Rockingham Library Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
540548703
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Harrisonburg, VA, USA
Phone
5404344475
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,377,653
Expenses
$3,337,610
Assets
$10,035,942
Liabilities
$513,849

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AUSTIN SACHS (PRESIDENT)
  • MARIA PAZ ESGUERRA (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ZACHARY ELDER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ZACHARY ELDER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $135,493 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To be an engaged community partner providing programs and services that bring people together, foster creativity, and encourage lifelong learning. Mrl strives to be the welcoming heart of our community where all come to learn, discover, create, and connect.

What it reported doing in 2024

Reading programs & events - library materials, services and programs are provided to the city of harrisonburg, and page and rockingham counties through a network of seven public service locations and the mrl's website. In fy 25, mrl tallied 242,086 visits. Mrl hosted 2,473 programs that were attended by 54,217 people. Mrl issued or renewed 9,809 library cards and answered 25,674 reference questions. Mrl has continued the prescription for reading program working with a group of area pediatricians to provide books and reading materials for babies and their parents. These items are distributed during baby wellness visits. Mrl also participates in a "1,000 things before kindergarten" program. Mrl teamed up with the national endowment for the arts to host the big read events with the community. Several new programs were added in fy25 such as page to screen book club, true crime book club, and bad art night. American shakespeare center passes can be checked out.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 81% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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.
  • 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.3%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 81.1%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $32.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 71; 71st 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: Limited
  • 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: 8 of 8 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: 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: 1.2%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.01; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.1%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.3% of revenue deployed · 81.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $135K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 38/100.