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National Book Foundation Inc

EIN 13-3347524 · New York, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood84 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MISSION OF THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION IS TO CELEBRATE THE BEST LITERATURE PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES, EXPAND ITS AUDIENCE, AND ENSURE THAT BOOKS HAVE A PROMINENT PLACE IN OUR CULTURE. NBF CARRIES OUT ITS MISSION THROUGH AWARDS & HONORS (MOST NOTABLY THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS FOUNDED IN 1950), PUBLIC PROGRAMS (BRINGING NBA-HONORED AUTHORS TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE US), EDUCATION & ACCESS (INSPIRING A LOVE OF READING IN YOUNG PEOPLE), AND SUPPORT FOR THE LITERARY FIELD. MORE DETAILED INFORMATION IS IN THE DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM SERVICES ON SCHEDULE O

Income
$2.9 million
Spending
$3.3 million
Spent on programs
77%
Reserves
14.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 68%
Employees
14
Volunteers
41
Highest pay
$291,264, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 84 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 14.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 6% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 13% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 7% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    77% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    23 of 23 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 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. $2.5 million spent. AWARDS AND HONORSTHE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS (NBAS) ARE ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS LITERARY PRIZES, WITH A STELLAR RECORD OF IDENTIFYING AND REWARDING QUALITY WRITING. WITHIN A DECADE OF ITS FOUNDING IN 1950, THE NBAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE WORK OF WRITERS SUCH AS HANNAH ARENDT, W.H. AUDEN, SAUL BELLOW, TRUMAN CAPOTE, RACHEL CARSON, RALPH ELLISON, WILLIAM FAULKNER, MARIANNE MOORE, VLADIMIR NABOKOV, FLANNERY O'CONNOR, KATHERINE ANNE PORTER, ADRIENNE RICH, EUDORA WELTY, AND WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS-AUTHORS WHO HAVE HELPED SHAPE THE FOUNDATION OF LITERATURE IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS TRADITION CONTINUES, WITH THE NBAS TODAY HONORING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF WRITERS INCLUDING ELIZABETH ACEVEDO, ROBERT A. CARO, MASHA GESSEN, TERRANCE HAYES, IBRAM X. KENDI, LASZIO KRASZNAHORKAI, JACQUELINE WOODSON, JESMYN WARD, AND COLSON WHITEHEAD, AMONG MANY OTHERS. AWARDS ARE SELECTED BY A PANEL OF PEER WRITERS AND LITERARY LEADERS, AND ARE CURRENTLY PRESENTED IN FIVE CATEGORIES: FICTION, NONFICTION, POETRY, TRANSLATED LITERATURE, AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 THE WINNERS WERE, RESPECTIVELY: JAMES BY PERCIVAL EVERETT; SOLDIERS AND KINGS: SURVIVAL AND HOPE IN THE WORLD OF HUMAN SMUGGLING BY JASON DE LEN; SOMETHING ABOUT LIVING BY LENA KHALAF TUFFAHA; TAIWAN TRAVELOGUE BY YANG SHUANG-ZI, TRANSLATED FROM THE MANDARIN CHINESE BY LIN KING; AND KAREEM BETWEEN BY SHIFA SALTAGI SAFADI. THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION ALSO AWARDS AN ANNUAL MEDAL FOR DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO AMERICAN LETTERS TO A PERSON OR ENTITY "WHO, IN THE OPINION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION, HAS ENRICHED OUR LITERARY HERITAGE OVER A LIFE OF SERVICE, OR CORPUS OF WORK." IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE MEDAL WAS PRESENTED TO WRITER BARBARA KINGSOLVER. THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION ALSO PRESENTS AN ANNUAL LITERARIAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE AMERICAN LITERARY COMMUNITY, WHICH IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 WAS AWARDED TO PUBLISHER W. PAUL COATES. FINALLY, THE 5 UNDER 35 PROGRAM IDENTIFIES AND CELEBRATES FIVE EMERGING FICTION WRITERS ANNUALLY, SELECTED BY FORMER NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTS AND WINNERS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE HONOREES WERE STACIE SHANNON DENETSOSIE, MEGAN HOWELL, MAGGIE MILLNER, ALEXANDER SAMMARTINO, AND JEMIMAH WEI.NBA-HONORED AUTHORS ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF THE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION'S PROGRAMS, WHICH SERVE READERS OF ALL AGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FREE-OF-CHARGE, WITH A STRONG EMPHASIS ON URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE ARE BARRIERS TO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LITERARY ARTS.PUBLIC PROGRAMSTHE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION'S PUBLIC PROGRAMS FALL UNDER THE MONIKER OF NBF PRESENTS, A SERIES OF PUBLIC READINGS AND TOPICAL CONVERSATIONS WITH NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION-HONORED AUTHORS AT COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, LIBRARIES, PRISONS, PERFORMANCE VENUES, AND BOOK FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND INCLUDES TOPICAL PROGRAMS LIKE SCIENCE + LITERATURE, WHICH IDENTIFIES THREE BOOKS ANNUALLY TO DEEPEN READERS' UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WITH A FOCUS ON WORK THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE DIVERSITY OF VOICES IN SCIENTIFIC WRITING. THE SCIENCE + LITERATURE SELECTIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 WERE THE LAST ANIMAL BY RAMONA AUSUBEL, MELTWATER BY CLAIRE WAHMANHOLM, AND AN IMMENSE WORLD: HOW ANIMAL SENSES REVEAL THE HIDDEN REALMS AROUND US BY ED YONG. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, NBF PRESENTS INCLUDED HYBRID AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING, AND CURATED 25 EVENTS FEATURING 68 NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION-HONORED AUTHORS, DISTRIBUTING 1,000 FREE BOOKS, AND ENGAGING OVER 8,619 AUDIENCE MEMBERS. EDUCATION AND ACCESSTHE NATIONAL BOOK FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO INSPIRING A LOVE OF READING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS BOOKUP, A WRITER-LED, AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THREE US CITIES; BOOK RICH ENVIRONMENTS, WHICH IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 DISTRIBUTED OVER 303,866 FREE BOOKS TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES IN 62 COMMUNITIES ACROSS 39 STATES AND WASHINGTON, DC; TEEN PRESS CONFERENCE, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS IN NEW YORK CITY AND MIAMI TO HEAR FROM AND ASK QUESTIONS OF THE 2025 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD HONOREES IN YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE; AND THE NBF TEACHER FELLOWSHIP, WHICH IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 SUPPORTED SEVEN 6TH-12TH GRADE CLASSROOM TEACHERS WITH BOTH A BOOK BUYING BUDGET AND WORK STIPEND AS THEY MADE READING FOR PLEASURE A PART OF THEIR STUDENTS' EVERYDAY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending April 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 1986.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.

  7. Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.

    A much larger organization has a similar name: National Park Foundation (Washington, DC), EIN 52-1086761. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.