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Great Books Foundation

EIN 36-2182034 · Chicago, IL

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair57 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • Only 46% of its spending went to programs.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

THE MISSION OF THE GREAT BOOKS FOUNDATION IS TO ADVANCE THE CRITICAL, REFLECTIVE THINKING, AND SOCIAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT OF READERS OF ALL AGES THROUGH SHARED INQUIRY DISCUSSION OF WORKS AND IDEAS OF ENDURING VALUE.

Income
$2.3 million
Spending
$2.4 million
Spent on programs
46%
Reserves
6.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
other income, 74%
Employees
28
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$150,943, president & 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: 57 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 29% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 13% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    0 of 15

    46% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 32 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.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 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 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 (3)
  1. $693,743 spent. K-12 Programs: Since 1967, the Junior Great Books program has supported the Great Books Foundation's mission by creating generations of lifelong learners. The rigorous, inquiry-based language arts program exposes students to beautiful writing and ideas of enduring value, through carefully curated selections of stories, poems, plays, and nonfiction texts. Students from kindergarten through high school engage in Shared Inquiry discussion, building invaluable skills in reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, speaking and listening, and civil discourse and igniting a love of reading. Every year, our K-12 programs support thousands of classrooms with exceptional student anthologies and classroom materials that walk teachers through each step of the Shared Inquiry method of learning. These materials prepare students to meet English language arts learning standards through authentic engagement with sustained reading and thoughtful exploration of texts. In 2025, Great Books released Junior Great Books Inspire, the first new edition of Junior Great Books for grades 2-5 since 2015. With a fully redeveloped table of contents, reader's journal, and teacher's edition, this new series maintains the Shared Inquiry sequence of activities beloved in past Junior Great Books programs while providing the most up-to-date research and standards for reading comprehension development and a range of classic and contemporary texts. Development also began on an updated informational nonfiction program for grades 2-5 to complement the Inspire program, expected in 2026. K-12 Digital Programs: To remain relevant and successful in the 21st century, Great Books now offers all K-12 content through a digital platform. These digital publications include features to improve access to content through a variety of schooling types and situations. The Foundation's digital offerings are regularly updated to keep pace with changes in available platforms. Most recently, in July 2024, Great Books launched JGB Digital Classroom 3 with a new platform provider and enhanced features. In 2025, Junior Great Books Inspire was added to the digital catalog along with extended features for existing series. 2026 will see the addition of the newest nonfiction program and enhancements to support accessibility. These digital experiences update and enhance the Great Books learning model and allow the Foundation to reach a wider, more diverse audience.
  2. $378,292 spent. Professional Development: Over the past year, the Foundation's professional development program provided over 1100 educators with specialized instruction and classroom assistance in the Shared Inquiry method of learning through reading and discussion of great literature. The Foundation worked closely with schools across the country to build teachers' proficiency and integrate inquiry-based learning across the curriculum by providing customized days of in-person and online training, modeling, coaching, and consultation. The Foundation offers teachers and parents instruction through in-person training, on-demand courses, blended online courses, in-person and online coaching, and webinars on specific skills. The Foundation also maintains the Shared Inquiry Learning Center to offer on-going support and free resources to trained Shared Inquiry leaders, including free events such as a panel or educator discussions. The Junior Great Books Program has been recognized by the National Staff Development Council as an "Exemplary Program" in teacher professional development. Feedback from those who have participated in the Foundation's professional development activities suggests that the Foundation plays an important part in creating and sustaining vibrant, respectful learning communities and increased literacy for adults and students.
  3. $15,183 spent. Adult Discussion Groups: The adult education division of the Great Books Foundation shares the mission of the organization as a whole: to help sustain and strengthen our democratic society by providing opportunities for learners to engage in discussions of works and ideas of enduring value and to develop the habits of mind essential to civic participation and personal fulfillment. To this end, the Foundation supports a network of Great Books Councils, as well as hundreds of book groups nationwide, across Canada and South America and holds public events to engage audiences in the discussion of books and ideas, including online discussions for adults. To enable these various programs, the adult division has and will in the future publish books and other materials designed to assist in the practice of Shared Inquiry, the Great Books Foundation's unique discussion method.

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

  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 November 6, 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 June 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 November 1948.

    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 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.