Civic Intelligence

Words Alive

990 • Fiscal year 2025 • EIN 33-0857381

Jul 01, 2024 to Jun 30, 2025 • Filed on Dec 09, 2025

Organization Profilewww.wordsalive.org

View Organization Page

770 Park BlvdSan Diego, CA 92101

(858) 274-9673

Siviq Scores

Precomputed percentiles for this filing year versus similar nonprofits in the same peer cohort.

Liabilities / Assets

40th percentile

0.03x

Higher debt load relative to assets than 40% of similar nonprofits.

2025 filings • 501(c)3 • $1M-$5M nonprofits • Source year 2025

Liabilities / Revenue

48th percentile

0.07x

Higher debt load relative to revenue than 48% of similar nonprofits.

2025 filings • 501(c)3 • $1M-$5M nonprofits • Source year 2025

Net Margin

44th percentile

2.3%

Higher net margin than 44% of similar nonprofits.

2025 filings • 501(c)3 • $1M-$5M nonprofits • Source year 2025

Top Officer Pay

58th percentile

$79,388

Higher top officer pay than 58% of similar nonprofits.

Top officer pay equals 6.8% of source-year revenue.

2025 filings • 501(c)3 • $1M-$5M nonprofits • Source year 2025

Asset Growth

42nd percentile

1.4%

Faster asset growth than 42% of similar nonprofits.

2025 filings • 501(c)3 • $1M-$5M nonprofits • Annualized from 2024 to 2025

Revenue Growth

61st percentile

12%

Faster revenue growth than 61% of similar nonprofits.

2025 filings • 501(c)3 • $1M-$5M nonprofits • Annualized from 2024 to 2025

Balance Sheet
Liabilities / Assets40th percentile

Assets

Up

$3,017,556

Up $2,086,141 (+224%) from 2022

Net Assets

Up

$2,936,323

Up $2,069,611 (+239%) from 2022

Liabilities

Up

$81,233

Up $16,530 (+26%) from 2022

Revenue And Expenses
Liabilities / Revenue48th percentileNet Margin44th percentile

Revenue

Down

$1,164,791

Down $141,343 (-11%) from 2022

Expenses

Up

$1,137,715

Up $347,818 (+44%) from 2022

Net Income

Down

$27,076

Down $489,161 (-95%) from 2022

Historical Trend

Balance Sheet Trend

Asset Growth42nd percentile

The highlighted filing sits inside the broader history for assets, liabilities, and net assets.

$4.0M$3.0M$2.0M$1.0M$0Assets 2011: $238,290Liabilities 2011: $964Net Assets 2011: $237,3262011Assets 2015: $192,596Liabilities 2015: $7,319Net Assets 2015: $185,2772015Assets 2017: $198,568Liabilities 2017: $30,023Net Assets 2017: $168,5452017Assets 2019: $198,428Liabilities 2019: $95,549Net Assets 2019: $102,8792019Assets 2020: $251,119Liabilities 2020: $111,455Net Assets 2020: $139,6642020Assets 2022: $931,415Liabilities 2022: $64,703Net Assets 2022: $866,7122022Assets 2025: $3,017,556Liabilities 2025: $81,233Net Assets 2025: $2,936,3232025

Highlighted filing

2025

Assets$3,017,556
Liabilities$81,233
Net Assets$2,936,323
Open 2025 Filing

Operations Trend

Revenue Growth61st percentile

Revenue, expenses, and net income across loaded years, with this filing highlighted.

$1.5M$1.0M$500K$0-$500KExpenses 2011: $314,5822011Revenue 2015: $610,136Expenses 2015: $605,002Net Income 2015: $5,1342015Revenue 2017: $738,486Expenses 2017: $735,377Net Income 2017: $3,1092017Revenue 2019: $686,740Expenses 2019: $800,281Net Income 2019: -$113,5412019Revenue 2020: $713,507Expenses 2020: $676,722Net Income 2020: $36,7852020Revenue 2022: $1,306,134Expenses 2022: $789,897Net Income 2022: $516,2372022Revenue 2025: $1,164,791Expenses 2025: $1,137,715Net Income 2025: $27,0762025

Highlighted filing

2025

Revenue$1,164,791
Expenses$1,137,715
Net Income$27,076
Open 2025 Filing
Jump To
Filing Snapshot
Filing Period
Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 2025
Signed
Dec 9, 2025
Return Version
2024v5.2
Gross Receipts
$1,192,435
Mission and Program Overview

Mission

We envision a world where everyone is connected to the power of reading and the innumerable ways it enriches our lives. Our programs empower learners facing extraordinary life circumstances such as homelessness, poverty, foster care, impact by the justice system, and teen pregnancy.

