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Nashville Public Library Foundation

EIN 62-1681766 · Nashville, TN

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE FOUNDATION INVESTS IN PROGRAMS THAT HELP NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY, IGNITE CHILDREN'S IMAGINATIONS, AND FOSTER LIFELONG LEARNING THROUGHOUT NASHVILLE. AT THE FOUNDATION, WE PROVIDE NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY WITH CRITICAL SUPPORT THAT BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT IS REQUIRED TO MAKE THESE PROGRAMS POSSIBLE. FOUNDED IN 1997, THIS PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP HAS RAISED MORE THAN $68M TO DEVELOP A DYNAMIC LIBRARY SYSTEM THAT SERVES EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

Income
$14.2 million
Spending
$4.7 million
Spent on programs
67%
Reserves
25 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 88%
Employees
14
Volunteers
153
Highest pay
$164,893, president

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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 25.0 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 67% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 6% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    67% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    31 of 31 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. $1.2 million spent. BEGIN BRIGHT IS NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY'S EARLY LITERACY CAMPAIGN TO SET CHILDREN UP FOR KINDERGARTEN READING SUCCESS THROUGH A GROUNDBREAKING TRANSFORMATIONAL PLAN. NPL'S APPROACH INCLUDES DELIVERING A "LITTLE LIBRARY AND CORRESPONDING RESOURCES TO EVERY CHILDCARE CENTER IN THE COUNTY, PROVIDING IN-PERSON AND ON-DEMAND DIGITAL TRAININGS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS, AND ENLISTING A NATIONAL RESEARCH ORGANIZATION TO STUDY THE IMPACT OVER FOUR YEARS, CREATING AN ACTIONABLE, MEASURABLE MODEL THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE EARLY LITERACY LANDSCAPE. BASED ON THE SUCCESS OF THE BRINGING BOOKS TO LIFE MODEL, THIS INITIATIVE IS IN ITS EARLY IMPLEMENTATION STAGES. BRINGING BOOKS TO LIFE (BBTL) IS AN AWARD-WINNING EARLY-LITERACY PROGRAM THAT HELPS TEACHERS AND PARENTS FOSTER A LOVE OF READING IN CHILDREN THROUGH TEACHER TRAININGS, FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAMS, AND STORY-RELATED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES. FOUNDED IN 2003 AND DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EDUCATORS AND EXPERTS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, BBTL IS CENTERED ON NPL'S LITERATURE-BASED PUPPET PERFORMANCES. BBTL PROMOTES EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY THROUGH INTERACTIVE STORY TIME, PUPPET PERFORMANCES, PARENT WORKSHOPS IN ENGLISH & SPANISH, AND TRAININGS FOR EDUCATORS. BRINGING BOOKS TO LIFE SERVED 15,888 CHILDREN, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS THROUGH 502 IN-PERSON PROGRAMS AT 139 LOCATIONS AND 597 VIRTUAL PROGRAMS IN FY25. BBTL CONTINUES TO GROW AS A PROGRAM WITH THE BEGIN BRIGHT CAMPAIGN, OFFERING THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO CHILDREN, EDUCATORS, AND PARENTS.
  2. $401,508 spent. LIMITLESS LIBRARIES STARTED IN 2009 AS A PILOT PROJECT LED BY FORMER MAYOR KARL DEAN TO PROVIDE METRO NASHVILLE PUBLIC (MNPS) HIGH SCHOOLS WITH ACCESS TO NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOKS AND MATERIALS. TODAY, LIMITLESS LIBRARIES (LL) ENSURES STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEST EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND LIBRARY CONNECTIONS. LL PROVIDES 81,000+ STUDENTS AND 5,000+ EDUCATORS WITH ACCESS TO OVER 2.3 MILLION ITEMS AT NPL THROUGH AUTOMATIC ACCOUNT CREATION, DIGITAL RESOURCES, COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT, AND OUTREACH SUPPORT. THE ACCESS PROVIDED ELIMINATES TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS BY DELIVERING MATERIALS TO SCHOOLS AND MAKES EDUCATION AND LITERACY EQUITABLE FOR ALL. IN FISCAL YEAR 25, LIMITLESS LIBRARIES SUPPORTED 81,397 STUDENTS, AND 5,021 EDUCATORS AND LIBRARIANS ACROSS 159 SCHOOLS BETWEEN JULY 2024-JUNE 2025AND FACILITATED THE CIRCULATION OF 62,516MATERIALS. IN ADDITION TO MATERIALS, LIMITLESS LIBRARIES PROVIDED CLASSROOM VISITS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY EVENT ATTENDANCE. LIMITLESS LIBRARIES IS DEDICATED TO ENRICHING THE LIVES OF MNPS STUDENTS, LIBRARIANS, AND EDUCATORS BY PROVIDING ACCESSIBILITY THROUGH COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT, MATERIALS DELIVERY, OUTREACH, ADVOCACY, AND DIGITAL RESOURCES.
  3. $1.5 million spent. IN FYE25 NPLF CONTRIBUTED NEARLY $30,000 TOWARDS THE VOTES FOR WOMEN EXHIBIT AT THE MAIN LIBRARY, WHICH TELLS THE PIVOTAL AND DRAMATIC STORY OF NASHVILLE'S ROLE IN WINNING WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT. COURTYARD CONCERTS ENTERTAINED ATTENDEES WITH FREE MUSIC BY DIVERSE LOCAL PERFORMERS. THE FOUNDATION ALSO SUPPORTS A DIVERSE ARRAY OF PROGRAMMING AT EACH OF THE 21 BRANCH LOCATIONS INCLUDING STUDIO NPL, A MAKERSPACE FOCUSED ON STEAM INITIATIVES, BE WELL AT NPL THAT OFFERS FREE FITNESS, NUTRITION AND OTHER HEALTH PROGRAMS AT THE LIBRARY, ADULT LITERACY INITIATIVES, AND NAZA'S SUMMER AND AFTERSCHOOL LEARNING THAT CHALLENGED OVER 3,500 YOUNG PEOPLE WITH INNOVATIVE OUT-OF-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING. ART EXHIBITS, SPECIAL COLLECTION STAFFING AND CIVIL RIGHTS PROGRAMMING PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM ROUND OUT SUPPORT FROM NPLF TO THE LIBRARY IN FYE25.

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 May 2018.

    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.