Book Trust
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ALL CHILDREN EQUITABLE ACCESS TO BOOKS OF CHOICE IN ORDER TO PROMOTE READING MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT. BOOK TRUST'S VISION IS THAT EVERY CHILD DISCOVERS THE JOY AND POWER OF READING TO CULTIVATE A LIFELONG LOVE OF LEARNING. SINCE THE ORGANIZATION'S FOUNDING IN 2001, BOOK TRUST HAS GROWN FROM SERVING 170 STUDENTS IN COLORADO TO SERVING 47,376 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ACROSS 11 STATES DURING THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR. THIS SCHOOL YEAR, BOOK TRUST PARTNERED WITH 159 BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND 2,181 TEACHERS IN 159 SCHOOLS, TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN BOOK CHOICE, OWNERSHIP, AND CELEBRATION OF OVER 597,000 NEW SCHOLASTIC BOOKS.
- Income
- $5.4 million
- Spending
- $5.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- 0.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 84%
- Employees
- 18
- Volunteers
- 218
- Highest pay
- $229,361, pres/ceo
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
Fair: 69 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 55% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 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 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 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 (2)
- $3.0 million spent. BOOKS - DIRECT COST OF NEW BOOKS THAT ARE CHOSEN AND OWNED BY BOOK TRUST STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. BOOK TRUST IS A TEACHER-LED, STUDENT- DRIVEN NATIONAL EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDES A STEP-BY-STEP SUPPORTED AND EVALUATED PROCESS TO ENSURE STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER THE JOY AND POWER OF READING. IN THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR, 47,376 BOOK TRUST ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN 159 SCHOOLS ACROSS 11 STATES, SELECTED AND RECEIVED OVER 597,000 NEW SCHOLASTIC BOOKS. BOOK TRUST STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO BUILD THEIR LOVE OF READING AND THEIR OWN HOME LIBRARIES.
- $1.1 million spent. TEACHER TRAINING AND RESOURCES - DIRECT COST TO DEVELOP AND PROVIDE TEACHER TRAINING, SUPPORT, AND LITERACY RESOURCES TO BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND TEACHERS VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO IMPLEMENT BOOK TRUST'S PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. IN 2024-2025, 159 BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND 2,022 TEACHERS ACROSS 11 STATES RECEIVED BOOK TRUST'S PROGRAM TRAINING, ON-GOING PROGRAM SUPPORT, AND MONTHLY LITERACY RESOURCES TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN BOOK CHOICE, OWNERSHIP, AND CELEBRATION. BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND TEACHERS RECEIVE LITERACY TOOLS FOR EARLY READING TACTICS, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, AND THE BENEFITS OF PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN DAILY READING IN THE CLASSROOM AND AT HOME. EVALUATION - DIRECT COST TO PROVIDE MONTHLY PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE AND QUALITY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT. BOOK TRUST'S QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDES; BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, SCHOOL SITE VISITS, PROGRAM MONITORING TOOLS, ANNUAL SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS, ACADEMIC RESEARCH, AND THIRD-PARTY EVALUATIONS. OPERATIONS - DIRECT COST TO PROVIDE THE ESSENTIAL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE BOOK TRUST PROGRAM AND TO SUPPORT OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS WITH HIGH QUALITY AND CONSISTENCY. TEACHER TRAINING AND RESOURCES - DIRECT COST TO DEVELOP AND PROVIDE TEACHER TRAINING, SUPPORT, AND LITERACY RESOURCES TO BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND TEACHERS VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO IMPLEMENT BOOK TRUST'S PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. IN 2024-2025, 159 BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND 2,022 TEACHERS ACROSS 11 STATES RECEIVED BOOK TRUST'S PROGRAM TRAINING, ON-GOING PROGRAM SUPPORT, AND MONTHLY LITERACY RESOURCES TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN BOOK CHOICE, OWNERSHIP, AND CELEBRATION. BOOK TRUST MANAGERS AND TEACHERS RECEIVE LITERACY TOOLS FOR EARLY READING TACTICS, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, AND THE BENEFITS OF PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN DAILY READING IN THE CLASSROOM AND AT HOME. EVALUATION - DIRECT COST TO PROVIDE MONTHLY PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE AND QUALITY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT. BOOK TRUST'S QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDES; BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, SCHOOL SITE VISITS, PROGRAM MONITORING TOOLS, ANNUAL SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS, ACADEMIC RESEARCH, AND THIRD-PARTY EVALUATIONS. OPERATIONS - DIRECT COST TO PROVIDE THE ESSENTIAL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE BOOK TRUST PROGRAM AND TO SUPPORT OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS WITH HIGH QUALITY AND CONSISTENCY.
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 October 2006.
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.
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