Writers Matter FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Philadelphia, PA501(c)(3)EducationEIN 84-5020018Revenue $180K in FY2021

On file with the IRSwritersmatter.org2021 Green Street, 19130-3457 · Philadelphia, PATax-exempt since Apr 2020Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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Writers Matter serves public school students and teachers to provide curriculum and training to improve critical writing thinking of students.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$58K 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
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
5 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $58K a year · 24% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 5 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$58K
to officers and key staff · 34% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 34% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
15 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 15.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $70K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
0
of 5 voting members
Concern: none of 5 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$180K
-23% vs prior year
Spent
$171K
To programs
100%
Net assets
$216K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$180K
FY2021▼ -23%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$234K
FY2021$180K
FY2022$193K
FY2023$194K
FY2024$285K
FY2025$351K
Expenses
$171K
FY2021▲ +531%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$27K
FY2021$171K
FY2022$159K
FY2023$221K
FY2024$239K
FY2025$270K
Net assets
$216K
FY2021▲ +4%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$207K
FY2021$216K
FY2022$249K
FY2023$223K
FY2024$269K
FY2025$350K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 2020.

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

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $171K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. 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; $58K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$39,300Pt VII · Sec A
$19,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Robert Vogel’s $50K as Executive Director is at the 41st 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

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021
Robert Vogel$50,000$43,500$39,300
Kim Lewinski$18,450$16,600$19,000

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 Writers Matter executive salaries →

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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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Improves students' critical thinking through writing curriculum and teacher training.

Provided by the organization

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1 program · $171K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Provided services to 12 School District of Philadelphia schools, 43 teachers and approximately 2500 student participants.

$171Kprogram 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 · FY2024
Grants paid · 4 grants · $38K · 2020–2023
Unitemized GrantFY2023$7,500
Unitemized GrantFY2022$2,425
Unitemized GrantFY2021$4,350
Unitemized GrantFY2020$23,475

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$180K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$180K
Money outPt IX
$171K
Ln 25
Programscol B$171K
Owns and owesPt X
$216K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$216K
Total assetsLn 16$216K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$180K
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Total revenueLn 12$180K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$216K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$216K
Total assetsLn 16$216K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$216K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 65
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
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$207K$216K
Total assetsLn 16$207K$216K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$207K$216K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$6K$6K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$58K$58K
Accounting feesLn 11c$900$900
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0
Office expensesLn 13$4K$4K
Information technologyLn 14$2K$2K
TravelLn 17$150$150
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$7K$7K
InsuranceLn 23$1K$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$92K$92K
Total functional expensesLn 25$171K$171K$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $351K$270K$81K$350K 990 PDF
FY2024 $285K$239K$46K$269K 990 PDF
FY2023 $194K$221K−$27K$223K 990 PDF
FY2022 $193K$159K$34K$249K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $180K$171K$9K$216K 990 PDF
FY2020 $234K$27K$207K$207K 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 $179,980 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $233,710$179,980
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $233,710$179,980
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $24,568$5,750
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $0$58,300
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,556$106,987
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $27,124$171,037
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $206,586$8,943
Part VI · Governance 0 of 5 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members0
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $179,980 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$0
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$179,980
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$179,980
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$179,980
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $171,037 across 10 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $5,750$5,750
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $58,300$58,300
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $900$900
IX-11g Other fees for services$0
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,310$4,310
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,032$2,032
IX-17 TravelPrograms $150$150
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $6,700$6,700
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $1,366$1,366
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $91,529$91,529
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $171,037 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$171,037
Part X · Balance sheet $215,529 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $206,586$215,529
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $206,586$215,529
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $206,586$215,529
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $206,586$215,529
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $206,586$215,529
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $215,529 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$179,980
XI-2 Total expenses$171,037
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$8,943
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$206,586
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$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$215,529

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

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