Better World Libraries

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
203803359
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Biddeford, ME, USA
Phone
2074155714
Rating
55
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Media, Communications Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$7,921,341
Expenses
$23,732
Assets
$25,332,825
Liabilities
$7,382

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Brewster Kahle (President)

People named in this filing

  • Brewster Kahle (President)
  • Meikle Hall (Secretary)
  • Jeff Ubois (Treasurer)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The specific and primary purpose of this corporation is to engage in charitable and educational activities within the means of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal revenue law.

What it reported doing in 2024

A number of agreements were renegotiated in February of 2020 to finish Better World Librarys acquisition intent of Better World Books and to help with facilities and build out their website.Better World Libraries continues to enable Better World Books to preserve their cultural heritage by continuing to provide an outlet for public libraries across the United States to sell their decommissioned books, offering these books to consumers at discounted prices through a secondary market and also donating millions of books to non-profits partners promoting literacy all around the world.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 88% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 8
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 98
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0.1%; rating input score 0
  • Program expense ratio: 24.8%; rating input score 25
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 99.7%; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1,067.45; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 39.9% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 35.3% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 42.3% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 0.1% of revenue deployed · 24.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $6K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 13 of 13 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 25/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.