One Story Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ONE STORY AIMS TO BRING LITERARY FICTION TO A WIDE AUDIENCE BY MAKING SHORT STORIES PORTABLE AND FUN. WE MAIL ONE PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED SHORT STORY TO A WIDE AUDIENCE 15 TIMES A YEAR. OUR FORMAT FORGES AN INTIMATE CONNECTION BETWEEN READER AND WRITER AND ALLOWS EACH AUTHOR TO TAKE CENTER STAGE. PART OF ONE STORY'S MISSION IS TO SUPPORT WRITERS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PUBLISHING BOTH NEW AND ESTABLISHED AUTHORS. TO THAT END, WE WILL ONLY PUBLISH EACH AUTHOR ONCE. WE MENTOR OUR AUTHORS LONG AFTER THEY PUBLISH WITH US, CONNECTING THEM TO AGENTS AND EDITORS, GUIDING THEM DURING TURNING POINTS IN THEIR CAREERS, PROMOTING THEIR BOOKS AND OTHER VENTURES, AND HERALDING THEIR SUCCESSES. AT THE SAME TIME, ONE STORY PAIRS THEIR WRITING WITH AN ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE, ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS WITH READERS THAT LAST A LIFETIME.
- Income
- $514,304
- Spending
- $503,934
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 53%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 51
- Highest pay
- $51,637, director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 51 out of 100. Higher than 18% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 84% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 36% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 77 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $348,820 spent. IN 2023, ONE STORY INC. EDITED AND PUBLISHED 12 ISSUES OF ONE STORY AND3 ISSUES OF ONE TEEN STORY, AND DISTRIBUTED THE MAGAZINES TO READERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WORLD. ONE STORY PUBLISHED AND MENTORED A MIX OF ESTABLISHED, EMERGING, AND DEBUT WRITERS; ONE TEEN STORY SHOWCASED TEEN WRITING.ONE STORY INC. CONTINUED ITS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING IN 2024, REACHING NEARLY 1,400 WRITERS WITH 15 AFFORDABLE ONLINE CLASSES, 6 ONLINE LECTURES, 5 ONLINE WORKSHOPS. AND A SUMMER CONFERENCE HELD AT POETS HOUSE IN NEW YORK CITY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 2007.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.