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Nonprofiteer
← WORLDREADER ORG

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by WORLDREADER ORG.

Totals

Total revenue
$1,580,555
Total expenses
$4,101,585
Contributions and grants received
$1,456,078
Grants paid
$717,536
Program service revenue
$13,300
Investment income
$111,177
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$3,694,787
Total liabilities, end of year
$187,106
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$3,507,681
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,824,434
Management and general expenses
$726,671
Fundraising expenses
$550,480
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,824,434

Program services were 68.9% 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.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,456,078

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $2,875

  • 2a · Program service revenue: PROGRAM INCOME

    total $13,300 · related or exempt $13,300

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $106,953 · excluded $106,953

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $369,345

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

    securities $365,121

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $4,224

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $4,224 · excluded $4,224

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $100,750 · program services $100,750

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $616,786 · program services $616,786

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $297,692 · program services $119,077 · management and general $29,769 · fundraising $148,846

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,031,100 · program services $371,136 · management and general $367,593 · fundraising $292,371

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $25,800 · program services $1,164 · management and general $14,390 · fundraising $10,246

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $91,637 · program services $18,548 · management and general $55,154 · fundraising $17,935

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $82,983 · program services $31,705 · management and general $28,085 · fundraising $23,193

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $14,879 · management and general $14,879

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $57,705 · management and general $57,705

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $420,783 · program services $390,519 · management and general $26,612 · fundraising $3,652

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $171,766 · program services $170,766 · management and general $1,000

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $5,502 · program services $325 · management and general $3,687 · fundraising $1,490

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $3,080 · program services $1,031 · management and general $576 · fundraising $1,473

  • 17 · Travel

    total $47,071 · program services $9,238 · management and general $26,818 · fundraising $11,015

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $1,401 · program services $939 · management and general $262 · fundraising $200

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $235,201 · program services $235,201

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $8,247 · program services $1,586 · management and general $5,561 · fundraising $1,100

  • 24a · Other expenses: READING SUPPLIES & CONT

    total $266,185 · program services $266,185

  • 24b · Other expenses: TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

    total $230,350 · program services $230,350

  • 24c · Other expenses: SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS

    total $176,096 · program services $89,765 · management and general $72,648 · fundraising $13,683

  • 24d · Other expenses: LOSSES FROM INTANGIBLE

    total $169,178 · program services $169,178

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $47,393 · program services $185 · management and general $21,932 · fundraising $25,276

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $377,159 · end of year $135,678

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $3,922,516 · end of year $2,310,615

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $617,774 · end of year $432,529

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $408,646 · end of year $53,771

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $112,505 · end of year $86,404

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

    $175,668

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

    $175,668

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 14 · Intangible assets

    beginning of year $749,117 · end of year $675,790

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $9,671 · end of year $0

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $170,387 · end of year $149,970

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $7,276 · end of year $37,136

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $3,571,417 · end of year $2,528,797

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,448,308 · end of year $978,884

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

WORLDREADER IS A GLOBAL TECH NONPROFIT, PROVIDING AWARD-WINNING FREE-DIGITAL READING APP, BOOKSMART, TO HELP FAMILIES PREPARE YOUNG CHILDREN FOR LEARNING, BY FOSTERING READING ROUTINES-A PROVEN FORMULA TO BUILD SCHOOL-READINESS AND LIFELONG LEARNING HABITS.

Activities or mission (Part I)

WORLDREADER PROVIDES FAMILIES DIGITAL READING EXPERIENCES TO OPEN A WORLD OF ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

  • WORLDREADER.ORG (WORLDREADER OR THE ORGANIZATION) IS A GLOBAL TECH NONPROFIT ON A MISSION TO GET FAMILIES READING. BY SUPPORTING PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS WITH FREE, ACCESSIBLE DIGITAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES, WE BUILD READING ROUTINES THAT IMPROVE CHILDREN'S LEARNING OUTCOMES AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE. OUR WORK IS GROUNDED IN RESEARCH, SHAPED BY LOCAL CONTEXT, AND DELIVERED THROUGH TRUSTED PARTNERSHIPS AND PLATFORMS. SINCE 2010, WORLDREADER HAS REACHED MORE THAN 22 MILLION READERS WORLDWIDE.

    Expenses $2,824,434 · Grants $717,536 · Revenue $13,300

As filed on the 2025 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Rebecca Chandler-Leege

    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

    Total calculated
    $277,543
    From this org
    $264,078
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,465
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $244,078
    Bonus
    $20,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $10,600
    Nontaxable benefits
    $2,865
    Filer's total
    $277,543

  • Rachel Klausner

    CHAIR OF THE BOARD

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Bill Carr

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Prasanna Krishnan

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • David Risher

    FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Mark Castellino

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Elizabeth Khuri Chandler

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Kate James

    DIRECTOR (THRU 3/31/25)

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Michael Jensen

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Anita Koenigsbauer

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Mar Goonzalez Franco

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Ariel Kalil

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Flora Poort

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Neen Koenigsbauer

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Veronica Gutierrez

    SR. DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES

    Total calculated
    $210,154
    From this org
    $172,553
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $37,601
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $172,553
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $7,073
    Nontaxable benefits
    $30,528
    Filer's total
    $210,154

  • Heidi Wiliams

    DIRECTOR, ACCOUNTING & ADMIN

    Total calculated
    $141,381
    From this org
    $120,386
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $20,995
    Hours/week
    40

  • Hubert Lacey

    DIRECTOR, PRODUCT

    Total calculated
    $125,713
    From this org
    $122,550
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $3,163
    Hours/week
    40

  • Kathrina Wadhawan

    DIRECTOR, MAJOR GIFTS (THRU 7/29/25)

    Total calculated
    $111,067
    From this org
    $101,737
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $9,330
    Hours/week
    40

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 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 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)

PART I, LINE 4A
KATHRINA WADHAWAN, DIRECTOR, MAJOR GIFTS, RECEIVED A SEVERANCE PAYMENT OF $20,554 IN CALENDAR YEAR 2025.

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

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

  • DIGITAL READING FOUNDATION

    501(C)(3) · TO HELP THE WORLD READ · IN · controlled entity

    Directly controlled by WORLDREADERORG

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
5 August 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.2
Source object
202612199349301426

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