Jbi International Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
131683279
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2128892525
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Eye Diseases, Blindness and Vision Impairments

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,662,953
Expenses
$4,631,823
Assets
$25,146,806
Liabilities
$495,151

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

34 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LIVIA THOMPSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (OUTGOING))
  • MICHELLE SHAPIRO ABRAHAM (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MICKEY ABOFF (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $223,619 total reported compensation
  • ANDREW GOODMAN (CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER): $202,763 total reported compensation
  • MICHELLE SHAPIRO ABRAHAM (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $197,541 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Jbi library's mission is to ensure that anyone who is blind, has low vision or other print disability can fully participate in and feel connected to all aspects of jewish life, from culture, education, and community to religious practice.

What it reported doing in 2025

Jbi's educational and cultural programs provide accessible literary, cultural, and educational experiences to individuals who are blind, have low vision, or are otherwise print disabled. Through a wide range of offeringsincluding author talks, lectures, book clubs, and cultural programsjbi fosters community engagement, lifelong learning, and meaningful participation in jewish and general cultural life. All programs are designed with accessibility at the forefront, utilizing formats such as live audio, telephone-based participation, and digital platforms to ensure inclusive access regardless of geographic or technological barriers. These programs serve a diverse and often isolated population, promoting intellectual enrichment, cultural connection, and social inclusion.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 75% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 95% 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.
  • 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. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.2%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 80.1%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9.77 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.7%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.43; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 22.9%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.2% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93.2% of revenue deployed · 80.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 25 of 25 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 6 filed program accomplishments · $3.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $224K · 34 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $464K reported
  • Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 35/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.