First Book
Provides new books and educational resources to children in low-income communities.
At a glance
Rating and filings checked Oct 13, 2026. Sources: Charity Navigator, IRS Form 990 via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. How we check
Is First Book a good charity?
First Book holds Charity Navigator's highest rating: 4 out of 4 stars, with an overall score of 97%. Its 2023 Form 990 reports $85.1M in revenue, down 11% from $95.5M in 2019, and $88.4M in expenses. Rating checked Oct 13, 2026.
Finances
From First Book's annual IRS Form 990 filings (filed as First Book).
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Officer & key staff pay | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $85.1M | $88.4M | $28.5M | $1.5M | 990 PDF |
| 2022 | $104.7M | $120.4M | $31.8M | $1.2M | 990 PDF |
| 2021 | $119.2M | $102.9M | $69.9M | $1.2M | 990 PDF |
| 2020 | $126.9M | $134.0M | $31.0M | $1.1M | |
| 2019 | $95.5M | $101.1M | $38.1M | $673K | 990 PDF |
A newer filing for 2024 is out but not yet summarized: read the 2024 Form 990 (PDF).
Officer & key staff pay is the 990's total for current officers, directors, trustees and key employees, not one salary.
What charities in education & literacy do
Education nonprofits operate across school infrastructure, teacher training, learning materials, scholarships, and policy advocacy. The most effective international education charities concentrate on a few high-leverage interventions — teacher training, structured curriculum, formative assessment — backed by randomized evidence. US-focused groups span charter networks, after-school programs, college-access advisors, and adult-literacy initiatives. Funding supports staff, training, materials, scholarships, and facility development.
How to judge charities in this area
Look for outcome data: learning gains measured by standardized assessments, graduation rates, college persistence. Strong education charities use comparison-group methodology to demonstrate their programs cause improved outcomes. Pratham, Room to Read, and Teach For All have published independent evaluations — that level of transparency is the gold standard.
How to support beyond a one-time gift
- + Recurring monthly gifts let organizations plan multi-year teacher-training cohorts and scholarship commitments
- + Sponsor specific programs (a scholarship, a teacher cohort) rather than individuals for cleaner accountability
- + Volunteer as a tutor, mentor, or college-access advisor — most nonprofits in this space rely on volunteer support
- + Donate professional skills (career mentoring, mock interviews, college essay coaching)
- + Advocate for evidence-based education policy in your local school district
Verify before you give
A few minutes of independent verification pays off — especially for larger gifts. These resources let you confirm the details on First Book:
Frequently asked
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