Friends of the Hamden Library

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
061178990
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Hamden, CT, USA
Phone
2032872680
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$32,099
Expenses
$55,137
Assets
$1,185,722
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHELE HOFFNUNG (PRESIDENT)
  • ANITA BUCKMASTER (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • MARY ANN QUINN (PAST PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • MICHELE HOFFNUNG (PRESIDENT)
  • ANITA BUCKMASTER (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SHARON FOSTER THROUGH MAY 2025 (RECORDING SECRETARY)

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

To promote and serve the hamden public library system through gifts that enrich the cultural opportunities available to the citizens of hamden; and to serve as a forum for public understanding, participation, and support.

What it reported doing in 2024

Thornton wilder writing competition - now in its thirty-ninth year, the thornton wilder writing competition was established by the friends of the hamden library to honor long-time hamden resident and pulitzer prize winning author and playwright, thornton wilder. Through the generous donation made by isabelle wilder the friends of the hamden library provide cash prizes to the winners of the competition run by the library staff.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 81% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 90%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 96.6%; rating input score 97; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: -71.8%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 21.51; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 60.5% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -187.3% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.4% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 90% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $50K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 19 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.