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Nonprofiteer
← FREEDOM READS

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by FREEDOM READS.

Totals

Total revenue
$3,608,736
Total expenses
$6,058,378
Contributions and grants received
$3,428,171
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$180,565
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$13,192,974
Total liabilities, end of year
$1,492,852
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$11,700,122
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$4,466,854
Management and general expenses
$1,049,224
Fundraising expenses
$542,300
Program service expenses (Part III)
$4,466,854

Program services were 73.7% 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.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $850,000

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $2,578,171

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $10,400

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $180,565 · excluded $180,565

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $241,343 · program services $144,806 · management and general $24,134 · fundraising $72,403

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,357,895 · program services $732,851 · management and general $485,366 · fundraising $139,678

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $213,965 · program services $106,866 · management and general $93,457 · fundraising $13,642

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $127,891 · program services $71,039 · management and general $39,756 · fundraising $17,096

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $21,099 · management and general $21,099

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $130,958 · management and general $130,958

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $81 · management and general $81

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $597,083 · program services $402,683 · management and general $33,568 · fundraising $160,832

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $9,581 · program services $9,273 · management and general $308

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $120,999 · program services $69,163 · management and general $36,990 · fundraising $14,846

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $20,593 · program services $10,889 · management and general $7,083 · fundraising $2,621

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $210,322 · program services $184,754 · management and general $14,278 · fundraising $11,290

  • 17 · Travel

    total $292,055 · program services $157,983 · management and general $37,868 · fundraising $96,204

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $30,827 · program services $1,126 · management and general $29,379 · fundraising $322

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $103,218 · program services $96,256 · management and general $4,351 · fundraising $2,611

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $10,452 · program services $9,615 · management and general $523 · fundraising $314

  • 24a · Other expenses: BOOKS

    total $924,865 · program services $924,470 · management and general $348 · fundraising $47

  • 24b · Other expenses: LIBRARY - LABOR

    total $829,480 · program services $829,480

  • 24c · Other expenses: LIBRARY - MATERIALS

    total $401,275 · program services $401,275

  • 24d · Other expenses: HONORARIUM FOR AMBASSADOR

    total $101,053 · program services $100,303 · management and general $750

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $313,343 · program services $214,022 · management and general $88,927 · fundraising $10,394

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $5,122,233 · end of year $631,981

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $2,048,043 · end of year $8,672,210

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $5,913,862 · end of year $1,157,558

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    end of year $1,314

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $437,078 · end of year $394,805

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $44,735 · end of year $51,157

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

    $865,707

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

    $146,311

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $754,536 · end of year $719,396

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $24,149

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $1,301,036 · end of year $1,564,553

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $183,656 · end of year $260,488

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    end of year $25,000

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $1,312,234 · end of year $1,207,364

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $7,837,670 · end of year $10,243,151

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $6,312,112 · end of year $1,456,971

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

FREEDOM READS' MISSION IS TO BRING JOY, INSPIRE HOPE, AND HELP THOSE INSIDE CONFRONT WHAT PRISON DOES TO THE SPIRIT. WE BRING BEAUTIFUL, HANDCRAFTED BOOKCASES INTO PRISONS, TRANSFORMING CELLBLOCKS INTO FREEDOM LIBRARIES. THE FREEDOM LIBRARY IS A PHYSICAL INTERVENTION INTO THE LANDSCAPE OF PLASTIC AND STEEL AND LONELINESS THAT CHARACTERIZES PRISON. IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE FREEDOM TO THINK, TO CONTRIBUTE TO A COMMUNITY, AND EVEN TO DREAM ABOUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE IS TOO OFTEN CURTAILED, FREEDOM READS REMINDS THOSE INSIDE THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN.

  • FREEDOM READS BUILDS FREEDOM LIBRARIES, CURATED 500-BOOK COLLECTIONS HOUSED IN HANDMADE WOODEN BOOKSHELVES OPENED IN PRISON CELLBLOCKS. THE FREEDOM LIBRARIES ARE IN PROXIMITY TO WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND ARE AVAILABLE 24/7. FREEDOM LIBRARIES OPENINGS ARE LITERARY EVENTS, BRINGING WRITERS AND ARTISTS INTO PRISONS TO ENGAGE DIRECTLY WITH INCARCERATED READERS, CREATING SPACES FOR REFLECTION, JOY, AND IMAGINATION.

    Expenses $3,692,085

  • FREEDOM READS MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM AMPLIFIES THE ORGANIZATIONS MISSION OF DELIVERING TRANSFORMATIVE LITERARY EXPERIENCES IN PRISON. THROUGH STORYTELLING, TARGETED OUTREACH, DIGITAL CONTENT, AND MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, FREEDOM READS RAISES PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE POWER OF LITERATURE TO CULTIVATE GROWTH, DIGNITY, AND REFLECTION BEHIND BARS. OUR WORK ALSO DEEPENS COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING, HELPING TO BROADEN THE IMPACT AND REACH OF FREEDOM READS PROGRAMS ACROSS CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS NATIONWIDE.

    Expenses $533,153

  • THE INSIDE LITERARY PRIZE IS THE FIRST-EVER NATIONAL LITERARY AWARD JUDGED BY PEOPLE CURRENTLY INCARCERATED. EACH YEAR, FREEDOM READS CONVENES 300 INCARCERATED READERS FROM 12-15 PRISONS TO READ, DISCUSS, AND DEBATE FOUR TITLES DRAWN FROM THE MOST ACCLAIMED RECENT WORKS IN AMERICAN LITERATURE. OUR TEAM DISTRIBUTES COPIES OF THE BOOKS TO EACH JUDGE, FACILITATES VIRTUAL ORIENTATION AND DISCUSSION SESSIONS, AND THEN TRAVELS TO EVERY PARTICIPATING PRISON FOR IN-PERSON DELIBERATIONS AND BALLOTING. THE PRIZE OFFERS A SINGULAR OPPORTUNITY FOR INCARCERATED READERS TO SHAPE OUR NATIONAL LITERARY CONVERSATIONAND TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ESSENTIAL VOICES WITHIN IT.

    Expenses $241,616

  • OTHER.

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Tracey Meares

    BOARD CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Deborah Leff

    VICE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Steve Levitt

    VICE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Helena Huang

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Alva Greenberg

    BOARD DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Dr Carla Hayden

    BOARD DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Anthony W Marx

    BOARD DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Alex Duran

    BOARD DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Gara Lamarche

    BOARD DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Scott Semple

    BOARD DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Bryan Stevenson

    BOARD DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Robert Raben

    BOARD DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Reginald Dwayne Betts

    FOUNDER & CE

    Total calculated
    $241,343
    From this org
    $211,330
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $30,013
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $211,330
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $6,496
    Nontaxable benefits
    $23,517
    Filer's total
    $241,343

  • Ivan Dominguez

    CCO

    Total calculated
    $172,251
    From this org
    $155,170
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $17,081
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $155,170
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $4,737
    Nontaxable benefits
    $12,344
    Filer's total
    $172,251

  • Tyler Sperrazza

    CPO

    Total calculated
    $142,415
    From this org
    $128,953
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,462
    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 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 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

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

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
20 August 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.0
Source object
202542339349300019

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