The mission of Brooklyn Book Bodega is to increase the number of 100+ book homes for kids 0-18 in NYC.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
86¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$52K 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

FY2021 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $135K a year · 27% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
86%
of spending
Looks good: 86% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$52K
to officers and key staff · 66% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 66% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
25 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 25.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $25K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$881
0.5% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 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
$204K
Spent
$78K
To programs
86%
Net assets
$168K
By yearFY2021–FY2024
Revenue
$204K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$204K
FY2022$248K
FY2023$628K
FY2024$935K
Expenses
$78K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$78K
FY2022$246K
FY2023$484K
FY2024$668K
Net assets
$168K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$168K
FY2022$170K
FY2023$314K
FY2024$581K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jun 2019.

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

Where the money goes

86 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 86% · $67K Management & general 9% · $7K Fundraising 5% · $4K

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

9 people listed on the 990; $52K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Chief Operating Officer
$30,625Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$21,000Pt VII · Sec A
Board Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Rebecca Cohen’s $101K as Executive Director is at the 87th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1992 $100K–1M youth development 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Rebecca Cohen$100,562$78,420$64,292$21,000
Seema Aghera$100,562$86,173$76,750$30,625

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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Provides free books to children in New York City to build home libraries.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $67K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

In 2021 Brooklyn Book Bodega partnered with 190 organizations and hosted 38 events to distribute 80,072 books to 20,767 families, children, and individuals throughout New York City. Visitors and volunteers came from diverse socio-economic, racial, and cultural backgrounds and all five boroughs and beyond fostering a love of reading…

$67Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$25K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$204K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$201K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4K
Money outPt IX
$78K
Ln 25
Programscol B$67K
Managementcol C$7K
Fundraisingcol D$4K
Owns and owesPt X
$168K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$164K
Total assetsLn 16$169K
LiabilitiesLn 26$881
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$201K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4K
Total revenueLn 12$204K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$164K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$164K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Total assetsLn 16$169K
LiabilitiesLn 26$881
Net assetsLn 32$168K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 6827
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$41K$164K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Total assetsLn 16$41K$169K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$881
Net assetsLn 32$41K$168K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$58K$51K$4K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$6K$5K$411$300
Accounting feesLn 11c$300$300
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$680$1K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$499$499
InsuranceLn 23$4K$3K$283$207
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$6K$5K$228
Total functional expensesLn 25$78K$67K$7K$4K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Nov 3, 2025 $935K$668K$267K$581K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Oct 11, 2024 $628K$484K$144K$314K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS May 3, 2023 $248K$246K$2K$170K 990 PDF
FY2021 ViewingFiled with the IRS Jul 11, 2022 $204K$78K$127K$168K 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $204,401 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $38,216$200,501
I-9 Program service revenue$3,900
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $10,000$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $48,216$204,401
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $4,875$64,219
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $6,741$13,453
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $11,616$77,672
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $36,600$126,729
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $204,401 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$200,501
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$200,501
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $3,900$3,900
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $3,900 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$204,401
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $77,672 across 8 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $51,230 · Management $4,200 · Fundraising $3,065$58,495
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $5,013 · Management $411 · Fundraising $300$5,724
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $300$300
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,019$1,019
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $680 · Management $1,426$2,106
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $499$499
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,456 · Management $283 · Fundraising $207$3,946
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $5,355 · Management $228$5,583
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $66,753 · Management $7,347 · Fundraising $3,572$77,672
Part X · Balance sheet $168,972 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $41,362$163,683
X-4 Accounts receivable$3,293
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$1,996
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $41,362$168,972
X-25 Other liabilities$881
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$881
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $41,362$168,091
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $41,362$168,091
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $41,362$168,972
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $168,091 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$204,401
XI-2 Total expenses$77,672
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$126,729
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$41,362
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$168,091

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

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