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Aunt Lute Foundation

EIN 94-3109377 · San Francisco, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair56 out of 100GovernanceWeak25 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The major work continues to be the publication of books by marginalized writers. Another part of our mission is to produce events for our authors that increase their connection to their communities and to make their work known there. We also produce in-person and virtual events to access a larger national audience which we record with closed captions and make available on You Tube

Income
$237,401
Spending
$304,105
Spent on programs
70%
Reserves
5.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 42%
Employees
7

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: 56 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 28% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 28% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 20% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    70% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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

Weak: 25 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    5 of 25

    0 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • 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 (5)
  1. $54,181 spent. Translations and Permissions We continued to see steady revenue from permissions licensing and translation rights, including rights for Borderlands / La Frontera in Brazil, Cuba, and Korea.
  2. $49,848 spent. Marketing and Outreach Our marketing efforts prioritized community partnerships and grassroots outreach, supported by dedicated staff. The team organized events and strengthened social media engagement in alignment with our multicultural and community-based approach. Aunt Lute Books also donated cartons of books to Bay Area libraries, prisons, and juvenile halls as part of our ongoing commitment to community literacy.
  3. $40,531 spent. Publications (2024) We proudly published two important new works in 2024: Keep A?Livin?, a novel tracing the coming-of-age of a Black teenager in 1960s Little Rock against the backdrop of the civil rights movement, and Doll Seed, a speculative short fiction collection spanning horror, fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism, with powerful explorations of women of color and outsider experiences. Transition to New Distributor In early 2024, Small Press Distribution (SPD) permanently closed. Aunt Lute successfully transitioned its book distribution and sales operations to Consortium Book Sales & Distribution. This move immediately strengthened our market position, offering wider national and international reach, superior fulfillment services, and robust library and bookstore distribution. We also leveraged Consortium?s print-on-demand services to reduce inventory risk while maintaining availability of all titles. Looking Ahead: Planned Publications for 2025?2026 Building on the success of our 2024 publishing year, Aunt Lute has already confirmed an exciting slate of titles for release: Caramelle & Carmilla (October 2025), the first volume in the Aunt Lute Colloquy Series. Forced by Circumstance by Norma Alarc?n (November 2025). El Mundo Zurdo 10 (November 2025), the companion collection to the 2025 Society for the Study of Gloria Anzald?a Conference. The Divining Season (March 2026).
  4. $37,087 spent. Event Programming and Community Engagement Early 2024 Literary Events Sonoma Community Writers Festival (April 4, 2024, In-Person) ? Aunt Lute Books participated in the inaugural Sonoma Community Writers Festival at Sonoma State University. This free evening festival (4?9 PM) featured a literary bazaar and a panel titled ?Demystifying Small Press Publishing,? where Aunt Lute?s team shared insights into independent publishing. Aunt Lute hosted a table to engage with the Bay Area literary community (answering questions and selling books) in line with the festival?s mission of networking and celebrating diverse voices. (Partnered with Sonoma State University?s English Department, Zaum literary magazine, and local lit organizations; free public event.) Third Place Books Author Talk ? Keep A?Livin? (April 9, 2024, In-Person) ? Seattle?s Third Place Books hosted Aunt Lute author Kathya Alexander for a reading and discussion of her debut novel-in-verse, Keep A?Livin?. Alexander spoke about her Civil-Rights-era coming-of-age tale and answered audience questions, followed by a public book signing. This Keep A?Livin? launch event was free and open to the public, with registration encouraged to anticipate attendance. The evening introduced Alexander?s work to readers in the Seattle community and was supported by Aunt Lute?s promotion of Keep A?Livin?. (Partner: Third Place Books, Seattle; outcome: community turnout for a debut author and increased visibility for the new release.) Lesbian Visibility