Foundation for the Reading Pagoda
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 454691997
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2013–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990-EZ 2025
- Location
- Reading, PA, USA
- Phone
- 6106556271
- Rating
- 86
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Historical Societies, Related Historical Activities
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $43,548
- Expenses
- $68,889
- Assets
- $37,179
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
13 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- ALEXA FREYMAN (PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- MARCIA GOODMAN-HINNERSHITZ (DIRECTOR)
- DONNA REED (DIRECTOR)
- MIKE REINERT (DIRECTOR)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The purpose of the foundation for the reading pagoda is to provide oversight for the preservation and maintenance of the pagoda, a cultural and historical icon and landmark of berks county.
What it reported doing in 2025
The foundation manages the cafe, located in the pagoda, as well as the usage of the landmark. It opens the facility to the community and allows access to visitors from around the world. It also oversees special events held at the pagoda, such as weddings, family parties, community fundraisers, business meetings and annual events such as children's day at the pagoda, sunsets at the pagoda and our new year's eve open house and fireworks. The pagoda interior is currently closed for renovation and repair. No cafe sales or gift shop sales occurred in 2025 and there were no events held inside the pagoda. The foundation for the reading pagoda contributed 60,000 to the berks county community foundation in 2025 to a fund called the reading pagoda restoration fund. The preservation part of the mission is accomplished through community speaking engagements, history brochures and re-enactments, and a website dedicated to the pagoda. General maintenance includes the daily upkeep as well as any repairs needed to keep the beloved pagoda attractive to all. The foundation is looking to complete major necessary repairs and upgrades to the buliding foundation and open the pagoda to the public within the next year.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 93% of its reported program spending out as grants.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and revenue has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 98
- Transparency & Controls: 82
- Sustainability: 21
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 93.9%; rating input score 94
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Limited
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -58.2%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.54; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -2.3% per year; rating input score 0; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 93.9% of spending went to programs
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $65K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 13 people listed
- Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
- Schedules: 2 filed schedules
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2013 to 2025
- 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 33/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.