Washington County Free Library
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 526001038
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Hagerstown, MD, USA
- Phone
- 3017393250
- Rating
- 76
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Libraries
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $8,862,698
- Expenses
- $8,655,401
- Assets
- $22,181,378
- Liabilities
- $1,210,721
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
15 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- STEPHEN SCHUTTE (PRESIDENT)
- JENNY L BAKOS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / SECRETARY)
Highest reported compensation
- JENNY L BAKOS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / SECRETARY): $130,691 total reported compensation
- ELIZABETH HULETT (DIRECTOR WMRL): $124,473 total reported compensation
- KATHLEEN M O'CONNELL (DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SVCS.): $121,507 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The mission of the Washington county free library system is to continually improve our service to the public by:* providing the public with free access to library materials in a variety of formats* promoting community enrichment, economic vitality and individual achievement through reading and lifelong learning* helping people of all ages find information which meets their diverse personal, educational, and professional needs* recognizing our responsibility to balance available resources to serve everyone in the community* supplying the local government with state, national, and worldwide connectivity* providing leadership in cooperative and innovative library service
What it reported doing in 2024
Library operations
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Grant-funded. 96% 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.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. Revenue has declined or grown slowly and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 58
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 53
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 65%; rating input score 65
- Program expense ratio: 66.1%; rating input score 66
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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: 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: 2.3%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.56; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 7.6%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -0.7% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 65% of revenue deployed · 66.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5.7M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $131K · 15 people listed
- Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- 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.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 42/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 39/100.