Benjamin Franklin Society Library Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Society Library's mission is to create a fully intentional, collaborative humanity which functionally negotiates ideological differences in a manner that maximizes freedom in being through access to archived information.
- Income
- $772,846
- Spending
- $471,217
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 12.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 3
- Highest pay
- $64,000, president, director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 12.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 39% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 308% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 77 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 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
0 of 7Reports no 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 December 31, 2024, 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)
- $284,213 spent. Information Gathering, Archiving, and Analysis: The Society Library devotes substantial effort to collecting, researching, and archiving information about as many detectable points of view as possible on complex social and political issues in order to build digital library collections. These efforts include collecting the arguments, claims, sentiments, opinions, evidence, and data found within scholarly articles, government reports, documentaries, news, television, books, textbooks, podcasts, classroom materials, websites, various social media, as well as receiving bulk collections from institutional partners or through in-person interviews and group sessions. This information is then curated and organized into online reference library collections through various manual and technological means, including AI tools like automated research and analysis. The purpose of the library is to assist the public in searching for the truth in a less biased, more rigorous, and more expedient manner. Although The Society Library curates, cleans, and enriches information, it does not censor, aim to bias, nor desire to corrupt information. We hold ourselves to high ethical standards, which are detailed on our website. Overall The Society Library aims to preserve the library tradition throughout the 21st century in a new digital form, by preserving and presenting information in organized ways that maximally benefit public truth-seeking as well as the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom.
- $5,991 spent. Information Delivery, Education, Utility, and Access: REVIEW /UPDATE Once information is thoroughly researched, organized, and published in library collections, The Society Library brings both the information itself and information literacy programming directly to the public. This is done through: 1.) An online, browsable library database for active learners to easily access information on social and political issues. 2.) Visualizations that summarize the content in the library to provide different ways for learners to access the information, which includes products like: Vote By Reason, Papers, Catalog, and our AI Agent technology. 3.) Educational programs, such as internships, in which we teach our rigorous research methodology and logic-based media literacy curriculum. 4.) Educational content, including written publications, educational videos, instructional demos, and tutorials. 5.) Partnerships that may apply or disseminate the data through other research and educational projects for public benefit, usually by utilizing our API-accessible information gathering tools.
- $2,188 spent. Targeted Services and Consultation: To support the sustainability of the organization, The Society Library provides research and consulting services based on its expertise, methodology, and technological capabilities. These services include: building content databases, fact-checking services, building online FAQs, analyzing legislation, and consulting to improve the logical decision-making capabilities of groups and individuals. The Society Library selects clientele based on their alignment with The Society Library's mission and for the ability to advance The Society Library's internal technological development, public-benefit programming or its internal training. Clients include private individuals, city-level public officials, federal-level public officials, non-partisan activist organizations, news organizations, and private companies. The Society Library is not interested in advancing any partisan agenda whatsoever. The Society Library only works with non-partisan activists groups and government officials on the basis that the subject of research interest is aligned with the Society Library's topic scope and The Society Library is not asked to compromise its conduct, in which we strive to be maximally truth-seeking and as unbiased as possible. The Society Library outright refuses to engage in any advancement of one party in an information war dynamic over others, we simply exist to advance truth-seeking itself.
- $149,910 spent. Refund of FY23 Donation
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 December 2024.
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 November 2014.
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.
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.