Fairfax Library Foundation
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 541722709
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2023
- Location
- Fairfax, VA, USA
- Phone
- 7033248313
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $542,022
- Expenses
- $449,187
- Assets
- $8,040,602
- Liabilities
- $445,830
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
17 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Lisa D Bryant (Executive Director)
People named in this filing
- Miriam Smolen (Chair)
- Jonathan McPherson (Vice Chair)
- Matthew Levin (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
Fairfax Library Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable and educational organization committed to providing supplementary support to the Fairfax County Public Library. The Foundation, while reinforcing the need for continued and increased public support for the Library, serves as a catalyst for attracting private funding from individuals, businesses, organizations and foundations to enhance library services for our community.
What it reported doing in 2024
Ready to Read Early Literacy OutreachReady to Read is an early literacy outreach program that aims to equip preschool-age children (ages 3-5) with essential reading skills. Experienced outreach representatives visit more than 150 childcare centers and Head Start classrooms to introduce the children there to the joys of reading through highly-engaging storytime sessions. Following these visits, children and their caregivers receive picture books at no cost, encouraging them to incorporate reading into their day-to-day routines. More than 24,000 picture books were distributed this year alone, with more than a quarter-million books for preschool children purchased by the Foundation since the program's inception in 2008. This program specifically designed for children and caregivers who may not have access to library branches. By focusing on fundamental skills and concepts crucial for kindergarten readiness, Ready to Read ensures that almost 34,000 Fairfax County children are now better prepared for their first day of school.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 68% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 83% of its reported program spending out as grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 76
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 78
- Growth: 20
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 78.5%; rating input score 78
- Program expense ratio: 79.4%; rating input score 79
- Fundraising efficiency: $17.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
- 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: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- 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: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 17.1%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 17.9; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 78.5% of revenue deployed · 79.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $357K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 17 people listed
- Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 12 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
- 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.