Month Panel ? Columbus, OH (April 5, 2024, In-Person) ? Aunt Lute author Ginny Z. Berson (author of Olivia on the Record) appeared in a Lesbian Visibility Month event in Columbus. The program included a screening of the documentary Once a Fury ? profiling members of the 1970s lesbian feminist collective The Furies ? followed by a panel discussion with two of the collective?s original members, Ginny Berson and Sharon Deevey. They reflected on their time in The Furies and the impact of the collective?s writings on feminist and lesbian communities. This in-person event, sponsored by Lesbians Benefitting the Arts (LBA) and Stonewall Union, welcomed all on a sliding-scale admission. (Partners: LBA and Stonewall Union; outcome: community education and engagement around LGBTQ+ history.) Summer 2024 Workshops and Community Programming Virtual Writing Workshop ? ?Writing Towards Vision and Possibility? (June 1 & 8, 2024, Virtual via Zoom) ? Aunt Lute organized a two-day online writing workshop tailored for Black women and gender-expansive writers. Led by facilitator Kimberly Lee, the workshop provided inventive writing prompts, discussions, and restorative creative exercises to help participants ?celebrate our unique voices and perspectives while visioning into the future?. The curriculum drew inspiration from Black writers and cultural traditions, encouraging attendees to tune into ancestral wisdom and craft bold new narratives. Attendance was capped and application-based ? the deadline was extended due to high interest ? ensuring a dedicated cohort. Sessions ran 10 AM?12 PM Pacific on two Saturdays, and the workshop created a safe, empowering space to enhance craft and confidence in community. (Format: free virtual workshop; outcome: ~ a dozen emerging writers supported (no public attendance figures), demonstrating Aunt Lute?s community engagement mission.) Fall 2024 Book Launches and Literary Festivals ?Beyond Borderlands/La Frontera: The Legacy of Gloria Anzald?a? (Sept 26, 2024, In-Person) ? Aunt Lute Books co-presented a powerful evening honoring the vision of the late Gloria E. Anzald?a at UC Berkeley?s Latinx Research Center. Timed on what would have been Anzald?a?s 82nd birthday, this free public program featured a rich tapestry of activities: a poetry reading inspired by Anzald?a?s life and work, an altar installation commemorating her memory, and a panel discussion on her legacy. The panel brought together Anzald?a scholar AnaLouise Keating, Chicanx poet ire?ne lara silva, and emerging scholar Eileen Chung to discuss Anzald?a?s impact as a Chicana lesbian writer and theorist whose work (such as Borderlands/La Frontera, published by Aunt Lute) continues to resonate. Renowned artists Jesus Barraza and Melanie Cervantes contributed an altar installation as a cultural homage. The event ? free and open to all ? drew an engaged audience of students, writers, and community members, celebrating Anzald?a?s enduring influence on literature and social justice. (Partnered with the Latinx Research Center, UC Berkeley; outcome: ~75 attendees (est.) and strengthened community ties through a celebratory, scholarly homage.) Doll Seed Book Launch ? Conversation with Michele T. Berger (San Francisco) (Oct 9, 2024, In-Person) ? Aunt Lute officially launched Michele Tracy Berger?s short story collection Doll Seed: Stories with a live author event in San Francisco. Titled ?A Conversation with Michele Tracy Berger?, the event was held at Medicine for Nightmares Bookstore & Gallery from 7:00?9:00 PM. Berger ? whose work blends intersectional feminism, horror, and Afrofuturism ? discussed her new book in depth, joined in conversation by Aunt Lute?s Executive Director, Isis Asare. The discussion explored themes from Doll Seed and Berger?s broader creative journey, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. This launch was free to attend and helped connect Berger with Bay Area readers in an intimate setting. (Partners: Medicine for Nightmares bookstore; outcome: a full house of local readers, and increased buzz for Doll Seed as a new Afrofuturist fiction title.) Sistah Scifi Series ? Nalo Hopkinson in Conversation with Michele Berger (Oct 10, 2024, In-Person) ? As part of SF Public Library?s Sistah Scifi Series celebrating Black women in speculative fiction, Aunt Lute author Michele Tracy Berger joined acclaimed sci-fi writer Nalo Hopkinson for a public conversation. Held at the SFPL Main Library?s African American Center, th
  5. $30,780 spent. Internship Program Our internship program, restarted in 2023, continued to offer paid learning experiences for emerging talent, with a focus on mentorship in nonprofit publishing and women?s and ethnic studies.

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 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 December 2024.

    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 March 1995.

    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.