Minnesota · Nonprofit
LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
LITTLE FREE LIBRARY (Minnesota) receives grants from 56 organizations whose IRS filings report $791,120 to it, the largest being PAYPAL CHARITABLE GIVING FUND ($146,582). 21 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $3.4M
- Funders on record
- 56
- Grants received
- $791k
- Net assets
- $3.2M
What Little Free Library does
Mission
Little Free Library's mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led little free libraries.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
Little Free Library's mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-sharing boxes. Today there are more than 200,000 registered little free libraries circulating millions of free books, a phenomenon that continues to increase momentum. Lfl book-sharing boxes stand in front yards, playgrounds, city parks, and more in all 50 us states and over 120 countries worldwide, strengthening neighborhoods, spreading literacy, and bringing people together through the love of reading.
$1,672,743 spent$2,345,717 earned by the program78% of program spendingOur core program includes growing the book-sharing movement; developing activities that stimulate neighborly connections; and supporting the network of volunteer stewards who provide the day-to-day management and curation of each Little Free Library.steward services is our support program for volunteer library stewards. This program provides resources across all lfl programs and beyond to ensure volunteer stewards have the tools they need to be successful. Steward services represents a variety of support services offered to registered library stewards - this includes things like maintaining the Little Free Library mobile app, managing a private facebook group, leveraging our relationships with publishers and book distributors to get deals and giveaways for stewards, developing tools that support sustainability, etc. Steward services as a program is really a way to describe the infrastructure we have created and continue to develop as a way of providing support to our volunteer network.
$48,336 spent2% of program spendingThe impact library program places book-sharing boxes in underserved communities, where they can be a catalyst for improving reading motivation and deepening community connections. The program is funded by contributed revenue and from the organization's retail sales and library registration fees. A monthly application review process and installation follow-up establishes a connection between library recipients and the Little Free Library community. Program participants are asked to commit to setting up and maintaining the library for a minimum of one year; taking a picture and sharing the library's story; and holding at least one reading or neighborhood activity in the first year. To date over 3,300 book-sharing boxes and 100,000 books have been granted through this program.
$187,610 spent9% of program spendingRead in color brings diverse books to Little Free Library book-sharing boxes around the world. Read in color distributes books that provide perspectives on racism and social justice; celebrate bipoc, lgbtq+, and other marginalized voices; and incorporate experiences from all identities for all readers. When george floyd was murdered in minneapolis in 2020, the Little Free Library worked with our community to develop read in color to help create meaningful change. More than 10,000 diverse books and 30 little free libraries have been distributed in the twin cities to date. Since 2020, read in color has expanded nationwide to 30 additional cities with more on the way! In total, more than 350 little free libraries have been established in high-impact areas and 60,000 diverse books have been shared.
$91,362 spent4% of program spendingThrough our indigenous library program, we grant no-cost Little Free Library boxes full of books to indigenous communities with limited book access. Similar to the impact library program, a regular application review process and installation follow-up establishes a connection between library recipients and the Little Free Library community. Program participants are asked to commit to setting up and maintaining the library for a minimum of one year; taking a picture and sharing the library's story; and holding at least one reading or neighborhood activity in the first year. To date more than 225 book-sharing boxes and 11,300 books have been granted through this program.
$90,983 spent4% of program spendingTeam lfl is the volunteer engagement initiative of Little Free Library. Team lfl connects both individual volunteers and community groups with opportunities to support the network of little free libraries and programs. The team lfl initiative provides support and resources for volunteers across the united states who work to help sustain little free libraries in their communities. Team lfl volunteers support book-sharing boxes through book drives, book restocking, community events, build events, etc.
$63,602 spent3% of program spending
The 6 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $2,154,636.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2019 to 2020, from $200k to $1.3M (+552%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
28% of LITTLE FREE LIBRARY’s revenue is contributions — about as donation-reliant as the typical peer (48% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 1 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Daniel Gumnit
Executive director
Board chair
Nancy Wulkan
Board chair
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
The chief executive listed changed between the FY2018 and FY2019, and between the FY2024 and FY2025 filings.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 4 funders to 18 funders, grant income rose $8k → $167k.
10 of 56 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 41% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of LITTLE FREE LIBRARY’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 56 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
LITTLE FREE LIBRARY has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 19% of grant income, and it takes 5 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 5 funders to its left
65% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund LITTLE FREE LIBRARY.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 66% · 2018 80% · 2019 58% · 2020 71% · 2021 25% · 2022 20% · 2023 29% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
37% of LITTLE FREE LIBRARY's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 38% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
LITTLE FREE LIBRARY draws 71% of its grant income from funders outside Minnesota, across 23 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $324k arriving through sponsors registered in 8 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
LITTLE FREE LIBRARY has grown faster than half of the 9,398 education nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 9,398 education nonprofits $1M–$10M, FY2025
Government funding LITTLE FREE LIBRARY receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $10k on record.
- DE$7k
- NJ$2k
- FL$1k
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Minnesota
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
59% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
81%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 2 states
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for LITTLE FREE LIBRARY: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds LITTLE FREE LIBRARY?
- LITTLE FREE LIBRARY (Minnesota) receives grants from 56 organizations whose IRS filings report $791,120 to it, the largest being PAYPAL CHARITABLE GIVING FUND ($146,582). 21 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does LITTLE FREE LIBRARY have?
- IRS filings report 56 organizations giving $791,120 in grants to LITTLE FREE LIBRARY, 21 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of LITTLE FREE LIBRARY?
- PAYPAL CHARITABLE GIVING FUND is the largest funder on record, with $146,582 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like LITTLE FREE LIBRARY find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Minnesota. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Little Free Library →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 56 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing