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National Yiddish Book Center
National Yiddish Book Center reported $14.4 million in revenue and $9.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $71.42 went to program services, $8.52 to management and general costs and $20.06 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 87.3% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $450,115 (PRESIDENT THROUGH 6/17/2025). 9 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 73% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $9.3MFor context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $14M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$87.29 $13M
- Program service revenue$1.29 $186K
- Investment income$11.42 $1.6M
Other revenue was negative: −$7,285. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 71.4% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 8.5% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 20.1% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.15 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 87.3% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.3% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $450,115 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 4.82% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 113.6 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 24 of 24 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseCultural rescue and preservation - the center has placed the full content of more than 13,000 titles online through the non-profit internet archive, making yiddish literature the single most accessible literature in history. The books have been downloaded for free more than 2 million times. The center has partnered with the national library of israel, yivo, and the new york public library to create the universal yiddish library. For the first time, more than 60,000 yiddish titles are searchable in an online catalog. The center also collects oral histories through its wexler oral history…
Visitor and public programs - welcomes visitors and offers permanent and traveling exhibitions and interpretive tours. The center offers virtual public programs which stream live every thursday on zoom and facebook live to audiences of 500-1000 per program. A new permanent core exhibition, yiddish: a global culture, opened in 2023. The center also hosts traveling and temporary exhibitions. On site public programs include, lectures, films, and the annual yidstock: the festival of new yiddish music
Education the center offers several major educational programs for undergraduates and recent college graduates. The 7-week steiner summer program includes 18 students who study yiddish language and modern jewish history and culture. The fellowship program for college graduates is a 12-month program for recent graduates who participate in a variety of experiential learning projects including book digitization, oral history, exhibit development, on-site and online course development, and the center's english language magazine, pakn treger. The great jewish books program is offered to high…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT THROUGH 6/17/2025 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $361,352 | $0 | $88,763 | $450,115 |
| PRESIDENT AS OF 6/17/2025 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $321,048 | $0 | $44,814 | $365,862 |
| CFO & TREASURER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $214,972 | $0 | $31,179 | $246,151 |
| DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $202,466 | $0 | $23,830 | $226,296 |
| BIBLIOGRAPHER AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $150,949 | $0 | $18,502 | $169,451 |
| DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND PUBLISHING Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $148,096 | $0 | $18,130 | $166,226 |
| DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $129,814 | $0 | $23,814 | $153,628 |
| DIRECTOR OF COMMUNCATIONS AND MARKETING Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $115,093 | $0 | $29,564 | $144,657 |
9 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from National Yiddish Book Center (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.1M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b24 · 24 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 563
- Volunteers Part I, line 630
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| COPLON & COMPANY Printing/mailing | $253,219 |
| COGNITIVE APPLICATIONS Digital projects | $207,808 |
| STUDLEY PRESS INC Printing | $204,303 |
| KLEEBERG MECHANICAL Hvac design/installation | $135,824 |
| BOWDOIN CONSTRUCTION Exhibit installation | $112,865 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
99 private foundations reported grants to National Yiddish Book Center totaling $1.3M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from National Yiddish Book Center's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for National Yiddish Book Center, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 National Yiddish Book Center spent in FY2025, $71.42 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Arts Sciences & Cultural Council of Charlotte MecklenburgCharlotte, NC · revenue $14M · programs 85.4% · FY2025
- The Center for the Performing ArtsCarmel, IN · revenue $14M · programs 68.3% · FY2025
- The Mariners' MuseumNewport News, VA · revenue $14M · programs 81.2% · 2024
- New Hampshire Public RadioConcord, NH · revenue $14M · programs 69.6% · FY2025
- George Eastman MuseumRochester, NY · revenue $14M · programs 78.3% · 2024
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts
Questions people ask
How much of National Yiddish Book Center's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, National Yiddish Book Center reported that 71.4% of its $9.3 million in expenses went to program services, 8.5% to management and general and 20.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does National Yiddish Book Center pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation National Yiddish Book Center reported for one person in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 was $450,115, for the role of PRESIDENT THROUGH 6/17/2025 (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does National Yiddish Book Center get its money?
Of $14.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, 87.3% came from contributions and grants and 1.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is National Yiddish Book Center a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 04-2708878 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, object 202533499349301078 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2024, object 202520159349302072 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2023, object 202430169349300693 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022, object 202310169349301236 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2021, object 202133559349300323 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2020, object 202003499349300610 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 04-2708878: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.