Poets in Need FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

Berkeley, CA501(c)(3)Foundations & GrantmakersEIN 94-3389583Revenue $47K in FY2020

On file with the IRSpoetsinneed.comPo Box 5411, 94705-0411 · Berkeley, CATax-exempt since Apr 2001Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

This page gets seen. Tell your story. Claim this org.

Provide emergency assistance to Poets who have an established presence in the literary community as innovators in the field and a substantive body of published work. Assistance is given only in cases of current financial Need that is in excess of the poet's normal situation.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
83¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$6K 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

FY2020 · 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
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $16K a year · 34% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
83%
of spending
Looks good: 83% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$6K
to officers and key staff · 14% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 14% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
175 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 175.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $5K
Fine: 1 funder names 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
5
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$47K
Spent
$44K
To programs
83%
Net assets
$636K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$47K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$47K
FY2021$122K
FY2022$21K
FY2023$50K
FY2024$25K
FY2025$25K
Expenses
$44K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$44K
FY2021$67K
FY2022$54K
FY2023$69K
FY2024$105K
FY2025$47K
Net assets
$636K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$636K
FY2021$686K
FY2022$652K
FY2023$633K
FY2024$553K
FY2025$530K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim
You’re viewing the FY2020 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 2001.

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

Where the money goes

83 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 83% · $36K Management & general 17% · $7K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Something off? The org can add a note here. Request edit privileges.

Who runs it and what they're paid

3 people listed on the 990; $6K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$6,000Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Michael Rothenberg’s $6K as President- D is at the 29th percentile of top reported officer pay among 133 <$100K philanthropy & grantmaking 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2022FY2021FY2020
Michael Rothenberg$6,000$6,000$6,000

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 Poets in Need executive salaries →

Are you one of these people? Claim this org to confirm your role

Something off? The org can add a note here. Request edit privileges.

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

Helps established, published poets facing unexpected financial hardship.

Provided by the organization

Know this organization? Claim it to add your story

1 program · $36K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

In 2020 poets in need provided emergency financial aid to 35 contemporary poets. The total amount of these grants was 36,250. The size of the grants depended on the need of the applicant. Poets in need received donations from 90 individuals and organizations.

$36Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K
Grants paid · 6 grants · $347K · 2020–2025
Unitemized GrantFY2025$42,400
Unitemized GrantFY2024$98,800
Unitemized GrantFY2023$65,250
Unitemized GrantFY2022$46,000
Unitemized GrantFY2021$58,500
Unitemized GrantFY2020$36,250

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$47K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$33K
Investment incomeLn 3$14K
Money outPt IX
$44K
Ln 25
Programscol B$36K
Managementcol C$7K
Owns and owesPt X
$636K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$636K
Total assetsLn 16$636K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
3
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$33K
Investment incomeLn 3$14K
Total revenueLn 12$47K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$341K
SavingsLn 2$295K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$636K
Total assetsLn 16$636K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$636K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$632K$636K
Total assetsLn 16$632K$636K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$632K$636K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$36K$36K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$6K$6K
Accounting feesLn 11c$390$390
Office expensesLn 13$926$926
Total functional expensesLn 25$44K$36K$7K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $25K$47K−$23K$530K 990 PDF
FY2024 $25K$105K−$80K$553K 990 PDF
FY2023 $50K$69K−$19K$633K 990 PDF
FY2022 $21K$54K−$33K$652K 990 PDF
FY2021 $122K$67K$55K$686K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $47K$44K$4K$636K 990 PDF

Want to add your own materials alongside these filings? Claim this org

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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $47,135 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $39,272$33,134
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $11,826$14,001
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $51,098$47,135
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $45,000$36,250
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $6,000$6,000
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,195$1,316
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $53,195$43,566
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$2,097$3,569
Part VI · Governance 5 of 5 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members5
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 $47,135 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$33,134
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$33,134
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $14,001$14,001
VIII-12 Total revenueExcluded from tax $14,001$47,135
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $43,566 across 4 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $36,250$36,250
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $6,000$6,000
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $390$390
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $926$926
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $36,250 · Management $7,316 · Fundraising $0$43,566
Part X · Balance sheet $635,637 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $45,424$340,816
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $586,838$294,821
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $632,262$635,637
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $632,262$635,637
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $632,262$635,637
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $632,262$635,637
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $635,637 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$47,135
XI-2 Total expenses$43,566
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$3,569
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$632,262
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$194
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$635,637

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

If you ARE the filing organization, claim this org and add context

Made it to the end? Claim this organization

Keep this kind of thing free
Keep public charity data easy to read.

Free to the public, because obviously. Like this? Pay it forward. Don't like this? Help us get better.

Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. One time.
Keep this kind of thing free
Keep public charity data easy to read.

Free to the public, because obviously. Like this? Pay it forward. Don't like this? Help us get better.

Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through Stripe. One time.

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the pay comparisons above.