Smart Reading

What it reported doing in 2024

Smart reading is a nationally recognized, statewide nonprofit organization (incorporated in the state of Oregon) with a network of volunteers, educators, donors, and advocates across Oregon who are banding together to empower children for more successful futures through books and reading. Headquartered in portland, smart reading envisions an Oregon in which every child can realize their full potential through reading. Smart reading engages community volunteers to read one-on-one or in groups with prekindergarten through third grade children. Participating children also receive new books each month to keep and read with their families.smart reading partners with over 250 high need schools and head start programs across Oregon. Smart reading is overwhelmingly funded by private sources, and achieves this work by leveraging private dollars and public infrastructure to provide proven reading support and books for thousands of Oregon children. The intention of smart reading is to provide a fun, child-guided experience that builds reading skills, self-confidence, and a lifelong love of reading in children - and ensures all students have access to high-quality, inclusive books.during the year ended june 30, 2025, smart reading delivered books, provided classroom read-aloud opportunities, and/or one-on-one reading support to approximately 15,000 children and gave away approximately 125,000 books. This was possible, in part, thanks to over 750 volunteers, who together contributed approximately 10,000 hours of volunteer time.since 1992, smart reading has served over 275,000 children with the help of over 150,000 volunteers, and given away over 3.2 million books. Together, with support from communities across the state, smart reading is empowering Oregon children for reading and learning success.and we know the program works. An independent study by the eugene research institute reveals that fifth-graders who participated in smart reading as first-graders are 60 percent more likely to reach state reading benchmarks than are similar students who did not participate.smart reading students develop reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension significantly faster and maintain these gains even after completing the program.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 92.2%; rating input score 92
• Program expense ratio: 71.6%; rating input score 72
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.6 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -28.9%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.3; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.4%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings