Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation
Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation reported $12.9 million in revenue and $11.4 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $57.12 went to program services, $26.31 to management and general costs and $16.57 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 70.8% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $281,191 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 4% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $11MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $13MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 57.1% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 26.3% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 16.6% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.21 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 70.8% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 1.3% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.5% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $281,191 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.47% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 45.9 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 27 of 27 | 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 expensePublic programs: to provide support for literacy, cultural and educational programming on behalf of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Examples of such programs include: the literacy enrichment after-school program (leap), one book one philadelphia, science in the summer, teen programming, culinary literacy, the author lecture series, read! By 4th, and summer reading program
Facilities renovations: primarily to make renovations to the branch libraries
Collections and preservation: to enhance the library's prominent research collections, such as the fleisher collection, dickens collection, poe collection, medieval manuscripts, etc
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 37.50 hrs/week | $253,346 | $0 | $27,845 | $281,191 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 37.50 hrs/week | $191,347 | $0 | $9,088 | $200,435 |
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, READ BY 4TH! Highest compensated employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $152,567 | $0 | $31,407 | $183,974 |
| SVP DEVELOPMENT Key employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $171,952 | $0 | $1,892 | $173,844 |
| VP PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Key employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $151,546 | $0 | $920 | $152,466 |
| DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT, RML Highest compensated employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $116,357 | $0 | $23,828 | $140,185 |
| CONTROLLER Highest compensated employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $124,804 | $0 | $8,451 | $133,255 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR OF STRAEGY & IMPACT Highest compensated employee, 37.50 hrs/week | $117,904 | $0 | $8,650 | $126,554 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $615K (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–1b27 · 27 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 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5108
- Volunteers Part I, line 6167
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| THE ROZ GROUP INC Marketing | $423,500 |
| ALLEGIANCE FUNDRAISING LLC Fundraising | $350,397 |
| CBIZ INC Accounting services | $216,692 |
| WIPFLI Accounting services | $179,342 |
| TROUTMAN PEPPER LOCKE LLP Legal services | $148,680 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 15 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
79 private foundations reported grants to Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation totaling $1.9M 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 Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation spent in FY2025, $57.12 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All unclassified charities · Largest charities in Pennsylvania
Questions people ask
How much of Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation reported that 57.1% of its $11.4 million in expenses went to program services, 26.3% to management and general and 16.6% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $281,191, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation get its money?
Of $12.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 70.8% came from contributions and grants (including 1.3% from government grants) and 1.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 52-1173474 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 June 30, 2025, object 202601359349304855 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202541359349304434 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431369349313108 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202321359349304507 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202123559349300202 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202110489349300636 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 52-1173474: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.