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← RAISING A READER

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by RAISING A READER.

Totals

Total revenue
$4,911,900
Total expenses
$5,354,343
Contributions and grants received
$1,905,167
Grants paid
$279,251
Program service revenue
$2,963,001
Investment income
$43,732
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$3,927,013
Total liabilities, end of year
$503,235
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$3,423,778
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$4,246,554
Management and general expenses
$800,444
Fundraising expenses
$307,345
Program service expenses (Part III)
$4,246,554

Program services were 79.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1a · Federated campaigns

    $872

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,904,295

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Program Materials

    total $2,765,590 · related or exempt $2,765,590

  • 2b · Program service revenue: Affiliate Fees

    total $7,000 · related or exempt $7,000

  • 2c · Program service revenue: Training Fees

    total $3,000 · related or exempt $3,000

  • 2d · Program service revenue: Shipping Revenue

    total $137,815 · related or exempt $137,815

  • 2e · Program service revenue: Program Revenue

    total $49,596 · related or exempt $49,596

  • 2f · All other program service revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $44,604 · excluded $44,604

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $0 · personal property $0

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $855,651

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $855,389 · other assets $1,134

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $262 · other assets -$1,134

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total -$872 · excluded -$872

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $0

  • 11d · All other revenue

    total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $0

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $279,251 · program services $279,251

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $545,093 · program services $241,422 · management and general $241,421 · fundraising $62,250

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,867,728 · program services $1,542,139 · management and general $167,881 · fundraising $157,708

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $92,294 · program services $80,106 · management and general $9,484 · fundraising $2,704

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $390,777 · program services $295,506 · management and general $65,847 · fundraising $29,424

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $174,080 · program services $132,979 · management and general $25,748 · fundraising $15,353

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $111,168 · management and general $111,168

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $21,125 · program services $15,087 · management and general $6,038

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $51,738 · management and general $51,738

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $135,437 · program services $102,136 · management and general $25,457 · fundraising $7,844

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $6,216 · program services $5,997 · management and general $131 · fundraising $88

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $65,858 · program services $53,227 · management and general $5,765 · fundraising $6,866

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $133,068 · program services $74,573 · management and general $46,036 · fundraising $12,459

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $20,428 · program services $20,215 · management and general $128 · fundraising $85

  • 17 · Travel

    total $49,898 · program services $24,315 · management and general $18,333 · fundraising $7,250

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $5,909 · program services $1,728 · management and general $3,994 · fundraising $187

  • 20 · Interest

    total $4,301 · program services $315 · management and general $3,986

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $10,330 · program services $9,529 · management and general $26 · fundraising $775

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $14,782 · program services $11,303 · management and general $2,085 · fundraising $1,394

  • 24a · Other expenses: Cost of Materials

    total $1,297,859 · program services $1,297,859

  • 24b · Other expenses: Sales and use tax

    total $28,853 · program services $28,853

  • 24c · Other expenses: Program Supplies

    total $19,699 · program services $19,699

  • 24d · Other expenses: Professional Development & Conferences

    total $19,253 · program services $4,962 · management and general $14,115 · fundraising $176

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $9,198 · program services $5,353 · management and general $1,063 · fundraising $2,782

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $300 · end of year $230

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $1,866,827 · end of year $1,777,244

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $1,985,163 · end of year $1,342,797

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $33,137 · end of year $269,858

  • 5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $468,245 · end of year $456,957

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $43,403 · end of year $58,027

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $620,277

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $598,377

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $26,937 · end of year $21,900

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $0

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    beginning of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $377,891 · end of year $336,978

  • 22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

    beginning of year $144,682 · end of year $140,976

  • 24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable

    beginning of year $35,218 · end of year $25,281

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $1,428,329 · end of year $1,328,272

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,437,892 · end of year $2,095,506

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

Raising a Reader supports families and inspires the development of literacy skills and a lifelong love for reading. We help children attain brighter futures in which they can thrive and contribute in school, the workforce and society.

  • Raising A Reader (RAR) is a national nonprofit family engagement and literacy program that helps families develop, practice, and maintain home literacy habits essential for school success. RAR is operated through a diverse national network of affiliates (e.g., school systems, libraries, or community agencies) at more than 2,900 locations nationally, serving families with children between the ages of 0 to 8 years old. Children participating in our programs are exposed to high-quality, developmentally appropriate children's books, providing them with both a mirror reflecting their own world and a window to the world beyond. Through initial training and ongoing support, Raising A Reader parents, even those with limited English proficiency or low literacy skills, learn how to engage their children in storytelling with picture books. The program also includes an introduction to community resources, such as the public library, setting up families for a lifetime of book enjoyment. More than 39 independent evaluations confirm the valuable impact of RAR on family engagement and early literacy skills.

    Expenses $4,246,554 · Grants $279,251 · Revenue $2,963,001

As filed on the 2024 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Carol Emig

    CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Erica K Wood

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Michelle Torgerson

    DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT & CEO

    Total calculated
    $355,717
    From this org
    $322,442
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $33,275
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $321,366
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $1,076
    Deferred
    $19,468
    Nontaxable benefits
    $13,807
    Filer's total
    $355,717

  • Sterling Speirn

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Gihani Fernando

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Jennifer Blatz

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Karen Calloo

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Kirk Law

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Kris Perry

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Meredith Crooks

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Portia Kennel

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • Jennifer Ford

    VP, FINANCE & OPERATIONS

    Total calculated
    $189,376
    From this org
    $177,807
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $11,569
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $177,440
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $367
    Deferred
    $10,646
    Nontaxable benefits
    $923
    Filer's total
    $189,376

  • Jonathan Thornton

    VP, STRATEGIC GROWTH & REVENUE

    Total calculated
    $206,622
    From this org
    $167,212
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $39,410
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $166,851
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $361
    Deferred
    $5,452
    Nontaxable benefits
    $33,958
    Filer's total
    $206,622

  • Michelle Hyman

    SVP, PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS

    Total calculated
    $204,168
    From this org
    $150,892
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $53,276
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $150,396
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $496
    Deferred
    $9,734
    Nontaxable benefits
    $43,542
    Filer's total
    $204,168

  • Patricia Cogley

    DEPUTY DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC INNOVATION & IMPACT (UNTIL DECEMBER 2024)

    Total calculated
    $123,061
    From this org
    $100,115
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,946
    Hours/week
    40

  • Rebecca Chrystal

    MANAGING DIRECTOR, PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS

    Total calculated
    $199,248
    From this org
    $154,044
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $45,204
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $153,551
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $493
    Deferred
    $9,750
    Nontaxable benefits
    $35,454
    Filer's total
    $199,248

  • Shelece Draper

    DIRECTOR, BUSINESS OPERATIONS (UNTIL DECEMBER 2024)

    Total calculated
    $165,717
    From this org
    $140,306
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $25,411
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $139,195
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $1,111
    Deferred
    $5,906
    Nontaxable benefits
    $19,505
    Filer's total
    $165,717

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment

Answered no

  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

Schedule J, Part I, Line 4a Severance or change-of-control payment
Patricia Cogley $9,480.67

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

  • Raising A Reader Massachusetts

    $24,423

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • Save the Children

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • City of West Sacramento

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • Palm Springs Unified School District

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • Waterford

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • San Diego Unified School District

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • Centro de la Familia

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • Santa Ana Unified School District

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • Folsom Cordova Unified School District

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

  • Region 9 Head Start Association

    no cash amount reported

    Implementation funding for program related costs and support

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
20 October 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.1
Source object
202512939349300851

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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