Foundation for the Future of Literature and Literacy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Bay Area Book Festival celebrates a wide spectrum of literary voices, nurtures literary culture and community, cultivates literacy, and promotes great literary work, with special attention to work that engages with pressing social issues.We carry out our mission by creating relevant, thoughtful programming that we present at an annual, inclusive, weekend literary festival and in year-round literary events. The Festival features dozens of keynotes, interviews, panels and performances by hundreds of notable writers across literary genres and backgrounds. The festival also includes a robust outdoor fair with hundreds of literary exhibitors and a range of childrens activities.
- Income
- $537,373
- Spending
- $524,083
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 2.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 79%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 250
- Highest pay
- $2,100, prog. director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 28% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 38% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 254 of 5 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
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 September 30, 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)
- $461,637 spent. The Bay Area Book Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary June 1-2 in downtown Berkeley. Attendees were treated to top-tier speakers the festival is known to showcase as well as new attractions, including a full day of workshops for emerging writers, four headliner events, a reimagined outdoor fair in the park (Sunday only), and our inaugural Native California stage. Except for evening headliners at Freight & Salvage, the festival was presented free to the public. Most indoor programs were at or near capacity in terms of attendance, with the reconfigured outdoor fair in the park drawing rave reviews as well as its largest attendance ever. Overall, the festival drew an estimated attendance of 10,000 people from all over the region. Among the 200 authors presented in 2024, headliners included the incomparable Joan Baez, cultural commentator Naomi Klein, and a trio of book-to-screen superstars (Viet Thanh Nguyen, Piper Kerman, and Alka Joshi). Free programming featured nearly 100 speakers, including Jonathan Lethem, Amy Tan, Steve Phillips and Forrest Gander, and rising stars like Tommy Orange, R.O. Kwon, and poet Brontez Purnell.Writers Day Saturday, June 1The festivals first-ever Writers Day offered free writing workshops for emerging and published writers
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 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 September 2025.
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 February 2016.
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.