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Promising Pages

EIN 45-2540702 · Charlotte, NC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceFair55 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Promising Pages is The Charlotte Area Book Bank! Our mission is to collect new and donated books and share them with children living in the Charlotte Area Book Desert: those with few, if any, books at home. We work to create a culture of book sharing and ownership. We envision a world where all children have home libraries of self-selected books, can see themselves reflected in the books they read, and have made reading a joyful habit for a lifetime.

Income
$1.2 million
Spending
$1.1 million
Spent on programs
89%
Reserves
4.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 100%
Employees
6
Volunteers
938
Highest pay
$59,664, executive dir.

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

Good: 85 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 16% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    89% 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

Fair: 55 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • 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 (1)
  1. $961,497 spent. During the 20242025 fiscal year, Promising Pages increased access to free, high-quality childrens books for children and families facing barriers to book ownership. The organization shared 265,134 books with 54,009 children and 197 community partners, reaching 27 zip codes across 13 counties and operating 32 Reading Resource Centers in community-based locations. Since its founding in 2012, Promising Pages has shared more than 2 million books, helping children build home libraries and positive attitudes towards books and reading.Promising Pages Book Access System ensures families can find free books where they live, play, and learn through multiple coordinated programs. Books on Break, an evidence-based summer reading program, provided 71,320 books through 23 free school book fairs, enabling 12,705 PreK5th grade students to choose five books each to take home for the summer. School partner surveys reported that 100% of participating schools observed increased excitement around reading, viewed the program as important in preventing summer learning loss, and had no alternative source of summer reading books for students.The Bookseed program partnered with affordable housing communities to help 1,365 children build self-selected home libraries of 25 free books, while expanding to six new communities for a total of 15 Bookseed sites. Promising Pages also strengthened community infrastructure by establishing 16 new Reading Resource Centers, expanding the total to 32, and connecting families to more than 20 literacy-focused organizations through on-site and digital resources. Through the Community Partner Program, Promising Pages provided $672,453 worth of free books, saving partner organizations significant program costs and enabling them to better serve children and families. The Feed the Body, Feed the Mind program reached 5,409 students by distributing 15,458 books alongside food through partnerships with five food pantry locations. Program delivery was supported by 4,862 volunteer hours, amplifying community investment and operational efficiency.

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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since February 2012.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.