Brooklyn Public Library
88% goes to programs $3 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Brooklyn Public Library is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Brooklyn, New York, registered in 1959, with $168,015,880 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 88% of spending to programs.
1 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY, 11238 EIN 11-1904261 Since 1959
Revenue (FY2023)
$168.0M
▲ 3.0% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$160.3M
Net assets
$169.7M
Employees
1,612
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating88% to programs · $3 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 Brooklyn Public Library: 88% to programs · $3 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating13 mo reserves · +5% 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 Brooklyn Public Library: 13 mo reserves · +5% margin earns a A 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 Brooklyn Public Library: 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 Brooklyn Public Library: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
It is the mission of the library to ensure the preservation and transmission of (see schedule o) society's knowledge, history and culture, and to provide the people of brooklyn with free and open access to information for education, recreation and reference.
What they do
Central library:central library is the most extensive public library in brooklyn. at 352,000 square feet, it accounts for one-third of the library's total physical plant. in march 2024, central library hosted night in the library: out of darkness, an all-night series of events, talks, and performances focused on civic engagement and critical thinking. guests included astra taylor, red moten, sarah lewis, and many others.once again, central hosted the brooklyn robotics league (brl) finals in january 2024. brl hosted 15 teams participating in bpl's tournament all with sizable crowd support from friends and family members cheering them on. the kings bay branch team took the crown this year, with cortelyou library taking second place and new lots library coming in third. in fy2024, the central library circulated 862,778 items and hosted 22,818 programs, which had patron attendance of over 124,000. in addition, our central library branch was visited by over 1,177,000 patrons during fy2024.
Special programs:bpl offers programs for people of all backgrounds and ages. in addition to the branch programs described above, bpl hosts teen tech time and homework help sessions, citizenship and hse test preparation, career and business development resources, free cultural events, and much more. a representative sample of our special programs:bookmatch provides patrons with reading lists specially curated by bpl librarians.bklyn incubator supports and funds the development of new initiatives by librarians and staff, with training and mentoring on program design, partnership development, community outreach, and project management. powerup in 2003, the powerup business plan competition was launched to support and grow brooklyn's entrepreneurial spirit and small businesses. since 2003, we have nurtured 11,046 individuals with over 1,440 business plans and awarded more than $641,000 in cash and in-kind gifts to brooklyn entrepreneurs. our success stories include more than 100 companies with a passion for food and drink, health and wellness, arts and crafts, media and fashion, education, social justice, and cultural diversity everything that makes brooklyn great.bard at bpl provides a fully accredited, full scholarship traditional liberal arts education to nontraditional students who had previously been deterred, discouraged, or excluded from higher education.teen takeovers branch council teen takeovers branch council is an internship program where high school students plan, organize, promote, and host after-hours public programs for other teens. interns learn about event planning, creating a budget, and program promotion.university open air is a series of outdoor courses in prospect park taught by professors and researchers trained outside the u.s. who may face obstacles teaching in their respective fields.bpl outdoors brooklyn public library turns its branches inside out to provide library services and programs outdoors. patrons enjoy traditional library services plus creative programming in the fresh air.teen techies teaches digital skills to students 14 to 18 and prepares them to serve on bpl's volunteer team, where they help patrons make use of the library's many free technology resources.
