Reading Between the Lines Nfp

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
820921310
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2022, Form 990-EZ 2024, Form 990-N 2016
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Rehabilitation Services for Offenders

Reported finances

Revenue
$117,563
Expenses
$381,475
Assets
$153,427
Liabilities
$9,308

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AGUSTIN M TORRES (Executive Director)

People named in this filing

  • WILDER KENDRICK BERRY SR (Chairman)
  • MARQUIS MILLER (Vice Chair)
  • VERONDA PITCHFORD (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-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Reading between the lines creates a unique space for the discussion of great literature with people who are incarcerated or transitioning back to their communities. By reading together and sharing insights, participants' voices are heard and valued as they build on their communication and leadership skills.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization uses discussion of literature to build critical thinking and communication skills with the currently and formerly incarcerated. The organization facilitates discussion of short, powerful poems and stories every week with men and women incarcerated or living in transitional residences and halfway houses.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Sustainability: 14
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 42.3%; rating input score 42

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -224.5%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.4; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 27%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -22.6% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -20.9% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -8.5% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 42.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $161K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 42/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 32/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 28/100.