First Book
93% goes to programs $4 to raise $100 Declining revenue
First Book is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, District of Columbia, registered in 1992, with $85,122,503 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 93% of spending to programs.
1319 F Street 10th Floor, Washington, DC, 20004 EIN 52-1779606 Since 1992
Revenue (FY2023)
$85.1M
▼ 18.7% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$88.4M
Net assets
$28.5M
Employees
105
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating93% to programs · $4 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 First Book: 93% to programs · $4 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating4 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 First Book: 4 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 First Book: 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 First Book: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Removing barriers to educational equity by providing children in low income communities, and the formal and informal educators who serve them, new, (continued on schedule o)
What they do
First book has distributed millions of new books to low-income and educationally at-risk children participating in schools and community based literacy programs in cities, towns and counties nationwide. first book has three national outreach programs making age-appropriate new books available to educators and caregivers serving kids in need.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1319 F Street 10th Floor, Washington, DC, 20004
- City
- Washington
- State
- District of Columbia
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Educational Services
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $104.6M (FY2013) to $85.1M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $7.2MNet assets $28.5M
Operating margin
-3.8%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$35.6M
Total liabilities
$7.2M
Net assets
$28.5M
Salaries & benefits
$9.7M
11% of expenses
Board members
11
10 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $85,122,503▼18.7% | $88,386,667▼26.6% | $28,469,803▼10.5% | $35,649,333▼8.3% | 990 |
| 2022 | $104,666,814▼12.2% | $120,387,234▲16.9% | $31,801,786▼54.5% | $38,860,607▼50.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $119,219,618▼6.1% | $102,941,147▼23.2% | $69,897,724▲125% | $78,359,379▲112% | 990 |
| 2020 | $126,947,043▲33.0% | $133,980,886▲32.5% | $31,027,684▼18.5% | $36,886,545▼13.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $95,484,650▼0.8% | $101,137,707▲6.6% | $38,061,527▼12.9% | $42,783,579▼10.5% | 990 |
| 2018 | $96,220,965▼10.1% | $94,889,118▼10.7% | $43,711,864▲3.1% | $47,823,862▲2.0% | 990 |
| 2017 | $107,009,268▼21.9% | $106,297,627▼21.3% | $42,379,971▲1.7% | $46,885,751▲5.2% | 990 |
| 2016 | $137,049,068▲0.7% | $135,122,816▲4.7% | $41,666,276▲4.8% | $44,575,312▲4.8% | 990 |
| 2015 | $136,101,069▲44.0% | $129,060,587▲29.1% | $39,739,562▲21.5% | $42,529,478▲21.3% | 990 |
| 2014 | $94,537,091▼9.6% | $99,960,631▲5.4% | $32,698,893▼14.2% | $35,072,324▼12.7% | 990 |
| 2013 | $104,617,930 | $94,813,997▼2.6% | $38,121,273▲34.6% | $40,155,107▲37.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $97,318,993▲4.7% | $28,315,355▲17.3% | $29,256,185▲17.7% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $92,968,322▲194% | $24,139,866▲33.3% | $24,848,685▲32.7% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $31,623,523 | $18,113,306 | $18,720,656 | 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: Daniel Stokes — $225,232 (0.25% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Stokes | Chief Administrative Officer | 35 | $225,232 |
| Christopher Stine | Sr. Vice President, It | 35 | $214,285 |
| Kyle Zimmer | President and Ceo | 35 | $214,210 |
| Becki Last | Chief Programming Officer | 35 | $188,938 |
| Dana Bond | Svp Corporate Partnerships | 35 | $179,743 |
| Enrique Pinilla | Coo (as of 03/23) | 35 | $167,545 |
| Elizabeth Herling | Vice President, Marketing | 35 | $156,651 |
| Lynnette Appling | Vice President, Hr | 35 | $151,578 |
| Lita Anderson | Sr. Director, Strategic Allian | 35 | $124,308 |
| Staci Harris | Senior Director, Marketing | 35 | $122,611 |
| Lori Prince | Vice President, Ecommerce | 35 | $119,314 |
| Wendy Lin | Cfo (as of 07/23) | 35 | $91,880 |
| Julie Fortenbery | Cfo (thru 03/23) | 35 | $41,262 |
| Artie Starrs | Director | 1 | — |
| Carla Thompson Payton | Director | 1 | — |
| Christopher Cerf | Director | 1 | — |
| Dr Martha Bernadett | Director | 1 | — |
| Karen Kehela Sherwood | Director | 1 | — |
| Kathy Franklin | Director | 1 | — |
| Libby Doggett | Director | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| United Parcel Service | Shipping Services | $3,118,587 |
| Maple Logistics | Warehouse Services | $1,530,941 |
| American Book Company | Warehouse Services | $813,279 |
| Kadro Solutions | It Consulting | $547,560 |
| 4media | Marketing | $360,982 |
Grants received · $9.8M total
168 grants to First Book totaling $9.8M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Community Foundation | General support | 2024 | $136,000 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $82,709 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $29,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $27,359 |
| Give Back Foundation | Program support | 2024 | $21,420 |
| The Blackbaud Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $13,429 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $5,347 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $334,286 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | — | 2023 | $89,681 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $46,744 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $30,706 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2023 | $23,500 |
| Give Back Foundation | Program support | 2023 | $21,420 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2023 | $15,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $14,000 |
Grants made · $310K in FY2022
18 grants totaling $310K in FY2022 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by First Book →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Reach Out and Read of Greater New York Inc | Diverse book coalition | $25,000 |
| Reach Out and Read Inc | Diverse book coalition | $25,000 |
| Reach Out and Read Rhode Island | Diverse book coalition | $25,000 |
| Book Harvest | Diverse book coalition | $25,000 |
| Parents As Teachers National Center Inc | Diverse book coalition | $25,000 |
| American Federation of Teachers | Diverse book coalition | $25,000 |
| Raising A Reader | Diverse book coalition | $25,000 |
| Room To Read | Diverse book coalition | $15,000 |
| Heart of America Foundation | Diverse book coalition | $15,000 |
| Parentchild Plus Inc | Diverse book coalition | $15,000 |
| National Black Child Development Institute Inc | Diverse book coalition | $15,000 |
| Unidosus | Diverse book coalition | $15,000 |
| Jumpstart For Young Children Inc | Diverse book coalition | $10,000 |
| Reading Is Fundamental Inc | Diverse book coalition | $10,000 |
| Arizona Community Foundation | Diverse book coalition | $10,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is First Book a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. First Book is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 52-1779606, based in Washington, District of Columbia. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is First Book's EIN?
- First Book's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 52-1779606.
- How much revenue does First Book report?
- First Book reported $85,122,503 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of First Book's spending goes to programs?
- First Book spends about 93% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does First Book have?
- CharityIndex grades First Book A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does First Book's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on First Book's latest Form 990 is $225,232, paid to Daniel Stokes (Chief Administrative Officer).
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Explore more
Data for First Book (EIN 52-1779606) 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.