San Diego Public Library Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION STRENGTHENS COMMUNITIES BY SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE IN THE SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM THROUGH PHILANTHROPY, ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH.
- Income
- $2.8 million
- Spending
- $3.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 62%
- Reserves
- 14.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 90%
- Employees
- 19
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $238,993, chief executive officer
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: 61 out of 100. Higher than 43% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.9 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 32% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 33% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1562% 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 2511 of 11 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 (4)
- $1.2 million spent. LIBRARY FOUNDATION SD SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS, BOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT HELPED THE LIBRARY BE THE PLACE FOR OPPORTUNITY, DISCOVERY, AND INSPIRATION. PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY LIBRARY FOUNDATION SD DONORS PREPARED LEARNERS OF ALL AGES TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, THE WORKPLACE AND IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. FROM SUPPORTING ONLINE AND IN-LIBRARY HOMEWORK HELP, TRAINING ON COMPUTER PROGRAMMING THAT SPARKS AN INTEREST IN TECHNOLOGY FIELDS, TO CLASSES ON COMPUTER SKILLS AND WRITING A RESUME, LIBRARY DONORS HELPED ENSURE ACADEMIC AND CAREER SUCCESS.
- $209,000 spent. THE SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY OFFERS 12 IDEA LABS ACROSS THE 37-BRANCH SYSTEM, THE LABS ARE BUILT TO BE MAKERSPACES FOR PATRONS TO INNOVATE, DISCOVER, EXPERIENCE AND ACHIEVE AND OVERALL INSPIRE AN INTEREST IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, DESIGN, AND 21ST CENTURY SKILLS. IN EACH OF THESE IDEA LABS, PATRONS OF VARYING AGES CAN WORK TOGETHER, ALONE, OR WITH LIBRARY STAFF ON CREATIVE PROJECTS. THE GOAL OF A MAKERSPACE IS TO ALLOW PATRONS TO LEARN THROUGH DIRECT EXPERIMENTATION AND FROM EACH OTHER. THIS IS DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY'S MISSION: TO INSPIRE LIFELONG LEARNING THROUGH CONNECTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE AND EACH OTHER. IDEA LABS DO NOT REQUIRE USERS TO HAVE A LIBRARY CARD AND THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENT VARIES ACROSS THE SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY. THE LEGLER BENBOUGH TEEN IDEA LAB, LOCATED INSIDE THE VALENCIA PARK/MALCOLM X BRANCH LIBRARY, OFFERS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR TEENS AGES 12 TO 18, AND PRIDES IT'S SELF AS BEING A SPACE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE YOUTH WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD JOB SKILLS IN A RANGE OF AREAS, BY INCLUDING A RECORDING STUDIO AS WELL AS 3D PRINTERS, A DIE CUT MACHINE, AND IMAC COMPUTERS.. THE IDEA LAB IS AT THE SAN YSIDRO LIBRARY LOCATION AND IS FOCUSED ON DIGITAL TEXTILE ARTS AND FEATURES A, DIE CUT MACHINE, SEWING/EMBROIDERY MACHINES, SERGER, BUTTON MAKER AND A HEAT PRESS. THE PACIFIC HIGHLANDS RANCH LIBRARY IDEA LAB FOCUSES ON PROP AND SET DESIGN; A THEME INSPIRED BY COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS HELD BY THE LIBRARY. OUR MAKERSPACE FEATURES INCLUDE A GLOWFORGE LASER CUTTER, 24" DESKTOP CUTTING MACHINE, A 3D SCANNER AND A DYE SUBLIMATION MACHINE. AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, THE IDEA LAB ALSO CONTAINS EQUIPMENT THAT CAN DIGITIZE PHOTOS, SLIDES, NEGATIVES, AND DOCUMENTS; 8MM AND SUPER 8 FILM; AND VARIOUS VIDEO FORMATS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, THE IDEA LAB HOSTED NEARLY 6,000 PEOPLE IN PROGRAMS RELATED TO THE IDEA LAB EQUIPMENT WHICH YIELDED 1,285 IDEAS TO LIFE, INCLUDING MORE THAN 200 SEWING PROJECTS, MORE THAN 1,700 3D PRINTS MADE, AND 532 LASER ENGRAVINGS AND CUTS. ACROSS THE SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, IDEA LAB STAFF SEE PATRONS USING THESE SPACES IN A RANGE OF WAYS INCLUDING FASHION DESIGN, DIY BRIDES AND GROOMS, TRACE STUDENTS. SCOUT TROOPS, E3 SCHOLARS, NEW SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENT PROJECTS, AND PATRONS LOOKING TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW. ONE NOTABLE OUTCOME FROM THE IDEA LAB AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY IS THE LAUNCH OF THE CLEAN SHAVE, A BUSINESS THAT FOUNDED BY NAVY VETERANS AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY AND WENT TO MARKET IN 2025. THE CO-FOUNDERS CAME INTO THE IDEA LAB WITH DRAWINGS AND OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, COMPLETED A PROTOTYPE IN THE LAB. THE ACCESS TO MAKERSPACES WITH 3D PRINTERS AND LASER CUTTERS MADE THE START OF THIS BUSINESS POSSIBLE FOR THESE VETERANS. ANOTHER IS THE SEWING PROGRAM THAT HAS TAUGHT PATRONS TO SEW AND HAVE DONATED DOZENS OF PILLOWCASES TO RYAN'S CASE FOR SMILES.
