
FY2024$159K
FY2025$127K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 2019.

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

Where the money goes

82 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 82% · $594K Management & general 8% · $55K Fundraising 10% · $73K

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

24 people listed on the 990; $128K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$77,462Pt VII · Sec A
$50,695Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Holly Lewis’s $77K as Executive Director is at the 68th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2168 $100K–1M human services 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
Holly Lewis$77,462$69,050$55,164$53,940$52,400—
Heather Whinna$50,695$56,544$55,165$53,940$52,400$52,202

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

Transforms passive compassion into immediate assistance through art.

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2 programs · $594K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Letters to Santa

We surprised seventeen families living in poverty in chicago. Each family received new clothing, new toys, food, household essentials, a new computer for every child and a new tablet for every adult plus an unconditional cash grant to each family.

$300Kprogram expense
02

Emergency Relief Program

The emergency relief program transforms compassion into immediate action during emergencies that disproportionately impact vulnerable communities. Our approach is simple: identify urgent needs in underserved communities during crisis situations, then respond with direct, unconditional support that helps families maintain their dignitiy…

$293Kprogram 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$10K
Grants paid · 6 grants · $1.0M · 2020–2025
Unitemized GrantFY2025$435,500
Unitemized GrantFY2024$175,500
Unitemized GrantFY2023$155,520
Unitemized GrantFY2022$161,900
Unitemized GrantFY2021$65,700
Unitemized GrantFY2020$50,000

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$690K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$677K
Other incomeLn 4–11$12K
Investment incomeLn 3$907
Money outPt IX
$722K
Ln 25
Programscol B$594K
Managementcol C$55K
Fundraisingcol D$73K
Owns and owesPt X
$127K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$142K
Total assetsLn 16$159K
LiabilitiesLn 26$32K
PeoplePt VI, VII
24
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a23
IndependentVI 1b23
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$677K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$34K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$45K
Investment incomeLn 3$907
Other incomeLn 4–11$12K
Total revenueLn 12$690K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$102K
SavingsLn 2$40K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$142K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$770
Other assetsLn 15$12K
Total assetsLn 16$159K
LiabilitiesLn 26$32K
Net assetsLn 32$127K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 6100
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$212K$142K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1K$770
Total assetsLn 16$215K$159K
LiabilitiesLn 26$56K$32K
Net assetsLn 32$159K$127K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$503K$503K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$126K$50K$35K$41K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$29K$11K$10K$7K
Payroll taxesLn 10$10K$4K$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$11K$4K$2K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$1K$412$211$414
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$250$1K
Office expensesLn 13$3K$2K$153$1K
Information technologyLn 14$7K$2K$1K$4K
TravelLn 17$8K$6K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$600$600
InsuranceLn 23$3K$999$1K$873
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$19K$11K$2K$6K
Total functional expensesLn 25$722K$594K$55K$73K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $690K$722K−$32K$127K 990 PDF
FY2024 $475K$411K$64K$159K 990 PDF
FY2023 $383K$365K$18K$95K 990 PDF
FY2022 $369K$396K−$27K$77K 990 PDF
FY2021 $307K$292K$16K$104K 990 PDF
FY2020 $219K$250K−$31K$89K 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 M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $690,021 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $439,979$677,108
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$907
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $35,074$12,006
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $475,053$690,021
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $212,344$503,231
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $159,327$164,749
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $39,499$54,019
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $411,170$721,999
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $63,883−$31,978
Part VI · Governance 23 of 23 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body23
VI-1b Independent voting members23
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $690,021 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$44,521
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$632,587
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$33,975
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$677,108
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $907$907
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $12,006$12,006
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $907 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $12,006$690,021
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $721,999 across 13 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $503,231$503,231
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $50,243 · Management $34,776 · Fundraising $41,323$126,342
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $11,075 · Management $10,405 · Fundraising $7,262$28,742
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $3,844 · Management $2,660 · Fundraising $3,161$9,665
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $4,491 · Management $2,296 · Fundraising $4,506$11,293
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $412 · Management $211 · Fundraising $414$1,037
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $250 · Fundraising $1,383$1,633
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,520 · Management $153 · Fundraising $1,442$3,115
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,513 · Management $1,105 · Fundraising $4,202$6,820
IX-17 TravelPrograms $5,602 · Fundraising $1,967$7,569
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $600$600
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $999 · Management $1,275 · Fundraising $873$3,147
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $10,622 · Management $1,768 · Fundraising $6,415$18,805
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $593,802 · Management $55,249 · Fundraising $72,948$721,999
Part X · Balance sheet $158,529 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $211,657$101,548
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$40,000
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $20$2,701
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,558$1,840
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,370$770
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$11,670
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $214,605$158,529
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $55,611$31,513
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $55,611$31,513
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $93,251$54,189
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $65,743$72,827
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $158,994$127,016
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $214,605$158,529
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $127,016 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$690,021
XI-2 Total expenses$721,999
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$31,978
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$158,994
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$127,016

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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