Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE FOUNDATION MOBILIZES RESOURCES AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT EMPOWER OUR LIBRARY TO DELIVER INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
- Income
- $5.6 million
- Spending
- $11.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 63%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $128,076, 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
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.0 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 52% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 114% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 33% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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 2514 of 14 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 (6)
- $9.0 million spent. IN 2022, THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEES REQUESTED THE FOUNDATION TO CONDUCT A $10,000,000 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN KNOWN AS THE INSPIRING BIG DREAMS CAMPAIGN TO BUILD A NEW WESTSIDE LIBRARY. IN 2025, THE FOUNDATION MADE A PROMISE TO GIVE TO THE TRUSTEES OF $10,000,000 OVER FOUR YEARS IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW WESTSIDE LIBRARY. THE EXPENSE AND GRANT PAYABLE WERE RECOGNIZED IN 2025 AT THE PRESENT VALUE USING A DISCOUNT RATE OF 4.03%.
- $2.1 million spent. THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT OUR LIBRARY STAFF YEAR-ROUND WITH CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION USES STORYTELLING TO RAISE AWARENESS OF LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THROUGH NEWSLETTER PUBLICATIONS AND BROCHURES SHARED AT SPEAKING EVENTS.THE FOUNDATION ALSO TRANSFERRED OWNERSHIP OF 15 ACRES OF LAND TO THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY AND CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS. THIS LAND WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST 2022 IN ANTICIPATION OF THE NEW WESTSIDE LIBRARY FACILITY'S CONSTRUCTION. THE FOUNDATION LEVERAGED FUNDS FROM THE NADINE E. SANDBERG ESTATE TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY.
- $211,492 spent. THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION SUPPORTED OUR LIBRARY'S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE ACCESS, LITERACY, AND INCLUSION FOR ALL AGES. DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY ENTERED ITS SEVENTH YEAR OF SENDING FREE, AGE-APPROPRIATE BOOKS TO CHILDREN UNDER 5 IN CEDAR RAPIDS. AS OF JUNE 30, 2025, WE HAVE MAILED MORE THAN 449,770 BOOKS TO CHILDREN IN CEDAR RAPIDS, AND MORE THAN 8,349 HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE PROGRAM.OUR LIBRARY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH CARGILL ENTERED ITS 34TH YEAR AND CONTINUES TO FUND OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR PRESCHOOLS SERVING AT-RISK CHILDREN. DURING THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR, LIBRARY STAFF PROVIDED SIX CLASSROOM VISITS PER MONTH (54 VISITS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR) REACHING A TOTAL OF 156 PRESCHOOLERS AGES TWO TO FIVE. THEY ALSO DELIVERED 1,404 BOOKS ALONG WITH CUSTOMIZED ACTIVITY SHEETS FOR EACH BOOK.
- $26,018 spent. AN INNOVATIVE ADDITION TO THE LIBRARY'S PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH IN 2021 WAS A MOBILE TECHNOLOGY LAB (MTL). IN FY25, THE MTL CONTINUED OFFERING TECH TO GO PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THE VAN MADE 46 PARK VISITS ACROSS 17 UNIQUE LOCATIONS AND SERVED MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE LIBRARY'S MTL CONDUCTED 26 OUTREACH VISITS AND LED 72 TOTAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT CEDAR RAPIDS.OUR LIBRARY'S INTERGENERATIONAL READING PROGRAM WAS REBRANDED AS THE SUMMER READING CHALLENGE IN 2024. THIS SUMMER (2025), THERE WERE 2,242 READERS REGISTERED AND COLLECTIVELY, THESE REGISTRANTS READ MORE THAN 2.6 MILLION MINUTES IN JUNE AND JULY. FOR THE INTERACTIVE, IN-PERSON COMPONENT, LIBRARY STAFF HOSTED 409 PROGRAMS WITH ATTENDANCE OF MORE THAN 18,000 PEOPLE.
- $200,000 spent. IN 2024, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY'S 4TH AVENUE OUTDOOR PLAZA WAS IN NEED OF REPAIR. THE PERMEABLE PAVERS USED DURING CONSTRUCTION HAD NOT WITHSTOOD IOWA'S WINTERS, AND ITS UNEVEN SURFACE WAS BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT TO TRAVERSE FOR OUR MOBILITY-COMPROMISED PATRONS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE LIBRARY TRUSTEE'S BUILDING COMMITTEE SOUGHT DESIGN BIDS, AND IN FALL 2025, THE 4TH AVENUE PLAZA WAS RENOVATED WITH LONG-TERM, PUBLIC USE IN MIND.
- $52,825 spent. THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT OUR LIBRARY'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO ROBUST MATERIALS THROUGH THEIR PRINT AND ONLINE COLLECTIONS.IN 2022, THE LIBRARY ASKED THE FOUNDATION TO FUND PRESSREADER. THIS DIGITAL RESOURCE OFFERS UNLIMITED ACCESS TO OVER 7,000 OF THE WORLD'S TOP NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES. SUPPORTING ACCESS AND INCLUSION, THIS RESOURCE OFFERS PUBLICATIONS FROM COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. TITLES OUR PATRONS CAN ACCESS INCLUDE THE GUARDIAN, LOS ANGELES TIMES, NEWSWEEK, DAILY MAIL, L'EQUIPE, DER TAGGESSPIEGEL, LIBERATION, CHINA DAILY, AND LARAZON, ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHERS. IN FY25, 292 UNIQUE USERS VIEWED MORE THAN 32,981 ITEMS. THE LANGUAGES ACCESSED INCLUDE ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, CHINESE, ITALIAN, AND PORTUGUESE.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2016.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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