At Words Alive, we envision a world where everyone is connected to the power of reading and the innumerable ways it enriches our lives.

Balance Sheet Detail
LineBeginningEndChange
Assets
Land, Buildings, and Equipment, Net$1,952,667$1,977,890▲ $25,223
Savings and Temporary Cash Investments$632,595$658,398▲ $25,803
Cash and Non-Interest-Bearing Accounts$204,272$204,268▼ $4
Accounts Receivable$95,126$83,889▼ $11,237
Pledges and Grants Receivable$66,175$38,000▼ $28,175
Investments in Publicly Traded Securities$15,078$16,511▲ $1,433
Prepaid Expenses and Deferred Charges$5,534$15,539▲ $10,005
Total Assets$2,975,175$3,017,556▲ $42,381
Other Assets Total$3,728$23,061▲ $19,333
Liabilities
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses$79,208$58,046▼ $21,162
Other Liabilities$3,728$23,187▲ $19,459
Total Liabilities$82,936$81,233▼ $1,703
Net Assets / Fund Balance
Net Assets Without Donor Restrictions$2,648,077$2,598,749▼ $49,328
Net Assets With Donor Restrictions$244,162$337,574▲ $93,412
Total Net Assets Fund Balance$2,892,239$2,936,323▲ $44,084
Total Liabilities and Net Assets / Fund Balance$2,975,175$3,017,556▲ $42,381

Asset Categories

AssetBook ValueDepreciationBasis
Buildings$1,889,176$110,824$2,000,000
Equipment$73,176$13,073$86,249
Other Land Buildings$15,538$37$15,575

Endowment Activity

PeriodBeginningContrib.Gain/LossOther UsesEnd
2024$15,078-▲ $1,433-$16,511
2023$13,889-▲ $1,189-$15,078
2022$12,981-▲ $908-$13,889
2021$13,535-▼ $554-$12,981
2020$10,892-▲ $2,643-$13,535
Compensation and Service Providers
Top Officer Pay58th percentile

Employees

NameTitleFull / Part TimeBaseOtherTotal
Rachael OroseExecutive Director-$79,388-$79,388
Meredith BaratzExecutive DirectorFT$53,125$1,062$54,187
Julie DubickDirector of FinancePT$1,108-$1,108

Board Members and Trustees

NameTitle
Karen Silberman term ended JanuaryChair
Nick GiordanoImmediate Past Chair
Karen MalinVice Chair
-Director
Bijan NowroozianDirector
Brian FidlerDirector
Collen SmileyDirector
Jeffra Becknell elected January 202Director
Julia LomanDirector
Kelsey Vasko elected January 2025Director
Rick Seidenwurm elected January 202Director
Tami Daiber-HirstDirector
Tammy CarpowichDirector
Jon Yonemitsu July 2024-November 20Secretary
Laura Galinson resigned May 2025Treasurer
Revenue and Support

Revenue Composition

Contributions and Grants
$1,037,465
Program Service Revenue
$108,040
Investment Income
$23,000
Other Revenue
$-3,714
All Other Contributions
$921,735
Change in Net Assets
$27,076

Audited Revenue Reconciliation

Revenue per Audited Statements
$1,164,791
Revenue Not Reported on Form 990
$17,008
Total Revenue per Audited Statements
$1,181,799
Total Revenue per Form 990
$1,164,791
Expenses and Functional Allocation

Major Expense Lines

Line ItemAmount
Salaries, Compensation, and Employee Benefits$801,983
Other Expenses$335,732
Total Fundraising Expense$177,446
Grants and Similar Amounts Paid$0
Professional Fundraising Fees$0

Functional Expense Allocation

Line ItemProgramManagementFundraisingTotal
Other Salaries and Wages$383,519$37,868$100,627$522,014
Current Officers, Directors, Trustees, and Key Employees$73,517$82,468$24,506$180,491
Depreciation Depletion$43,321$8,919$11,467$63,707
Payroll Taxes$34,202$7,042$9,053$50,297
Other Employee Benefits$26,212$5,397$6,939$38,548
Information Technology$9,305$25,795$3,206$38,306
Fees for Services Other$500$32,031$250$32,781
Office Expenses$7,402$15,483$7,302$30,187
Other Expenses$24,201$62$1,495$24,263
Occupancy$6,478$8,834$1,715$17,027
Fees for Services Accounting$1,660$13,236$439$15,335
Pension Plan Contributions$7,414$1,351$1,868$10,633
Insurance-$9,556-$9,556
All Other Expenses--$7,209$7,209
Travel$2,973$833$1,110$4,916
Fees for Services Legal-$886-$886
Total Functional Expenses$698,944$261,325$177,446$1,137,715

