American Library Association
78% goes to programs $2 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
American Library Association is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 1952, with $54,115,379 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 78% of spending to programs.
225 N Michigan Ave Ste 1300, Chicago, IL, 60601 EIN 36-2166947 Since 1952
Revenue (FY2023)
$54.1M
▼ 11.0% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$56.2M
Net assets
$75.2M
Employees
220
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
B+Program efficiency40% of the rating78% to programs · $2 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For American Library Association: 78% to programs · $2 to raise $100 earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating16 mo reserves · -4% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For American Library Association: 16 mo reserves · -4% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For American Library Association: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For American Library Association: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The mission of the american library association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.
What they do
Mutual membership benefit programs, general/other: conferences enable members to keep abreast of the latest technological capabilities, new publications and trends in the profession. four major conferences, several national forums and a variety of institutes were held during the year.
Publishing: publishing of trade journals and books to aid the profession. published trade journals and books on a variety of topics of interest to the profession during the year.
Mutual membership benefit programs, general/other: general activities such as diversity, international relations, accreditation and monitoring legislation (19 offices/departments) and round table discussions and activities (19 round tables).
Contact & location
- Address
- 225 N Michigan Ave Ste 1300, Chicago, IL, 60601
- City
- Chicago
- State
- Illinois
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Alliances, Advocacy & Professional Societies
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $50.5M (FY2013) to $54.1M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $34.6MNet assets $75.2M
Operating margin
-3.9%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$109.8M
Total liabilities
$34.6M
Net assets
$75.2M
Salaries & benefits
$22.5M
40% of expenses
Board members
13
13 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $54,115,379▼11.0% | $56,217,260▲2.6% | $75,217,516▲6.3% | $109,847,603▲1.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $60,808,253▼0.7% | $54,783,455▲10.6% | $70,734,191▲8.1% | $107,750,217▲18.1% | 990 |
| 2021 | $61,228,263▲32.0% | $49,521,801▲17.3% | $65,414,840▼2.6% | $91,268,634▼3.8% | 990 |
| 2020 | $46,373,776▼9.0% | $42,201,219▼15.1% | $67,168,448▲15.0% | $94,861,095▲8.9% | 990 |
| 2019 | $50,981,527▲2.0% | $49,683,926▼8.1% | $58,386,176▲51.0% | $87,135,815▲12.7% | 990 |
| 2018 | $49,989,920▼7.4% | $54,042,879▼1.0% | $38,676,146▼16.0% | $77,320,482▼5.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $53,965,518▲12.1% | $54,587,253▲2.7% | $46,038,499▲18.2% | $81,801,580▲14.3% | 990 |
| 2016 | $48,140,727▼4.7% | $53,145,868▲1.0% | $38,935,449▲31.9% | $71,557,291▼4.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $50,529,729▼7.0% | $52,636,113▼7.5% | $29,528,632▼3.8% | $74,872,198▼2.4% | 990 |
| 2014 | $54,321,362▲7.6% | $56,884,503▲20.5% | $30,701,567▼18.8% | $76,735,284▼3.5% | 990 |
| 2013 | $50,465,465 | $47,195,041▼5.6% | $37,820,074▲22.7% | $79,526,348▲5.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $49,981,103▲0.9% | $30,825,382▲0.7% | $75,519,302▼0.9% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $49,534,877▲4.5% | $30,606,300▲1.0% | $76,175,774▲9.3% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $47,409,564▼5.2% | $30,301,597▲1.4% | $69,724,896▲4.2% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $49,990,937 | $29,878,021 | $66,903,200 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Tracie Hall — $412,264 (0.73% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracie Hall | Executive Director (thru 10/23) | 45 | $412,264 |
| Melissa Walling | Interim Sr. Assoc. Exec. Director | 45 | $205,658 |
| Alan Inouye | Interim Assoc. Exec. Dir. (to 5/2025) | 45 | $203,510 |
| Dina Tsourdinis | Chief Financial Officer | 45 | $198,379 |
| Lorelle Hopkins | Associate Executive Director | 45 | $197,923 |
| Rebecca Headrick | Chief Information Technology Officer | 45 | $185,788 |
| George Kendall | Senior Director, Ala Publishing & Media | 45 | $160,146 |
| Shakir Akbari | Director of Enterprise Applications | 45 | $154,412 |
| Denise Moritz | Director of Financial Reporting & Compliance | 45 | $153,065 |
| Mary Mackay | Fmr. Interim Sr. Assoc. Exec. Director | 45 | $106,181 |
| Leslie Burger | Interim Exec. Director (from 11/23) | 45 | $20,417 |
| Amy S Lappin | Director | 5 | — |
| Ana Elisa De Campos Salles | Director (thru 07/24) | 5 | — |
| Christina Rodriques | Director (thru 07/24) | 5 | — |
| Cindy Hohl | President | 5 | — |
| Dr Corinthia Price | Director | 5 | — |
| Emily Drabinski | Past President | 5 | — |
| Karen G Schneider | Director | 5 | — |
| Kathy Carroll | Director | 5 | — |
| Nicolas Buron | Director (from 07/24) | 5 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Vc4 LLC | Audio Visual Support and Services | $1,178,785 |
| Global Experience Specialist Inc | Trade Show & Exhibitions Services | $816,118 |
| PC Connection | It Consulting Services | $632,292 |
| Urban Insight Inc | It Consulting Services | $487,407 |
| Lsc Communications | Printing Services | $471,540 |
Grants received · $30.0M total
67 grants to American Library Association totaling $30.0M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $420,171 |
| Tides Foundation | Quality education | 2024 | $250,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $61,862 |
| The New York Community Trust | For general support. | 2024 | $10,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $5,213,450 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Education | 2023 | $251,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $37,231 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $33,916 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | — | 2023 | $19,178 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $14,250 |
| The New York Community Trust | For general support. | 2023 | $10,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $8,000 |
| Gulf Coast Community Foundation Inc | Education | 2023 | $7,219 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2022 | $5,237,975 |
| Tides Foundation | Quality education | 2022 | $100,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is American Library Association a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. American Library Association is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 36-2166947, based in Chicago, Illinois. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is American Library Association's EIN?
- American Library Association's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 36-2166947.
- How much revenue does American Library Association report?
- American Library Association reported $54,115,379 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of American Library Association's spending goes to programs?
- American Library Association spends about 78% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does American Library Association have?
- CharityIndex grades American Library Association A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does American Library Association's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on American Library Association's latest Form 990 is $412,264, paid to Tracie Hall (Executive Director (thru 10/23)).
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Data for American Library Association (EIN 36-2166947) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.