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Restless Books Inc

EIN 81-4890403 · Amherst, MA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair67 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

RESTLESS BOOKS IS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT PUBLISHER DEVOTED TO CHAMPIONING ESSENTIAL VOICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, WHOSE STORIES SPEAK TO US ACROSS LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL BORDERS. WE SEEK EXTRAORDINARY INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE THAT FEEDS OUR RESTLESSNESS: OUR HUNGER FOR NEW PERSPECTIVES, PASSION FOR OTHER CULTURES AND LANGUAGES, AND EAGERNESS TO EXPLORE BEYOND THE CONFINES OF THE FAMILIAR. OUR BOOKS-FICTION, NARRATIVE NONFICTION, JOURNALISM, MEMOIRS, TRAVEL WRITING, AND YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE-OFFER READERS AN EXPANDED UNDERSTANDING OF A CHANGING WORLD.

Income
$582,741
Spending
$619,229
Spent on programs
64%
Reserves
4.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 66%
Employees
3
Volunteers
13
Highest pay
$87,452, director and publisher

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

Fair: 67 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 13% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 6% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 15% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    64% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 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: 85 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 13 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

    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

    10 of 10

    Gave 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

    12 of 15

    Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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. $394,218 spent. RESTLESS BOOKS IS DEVOTED TO CHAMPIONING ESSENTIAL VOICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. IN 2024 WE PUBLISHED 12 BOOKS. FOUR WERE FOR YOUNG READERS, ELEVEN WERE IN TRANSLATION, TEN OF THE TWELVE WERE PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE REMAINING TITLES WERE NEW EDITIONS OF AN EXISTING WORK. AS OF THE END OF 2024 WE HAVE OVER 160 TITLES IN PRINT AND ELECTRIC FORM, SOLD ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND INTERNATIONALLY VIA RETAIL BOOKSTORES, ON THE WEB, INCLUDING FROM OUR OWN WEBSITE, AND BY OUR DISTRIBUTOR, PUBLISHERS GROUP WEST. OUR AUTHORS COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND REPRESENT ALMOST 50 COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN AND 30 LANGUAGES. IN ADDITION TO OUR PUBLISHING PROGRAM WE RUN THE KELLMAN PRIZE OR IMMIGRANT LITERATURE, WHICH AWARDS A WRITING RESIDENCY FROM MILLAY ARTS AND $10,000 AND PUBLICATION WITH RESTLESS BOOKS TO A WRITER WHO HAS PRODUCED A WORK THAT ADDRESSES THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL MIGRATION ON IDENTITY. WE ALSO RUN WRITING WORKSHOPS CENTERED ON IMMIGRATION EXPERIENCES.

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

  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 December 2024.

    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 December 2017.

    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.

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