Deep Vellum Publishing
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To bring the world into conversation through literature and enhance the open exchange of stories and ideas across cultures.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $1.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 1.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 52%
- Employees
- 11
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $79,767, ceo
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
Weak: 31 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.3 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 79% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 12% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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: 70 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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
0 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 (1)
- $1.1 million spent. In 2024, Deep Vellum published 54 new books, distributed 250 free books to underserved communities in Texas and New York, and hosted over 100 events throughout Dallas, featuring bilingual readings, poetry festivals, and community conversations that strengthened the city's reputation as a literary and cultural hub.In spring 2024, our founder and publisher, Will Evans, was knighted by France as a Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters, in recognition for his role in promoting French literature, language, and culture internationally through Deep Vellums translated Francophone titles and French cultural programming in Dallas. Deep Vellums publishing program earned global acclaim in 2024:--Solenoid by Mircea Cartarescu, translated by Sean Cotter, was awarded the 100,000 Dublin Literary Award as the best book published in English anywhere in the world in the prior year;--The Villain's Dance by Fiston Mwanza Mujila, translated by Roland Glasser, was a finalist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature;--Recital of the Dark Verses, translated by Heather Cleary, won the Queen Sofa Spanish Institute Translation Prize as best book translated from Spanish in the previous year;--Little Seed by Wei Tchou was named one of the New Yorker's Best Books of 2024 and shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award;--Deep Vellums work gained national attention this year with an April feature profile in the New York Times, recognizing our role in establishing Dallas as a global literary capital, alongside statewide and national profiles of Deep Vellum in Texas Highways and Duke Magazine; --Our literary arts center was named Best Bookstore for Local Authors by D Magazine.--Deep Vellum presented its authors, books, and mission with events and tabling at literary festivals and conferences in Dallas, Austin, Brooklyn, Kansas City, and Santa Fe. --Deep Vellum organized a series of four discussions with authors and civic leaders around books we have published, entitled We Are One City: Elevating the Story of Dallas, supported by an ArtsActivate grant from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, hosted by Communities Foundation of Texas. --Deep Vellum founder and publisher Will Evans gave keynote presentations on the importance of publishing international literature at the Atelier des Auteurs conference hosted by the Economic Development Board of Mauritius; at Princeton University; at the College of Charleston; and at SMUs Gartner Lecture Series. In Fall 2024, Deep Vellum bolstered its list as the largest publisher of translated literature in English and acquired renowned small press publisher Fum dEstampa, bringing its list of 30 extraordinary translated books, primarily from the Catalan language, into our inventory, and continuing to work with its founder, Douglas Suttle, as an editor and book designer.
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 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 December 2024.
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 April 2015.
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.