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Page Ahead Childrens Literacy Prgm

EIN 91-1600084 · Seattle, WA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair60 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Page Ahead works to increase the reading achievement of students from low-income communities in Washington. Starting with improving book access in the home, Page Ahead provides reading interventions that support children and families.

Income
$1.3 million
Spending
$1.6 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 90%
Employees
6
Volunteers
503
Highest pay
$147,397, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 13% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 23% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 10% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    86% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 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 August 31, 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 (6)
  1. $1.1 million spent. Book Up Summer: Every summer, while students from affluent families make progress on their reading skills, students from low-income families lose ground. The effects of summer learning loss are cumulative, and its compounding impact is responsible for much of the reading achievement gap. Book Up Summer addresses this problem, reaching approximately 23,638 students in kindergarten through second grade from high-poverty elementary schools, and giving them 12 books each to read during summer vacation. Giving children their choice of books furnishes them with the resources and incentive necessary to read during the summer, avoid the summer learning loss phenomenon, and ultimately helping to narrow the achievement gap.
  2. $111,451 spent. Story Leaders: Over the course of a year, low-income children hear 8 million fewer words than children from affluent families. Story Leaders aims to close this word gap by facilitating literacy training and access to books for families whose children could gain the most from the program. Page Ahead partners with ECEAP and Head Start classrooms to provide early literacy training for teachers, new books for children, and home reading support for families. During the 2024-25 school year, 1,739 students received nearly 15,070 new books.
  3. $80,139 spent. Books for Kids: Providing access to books for children in need is a proven way to increase the amount of time they spend reading. Page Ahead's original flagship program, Books for Kids, reached 2,153 children in need with 2,700 new, high-quality, age-appropriate books in 2024-25. To efficiently reach the children most in need, Page Ahead collaborates with preschools, elementary schools, and social service agencies across Washington State. Page Ahead provides a wide variety of books through fun, motivational reading events. Empowering children to make their own choices ensures that each child has reading material suited to their individual interest.
  4. $24,931 spent. Book Oasis: In high-income communities, there are about 13 books for every child; in high-poverty communities, there is one book for every 300 children. These neighborhoods are considered book deserts, and the children who live in them have a much harder time accessing the appropriate reading material they need to become strong readers. Book Oasis builds and places specially designed little free libraries in neighborhood book deserts and stocks them with great new children's books for kids to access freely. Volunteers monitor each oasis and restock them monthly. In 2024-2025, Page Ahead volunteers stocked 19 Book Oasis libraries with 6,311 new children's books through the program.
  5. $27,644 spent. Story Times: Trained volunteers bring reading fun and inspiration to preschool and kindergarten age children in the Puget Sound area and Spokane.
  6. $20,933 spent. Volunteer Services: Page Ahead volunteers conduct book drives, read with children, and sort and pack books for program sites.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 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 August 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 September 1993.

    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.