Printed Matter Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO FOSTER THE APPRECIATION, DISSEMINATION, AND UNDERSTANDING OF ARTISTS' PUBLICATIONS, DEFINED AS BOOKS OR OTHER EDITIONED PUBLICATIONS CONCEIVED BY ARTISTS AS ART WORKS, OR, MORE SUCCINCTLY, AS "ARTWORK FOR THE PAGE."
- Income
- $2.0 million
- Spending
- $2.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 65%
- Reserves
- -0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 50%
- Employees
- 22
- Volunteers
- 19
- Highest pay
- $120,752, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 10 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 78% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 34% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 26% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1565% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 43 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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)
- $1.8 million spent. PRINTED MATTER IS THE WORLD'S LEADING NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE DISTRIBUTION, UNDERSTANDING, AND APPRECIATION OF ARTISTS' BOOKS AND RELATED PUBLICATIONS. IN FY25, PRINTED MATTER OFFERED A UNIQUE VENUE FOR THE PUBLIC TO ENGAGE WITH MORE THAN 15,000 ARTISTS' BOOKS BY ARTISTS AND PUBLISHERS AT OUR NEW YORK CITY-BASED SPACE; PRODUCED 5 EXHIBITIONS AND 2 WINDOW INSTALLATIONS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ARTISTS, ARCHIVISTS, AND CURATORS; RELEASED TWO ARTIST BOOKS, "TAYSIR BATNIJI: JUST IN CASE AND "JAGUAR GROUP" BY ISADORA REISNER; PROVIDED COLLECTION CONSULTATIONS FOR MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES; WELCOMED CLASS VISITS FROM LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES; AND LAUNCHED A NEW PRINTED MATTER PUBLISHER WORK GRANT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WAGNER FOUNDATION THAT OFFERS SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY-BUILDING FUNDS TO ARTIST-PUBLISHERS. IN FY25, PRINTED MATTER ALSO PRESENTED A LONG AWAITED RETURN TO THE WEST COAST, WELCOMING OVER 12,000 VISITORS TO OUR LA ART BOOK FAIR. THE FAIR TOOK PLACE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PARTNERSHIP AT ARTCENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN IN PASADENA, AND HOSTED 250 EXHIBITORS PARTICIPATING FROM AROUND THE WORLD, PROVIDING AN UNPARALLELED PLATFORM TO CONNECT IN PERSONAL AND IMMEDIATE WAYS WITH THOUSANDS OF VISITORS, BOTH AT THEIR EXHIBITOR BOOTHS AND THROUGH MORE THAN 80 CONVERSATIONS, BOOK SIGNINGS, AND PERFORMANCES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 June 2025.
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 June 1979.
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 October 21, 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.