Contact & location
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $107.4M (FY2013) to $168.0M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $57.2MNet assets $169.7M
Operating margin
4.6%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$226.9M
Total liabilities
$57.2M
Net assets
$169.7M
Salaries & benefits
$115.5M
72% of expenses
Board members
31
31 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $168,015,880▲3.0% | $160,270,184▼2.5% | $169,708,294▲7.0% | $226,912,503▲8.3% | 990 |
| 2022 | $163,152,905▼9.1% | $164,328,930▲14.2% | $158,577,186▲12.2% | $209,539,851▲8.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $179,417,090▲7.5% | $143,929,817▲3.6% | $141,394,283▼0.4% | $192,375,966▲0.9% | 990 |
| 2020 | $166,940,184▼0.7% | $138,877,460▼4.4% | $142,004,240▲17.7% | $190,713,807▲9.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $168,058,461▲4.9% | $145,221,227▲0.1% | $120,615,134▲3.2% | $174,473,766▲15.4% | 990 |
| 2018 | $160,226,631▲12.1% | $145,022,554▲6.1% | $116,860,485▲4.3% | $151,150,709▲10.0% | 990 |
| 2017 | $142,965,809▼7.6% | $136,716,054▲4.6% | $112,088,004▲2.6% | $137,401,453▲1.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $154,793,835▲18.8% | $130,674,825▲4.5% | $109,244,116▲33.7% | $134,794,501▲26.2% | 990 |
| 2015 | $130,348,079▲6.6% | $125,083,736▲9.0% | $81,726,068▲6.0% | $106,768,029▲6.6% | 990 |
| 2014 | $122,310,743▲13.9% | $114,789,719▲9.2% | $77,078,025▲8.5% | $100,171,426▲12.2% | 990 |
| 2013 | $107,366,637 | $105,087,802▲5.6% | $71,012,587▲9.4% | $89,274,583▼29.9% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $99,515,558▼3.2% | $64,905,058▲27.2% | $127,275,567▲38.8% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $102,805,172▲3.0% | $51,018,311▲4.1% | $91,717,754▼20.7% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $99,843,981 | $49,030,950 | $115,684,159 | 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: Linda E Johnson — $634,931 (0.40% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linda E Johnson | President & Ceo | 35 | $634,931 |
| Karen M Sheehan | Evp Finance/cfo | 35 | $271,579 |
| David Woloch | Evp of External Affairs | 35 | $252,659 |
| Laszlo J Orsos | Vp of Arts and Culture | 35 | $251,323 |
| Nicholas L Higgins | Chief Librarian | 35 | $247,916 |
| Lachonne P Walton | Vp of Human Resources | 35 | $236,943 |
| Amadu Wagie | Vp of Finance | 35 | $228,021 |
| Alexandra Mayers | Chief Development Officer | 35 | $226,367 |
| Selvon Smith | Vp of Information Technolo | 35 | $214,655 |
| Anthony Crowell Esq | Vice Chair | 2 | — |
| Baratunde Thurston | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Blake Foote | Trustee - Until 02/2024 | 2 | — |
| Cassandra Metz | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Christina Tettonis | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Claire Hoffman | Trustee | 2 | — |
| David Womack | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Dewayne Louis | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Dominic Williams | Trustee - From 10/2021 | 2 | — |
| Eddie Joyce | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Erin Texeira | Trustee | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Shawmut Woodworking & Supply | Construction | $8,135,393 |
| Overdrive Inc | Library Materials | $4,281,485 |
| Baker & Taylor | Library Materials | $3,845,705 |
| Ny Public Library | Library Materials | $3,827,014 |
| Toshiko Mori | Architectural Services | $1,116,483 |
Grants received · $13.1M total
119 grants to Brooklyn Public Library totaling $13.1M, 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 | $125,333 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Medical / public services | 2024 | $66,000 |
| Jewish Communal Fund | In furtherance of grantee's tax-exempt purpose | 2024 | $39,530 |
| The New York Community Trust | For program support. | 2024 | $35,000 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $33,000 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $27,381 |
| The New York Community Trust | For program support. | 2024 | $25,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $19,250 |
| The New York and Presbyterian Hospital | Support | 2024 | $15,000 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Medical / public services | 2024 | $13,500 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2024 | $12,150 |
| The New York Community Trust | For general support. | 2024 | $10,970 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $5,491 |
| Goldman Sachs Charitable Gift Fund | Community outreach & enrichment programs | 2023 | $439,679 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $338,599 |
Grants made · $1.1M in FY2022
1 grant totaling $1.1M in FY2022. All grants made by Brooklyn Public Library →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Historical Society | Loan forgiveness | $1,119,070 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Brooklyn Public Library a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Brooklyn Public Library is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 11-1904261, based in Brooklyn, New York. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Brooklyn Public Library's EIN?
- Brooklyn Public Library's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 11-1904261.
- How much revenue does Brooklyn Public Library report?
- Brooklyn Public Library reported $168,015,880 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Brooklyn Public Library's spending goes to programs?
- Brooklyn Public Library spends about 88% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Brooklyn Public Library have?
- CharityIndex grades Brooklyn Public Library A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Brooklyn Public Library's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Brooklyn Public Library's latest Form 990 is $634,931, paid to Linda E Johnson (President & Ceo).
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Data for Brooklyn Public Library (EIN 11-1904261) 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.