Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF HERMOSA BEACH FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY IS TO PROMOTE LITERACY, EDUCATION, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY IN HERMOSA BEACH AND THE SOUTH BAY
- Income
- $148,548
- Spending
- $79,226
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- Over 10 years of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 39%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 50
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
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover more than ten years of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 47% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 56% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% 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
Fair: 54 out of 100.
Independent board
18 of 254 of 4 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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)
- $34,279 spent. FOR 65 YEARS, HBFOL HAS SUPPORTED THE HERMOSA BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY WITH FUNDING AND SUPPLIES BEYOND COUNTY ALLOCATIONS, GIVING LIBRARIANS THE FLEXIBILITY TO MEET THE COMMUNITYS UNIQUE NEEDS. IN 2024, WE CONTRIBUTED $28,000 TO FUND 44 PROGRAMS SERVING OVER 1,200 CHILDREN AND ADULTS, ADDED 437 NEW BOOKS TO THE COLLECTION, AND PROVIDED RESOURCES THAT REINFORCED THE LIBRARYS ROLE AS A SAFE, WELCOMING, AND INCLUSIVE SPACE FOR READERS OF ALL AGES. OUR SUPPORT COVERED SUBSCRIPTIONS TO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS, ENSURING PUBLIC ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, WE FUNDED AWARDS FOR HERMOSA BEACH WINNERS OF THE 45TH ANNUAL LA COUNTY BOOKMARK ART CONTEST, WHICH DREW MORE THAN 290 STUDENT SUBMISSIONS, AND DISTRIBUTED HUNDREDS OF WINNING BOOKMARKS ACROSS TOWN TO SHOWCASE OUR CHILDRENS CREATIVITY AND LOVE OF READING. THIS PROGRAM ADVANCES OUR MISSION BY SUPPORTING COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION.
- $28,909 spent. HBFOL OPERATES THREE BOOKSTORESA 575-SQFT COMMUNITY BOOKSTORE, A SHOP INSIDE THE HERMOSA BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND AN ONLINE STOREEACH STOCKED ENTIRELY FROM OUR COMMUNITY DONATIONS. THOUSANDS OF GENTLY LOVED BOOKS, PUZZLES, CDS, AND DVDS ARE SOLD AT AFFORDABLE PRICES (UNDER $1 IN OUR PHYSICAL STORES), WITH THE COMMITMENT THAT EVERY PATRON LEAVE WITH A BOOK. IN 2024, BOOKSTORE SALES GREW THROUGH EXPANDED HOURS, A NATIONWIDE ONLINE PRESENCE, AND STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT, WITH MORE THAN 44,000 DONATED MATERIALS PROCESSED AND ORGANIZED BY VOLUNTEERS FOR RESALE OR REDISTRIBUTION. THESE DONATIONS ALSO POWERED OUR BOOK READCYCLE PROGRAM, LAUNCHED IN 2024, WHICH REDISTRIBUTED OVER 2,900 BOOKS TO SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, NONPROFITS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACROSS SOUTHERN CA. TOGETHER, OUR BOOKSTORES AND READCYCLE ADVANCE LITERACY AND SUSTAINABILITY, TURNING EVERY DONATION INTO A RESOURCE FOR LEARNING AND CONNECTION AND FURTHERING OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT LITERACY AND EDUCATION.
- $7,822 spent. HBFOL STRENGTHENS HERMOSA BEACHS CIVIC AND CULTURAL LIFE BY SUPPORTING LOCAL EVENTS, NONPROFITS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WITH DONATIONS, SUPPLIES, AND HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE. IN 2024, OUR VOLUNTEERS STAFFED COMMUNITY TRADITIONS INCLUDING THE ST. PATRICKS DAY PARADE, FIESTA HERMOSA, AND OKTOBERFEST, SUPPORTING THESE ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY EVENTS. EACH MONTH, HBFOL VOLUNTEERS ASSEMBLED 50 BROWN-BAG LUNCHES FOR THE HOMELESS THROUGH THE KIWANIS NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR COMMUNITY PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, WE PARTNERED WITH MORE THAN TWO DOZEN ORGANIZATIONS - INCLUDING ROTARY, KIWANIS, LEADERSHIP HERMOSA BEACH, THE HERMOSA BEACH MUSEUM, SOUTH BAY FRIENDS FOUNDATION, SISTER CITIES, THE WOMENS CLUB, LOCAL SCHOOLS, AND CITY PARTNERS FOR EVENTS SUCH AS TRUNK OR TREAT AND MOBILE VOTING DAY - PROVIDING TIME, RESOURCES, AND VOLUNTEER SUPPORT TO CELEBRATE HERMOSA BEACHS CULTURE AND FOSTER A MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY.
- $2,325 spent. HBFOL EXPANDS ACCESS TO BOOKS AND FOSTERS COMMUNITY CONNECTION BY GROWING THE LOCAL NETWORK OF LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES, PART OF A WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT OF MORE THAN 200,000 MINIATURE BOOK EXCHANGES. IN 2024, WE INSTALLED THREE NEW CUSTOM-BUILT LIBRARIES AND KEPT A DOZEN MORE RESTOCKED WEEKLY WITH HANDPICKED, DONATED BOOKS. WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE HERMOSA BEACH AND REDONDO BEACH ROTARY THROUGH THEIR BOOKS OVER BULLETS PROGRAM TO PLACE BOOKS IN LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO INCREASE BOOK ACCESS. THESE NEIGHBORHOOD BOOK EXCHANGES HELP BUILD LASTING READING HABITS, STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY TIES, AND GIVE DONATED BOOKS NEW LIFE IN THE HANDS OF EAGER READERS. HBFOLS VISION IS TO INSTALL 125 LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES BY HERMOSA BEACHS 125TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2032, TURNING EVERY CORNER INTO A CELEBRATION OF STORIES, CONNECTION, AND THE SPIRIT OF THE BEST LITTLE BOOKISH BEACH CITY.
- $536 spent. HBFOL PRESERVES HERMOSA BEACHS LITERARY AND CULTURAL HISTORY THROUGH BOTH PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL ARCHIVES. IN 2024, WE SAFEGUARDED MORE THAN 65 YEARS OF NEWSLETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND COMMUNITY RECORDS, DIGITIZING MANY TO TRANSFORM A RICH HISTORICAL COLLECTION INTO AN ACCESSIBLE, LIVING TIMELINE. WE ALSO BEGAN NEW EFFORTS TO RESTORE AND PRESERVE RARE HISTORICAL TREASURES AND COLLECTIONS, ENSURING THEY CAN BE PRESERVED, APPRECIATED, AND SHARED FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THIS PROGRAM ADVANCES OUR MISSION BY SUPPORTING EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY.
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
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.
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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
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.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1984.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 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.