Nonprofit · EIN 33-0857381
WORDS ALIVE
Tax-exempt · SAN DIEGO, CA 92101
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | 990 | $1,164,791 | $1,137,715 | $27,076 | $3,017,556 | $81,233 | $2,936,323 |
| June 30, 2024 | 990 | $1,039,643 | $1,113,432 | -$73,789 | $2,975,175 | $82,936 | $2,892,239 |
| June 30, 2023 | 990 | $3,097,969 | $1,000,750 | $2,097,219 | $3,020,301 | $55,462 | $2,964,839 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $1,037,465
- of which government grants
- $75,390
- Program service revenue
- $108,040
- Investment income
- $23,000
- Net income from fundraising events
- -$3,714
- Other revenue
- -$3,714
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $180,491
- Other salaries and wages
- $522,014
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $801,983
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Legal fees
- $886
- Accounting fees
- $15,335
- Occupancy
- $17,027
- Travel
- $4,916
- Depreciation
- $63,707
- Program services (functional)
- $698,944
- Management and general (functional)
- $261,325
- Fundraising (functional)
- $177,446
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $2,975,175
- Total assets, end of year
- $3,017,556
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $81,233
- Net assets, end of year
- $2,936,323
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $1,977,890
- Publicly traded securities
- $16,511
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $2,598,749
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $337,574
- Gross receipts
- $1,192,435
- Employees
- 19
- Volunteers
- 786
- Year formed
- 1999
- State of legal domicile
- CA
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Nonprofit Mgt Jan -Dec 2024 | Executive Director Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $79,388 | $0 |
| Rachael Orose | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $53,125 | $1,062 |
| Anastasia Rollins Optima started Dec 2024 | Director of Finance Officer | 6 | $1,108 | $0 |
| Meredith Baratz | Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Julie Dubick | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Karen Silberman term ended January | Immediate Past Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Karen Malin | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Nick Giordano | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Jon Yonemitsu July 2024-November 20 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura Galinson resigned May 2025 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Collen Smiley | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Bijan Nowroozian | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Tammy Carpowich | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Brian Fidler | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Tami Daiber-Hirst | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
4 more people on this return
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julia Loman | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| Rick Seidenwurm elected January 202 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| Jeffra Becknell elected January 202 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
| Kelsey Vasko elected January 2025 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2024: 20 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rachael Orose | Executive Director 7/1/23-1/31/24 Officer | 40 | $119,447 | $2,389 |
| T Hampton Dohrman | Executive Director 2/1/24-6/30/24 Officer | 40 | $46,420 | $0 |
| Laura Kohn | Chair 7/1/23-12/31/23 Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Meredith Baratz | Chair 1/1/24-6/30/24 Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Karen Silberman | Immediate Past Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Karen Malin | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Sandra Korwek | Treasurer 7/1/23-12/31/23 Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Nick Giordano | Treasurer 1/1/24-6/30/24 Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Orville Brown | Director 7/1/23-12/31/23 Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Rick Seidenwurm | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike Skerlos | Director 7/1/23-12/31/23 Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Andrea MacDonald | Director 7/1/23-12/31/23 Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Tammy Carpowich | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Brian Fidler | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Julie Dubick | Vice Chair 1/1/24-6/30/24 Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Julia Loman | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura Galinson | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Bijan Nowroozian | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Collen Smiley | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Jon Yonemitsu | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2023: 18 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rachael Orose | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $93,909 | $10,696 |
| Karen Silberman | Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura Kohn | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Sandra Korwek | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Karen Malin | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Rick Seidenwurm | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Orville Brown | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Jeffrey Goldman resigned 5162023 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Kimberly Harrison resigned 3132023 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike Skerlos | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Andrea MacDonald | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Nick Giordano | Assistant Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Meredith Baratz | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Julie Dubick | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Julia Loman | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Laura Galinson | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Tammy Carpowich joined 6162023 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Colleen Smiley joined 1172023 | Director Trustee or director | 2 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 770 PARK BLVD, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-6508
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- Rachael Orose, 770 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
- Signed the 990
- Rachael Orose, Executive Director
- Phone
- (858) 274-9673
- Website
- www.wordsalive.org
- Return prepared by
- Sonnenberg & Company CPAs
California records
California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 33-0857381 or by the name WORDS ALIVE.
- Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
- Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)
- Secretary of State, bizfile Online
- Corporation status, entity number, agent for service
- Franchise Tax Board
- Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)
Mission
At Words Alive, we know that whole communities thrive when everyone reads. Our programs empower learners facing extraordinary life circumstances such as unstable housing, poverty, foster care, and impact by the justice system. Words Alive prioritizes the populations disproportionately impacted by the literacy crisis.
Program accomplishments
- Read Aloud Program volunteers share the joy of a good story while helping children develop the cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills needed to be capable readers. Our program inspires students to be curious, courageous, and compassionate by exploring engaging and relevant books together with caring adults. In 2024-2025 program year, we provided weekly read aloud experiences and new books to 3,431 students across 23 Title I elementary schools, 78 out-of-school time providers, and dozens of community-based organizations.Students took home over 14,000 books paired with custom bilingual learning kits to deepen connection to the text.Expenses $392,055 · revenue $17,706
- Family Literacy Program inspires parents and family caregivers to make exploring books a robust family habit by connecting reading and play.Parents and caregivers receive new childrens books to grow their personal libraries and learn engagement strategies and exploratory activities to use reading as a family at home. Families report reading more often together, for longer periods of time, and practicing positive reading behaviors with their children. Offered in English and Spanish, this six-week workshop series reached 1,358 families and 1,508 family caregivers in the 2024-25 program year and distributed 8,148 books, each paired with a custom bilingual learning kit designed to bring the book alive. An additional 2,000 books were distributed through outreach events to help drive program registration and awareness at partner sites in communities most impacted by the literacy crisis.Expenses $207,455 · revenue $90,334
- Adolescent Book Group ignites a love of reading by connecting teenagers with volunteer facilitators to discuss, write, and create projects that bring books alive. As students share perspectives in this safe space, they improve communication skills, gain confidence, and enhance their ability to express themselves authentically. Diverse and contemporary texts are explored through discussion groups, text analysis, writing workshops, and author/illustrator visits. During the 2024-25 program year, we brought reading alive for 95 teens and young adolescents. We distributed 400 engaging books to young readers in the program, resulting in an average increase of nearly 60 percent in the size of participants personal libraries.Expenses $99,434
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 30, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | June 30, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | June 30, 2024 | November 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 33-0857381
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 1999
- Accounting year ends
- June
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Arts, culture and humanities (A70)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $3,017,556
- Income (IRS master file)
- $1,192,435
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | June 2025 | $1,164,791 | $1,137,715 | $3,017,556 | XML |
| 990 | June 2024 | $1,039,643 | $1,113,432 | $2,975,175 | XML |
| 990 | June 2023 | $3,097,969 | $1,000,750 | $3,020,301 | XML |
| 990 | June 2022 | $1,306,134 | $789,897 | $931,415 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 33-0857381).
Questions about WORDS ALIVE
- What is the EIN of WORDS ALIVE?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of WORDS ALIVE is 33-0857381.
- Is WORDS ALIVE tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1999.
- Are donations to WORDS ALIVE tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does WORDS ALIVE file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of WORDS ALIVE due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did WORDS ALIVE last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of WORDS ALIVE?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names Rachael Orose.
- Who are the officers and directors of WORDS ALIVE?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 19 people; 3 received compensation from the organization, the highest $79,388 (Hampton Nonprofit Mgt Jan -Dec 2024, Executive Director).
- How much revenue does WORDS ALIVE have?
- On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $1,164,791, expenses of $1,137,715 and total assets of $3,017,556 at year end.
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