- $127,500 spent. THE MEDIA ARTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE @ THE LIBRARY IS OFFERED IN TWO PARTS. THE FIRST IS A PAID 6-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM IN VIDEO AND MULTIMEDIA DESIGN AND PRODUCTION, IN COLLABORATION WITH MEDIA ARTS CENTER SAN DIEGO (MACSD) HELD AT THE CITY HEIGHTS/WEINGART LIBRARY IN SMALL COHORTS OF 10 STUDENTS. THE SECOND PART OF THE INITIATIVE IS A 450-HOUR PAID INTERNSHIP TO BE COMPLETED IN SIX TO 12 MONTHS WITH THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO IN SEVERAL CITY DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING THE LIBRARY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. SINCE IT WAS STARTED IN 2021, 136 STUDENTS HAVE COMPLETED THE MEDIA ARTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE @ THE LIBRARY. FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS OF THESE GRADUATES SHOW THAT 94 PERCENT REPORT USING THE DIGITAL SKILLS THEY LEARNED TO DO SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT WHILE 97 PERCENT REPORTED COMPLETING A TASK OR GOAL THEY COULD NOT DO OR COULD NOT DO AS WELL BEFORE. AN AVERAGE OF 80 PERCENT OF STUDENTS FROM EACH 6-WEEK TRAINING COHORT TRANSITION INTO PAID INTERNSHIPS WITH THE LIBRARY AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS. TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE PROGRAM'S PARTICIPANTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 WERE HIRED BY THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT AFTER COMPLETING THEIR PAID INTERNSHIPS. SAN DIEGO PUBLIC LIBRARY'S MEDIA ARTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES INCREASES THE NUMBER OF UNDERREPRESENTED INDIVIDUALS IN THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE BY FOCUSING ON COMMUNITIES OF CONCERN, AS DEFINED BY THE CITY'S CLIMATE EQUITY INDEX TOOL, WHICH MEASURES THE LEVEL OF ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY RESIDENTS HAVE ACROSS SAN DIEGO. WHILE THE SUCCESS RATE OF THIS PROGRAM IS IMPRESSIVE, IT'S EVEN MORE REMARKABLE TO SEE GRADUATES SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE SAN DIEGO REGION WORKING FOR THE LIBRARY, THE CREATIVE ECONOMY, MARKETING FIRMS, AND SHOWCASING THEIR WORK AT FILM FESTIVALS ACROSS THE U.S.
- $344,982 spent. THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION ACTIVELY MARKETS LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LIBRARY SERVICE TO SUPPORTERS AND POTENTIAL SUPPORTERS, ELECTED LEADERS AND TO LIBRARY USERS. THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION PRODUCES A SERIES OF REGULAR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS TO LIBRARY CARD HOLDERS AND TO LIBRARY DONORS AND SUPPORTERS. THESE PUBLICATIONS MARKET THE VALUE OF LIBRARIES TO SAN DIEGO AND PROMOTE MONTHLY LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND OTHER SERVICES. THE FOUNDATION ALSO COORDINATES ADVOCACY EFFORTS AMONG A COALITION OF THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION, FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY AND THE BOARD OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONERS TO EDUCATE ELECTED LEADERS TO THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF LIBRARIES ON THE COMMUNITY AND THE NEED FOR ADEQUATE PUBLIC SUPPORT.
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 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 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 May 2001.
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.