Sonoma County Library Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
680137105
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2013
Location
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
Phone
7075450831
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,158,092
Expenses
$2,539,493
Assets
$5,933,967
Liabilities
$6,555

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRISTINA FALLEY (President)
  • SUE COCHRAN (Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • PAT KUTA (Director)
  • DONACIANO BOTELLO TORRES (Director)
  • CHRISSY NELSON (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

Empowering the sonoma county library system through financial enrichment, community connections, and advocacy.

What it reported doing in 2024

As part of its mission, the sonoma county library foundation (sclf) raises and donates funds to the sonoma county library. Sonoma county has 14 libraries that serve over 2 million visitors per year. Most recently, the foundation has been raising the $3.6 million needed for the collection, furniture, fixtures, and equipment needed to bring alive the roseland regional library currently in construction. The library is expected to open in early spring 2027. In addition to the roseland campaign, the foundation receives and manages contributions for all the branches and selected initiatives in the system. The foundation provided $100,000 to jumpstart public education regarding the ultimately successful voter adoption of measure w, the extension of the sales tax in support of scl operations. Dedicated to its close collaboration with the scl, the foundation provided funds to bring together the 300+ employees for all-hands staff training day. In creating community connections, the sclf launched a program in concert with the santa rosa symphony in which the symphony performs in various branched throuhout the library system. The sclf is a champion in the community for the library and has established advisory boards and an advocacy alert network.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 78% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 99% 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 95.9%; rating input score 96
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.87 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th 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: 99.7%; rating input score 100; 50th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -119.3%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.34; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 25.8% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 95.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 1/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.