Audited Expense Reconciliation

Line ItemAmount
Expenses per Audited Statements$1,137,715
Total Expenses per Audited Statements$1,137,715
Total Expenses per Form 990$1,137,715
Fundraising, Events, and Gaming
Fundraising activities
Yes
Gaming activities
No
Professional fundraiser used
No

Fundraising and Gaming Totals

Line ItemAmount
Fundraising Direct Expenses$27,644
Fundraising Gross Income$23,930
Professional Fundraising Fees$0

Fundraising Events

EventGross ReceiptsGross RevenueDirect ExpensesNet Income
dinner$64,270$23,930$4,849$19,081
Total Events$64,270$23,930$27,644$-3,714
Political and Lobbying Activity
Political campaign activity
No
Lobbying activity
No
Subject to proxy tax
No
Debt and Bond Financing

Other Reported Liabilities

LiabilityAmount
Operating lease liability$15,768
Federal income taxes$7,419
Finance lease liability-
Governance and Compliance

Governance Checklist

Compiled or reviewed by an accountant
No
Annual disclosure for covered persons
Yes
Audit committee
Yes
Backup withholding compliance
Yes
Business relationship with 35% controlled entity
No
Business relationship with family members
No
Business relationship with organization members
No
Material changes to governing documents
No
Compensation from other sources disclosed
No
CEO compensation reviewed
Yes
Other officer compensation reviewed
No
Conflict-of-interest policy
Yes
Audited financial statements prepared
No
Key decisions subject to board approval
No
Management duties delegated
Yes

Governance Explanations

Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 3

“The Board of Directors delegated the executive and finance leadership role to Hampton Nonprofit Management for part of the year while Words Alive Executive Director, Rachael Orose, was on medical leave. Words Alive paid 79,388 to Hampton Nonprofit Management for the calendar year ended December 31, 2024. Starting December 2024, Optima Office, Inc. manages Words Alive financial operations. Words Alive paid 1,108 to Optima Office, Inc. for the calendar year ended December 31, 2024.”

Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11B

“Form 990 is reviewed by the Board of Directors prior to filing.”

Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12

“Each Board member upon joining the Board signs a document verifying their agreement to the terms and conditions. Conflict of Interest Certification form is signed annually.”

Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15A

“The Board of Directors reviews the Executive Directors performance and considers pay scales of comparably sized nonprofits in determining salary recommendations to the Board for approval.”

Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19

“Governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are available upon request.”

Filing and Contact Details

Filer

Filer Name
Words Alive
EIN
33-0857381
Phone
8582749673
Address
770 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101

Signing Officer

Name
Rachael Orose
Title
Executive Director
Phone
8582749673
Signed
2025-12-09
Discuss with paid preparer
Yes

Organization Details

Formed
1999
Legal Domicile
CA
Voting Board Members
13
Independent Board Members
13
Employees
19
Volunteers
786

Preparer

Firm
Sonnenberg & Company CPAs
Address
5190 Governor Dr 201, San Diego, CA 92122
Preparer
Leonard C Sonnenberg
Phone
8584575252
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IRS990/MissionDesc0At 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.
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IRS990/ProgSrvcAccomActy3Grp/Desc0Adolescent 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.
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Document Assets

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Filings

Displayed year

2025 • Form 990Detailed filing. Detailed filing data is available for this year.

Open filing
Assets
$3,017,556
Liabilities
$81,233
Net assets
$2,936,323
Revenue
$1,164,791
Expenses
$1,137,715
Net income
$27,076
Balance SheetOperations
YearAssetsLiabilitiesNet AssetsRevenueExpensesNet Income
2025Detailed filing. Detailed filing data is available for this year.$3.02$0.08$2.94$1.16$1.14$0.03
2022XML pending. An XML filing is linked for this year, but detailed extraction is still pending.$0.93$0.06$0.87$1.31$0.79$0.52
2020Facts available. Structured filing facts are available, but richer extracted sections are limited.$0.25$0.11$0.14$0.71$0.68$0.04
2019XML pending. An XML filing is linked for this year, but detailed extraction is still pending.$0.20$0.10$0.10$0.69$0.80$0.11
2017XML pending. An XML filing is linked for this year, but detailed extraction is still pending.$0.20$0.03$0.17$0.74$0.74$0.00
2015Detailed filing. Detailed filing data is available for this year.$0.19$0.01$0.19$0.61$0.61$0.01
2011Facts available. Structured filing facts are available, but richer extracted sections are limited.$0.24$0.00$0.24$0.31