Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation

ALTON, IL EIN: 37-6227827

The Bound To Stay Bound Books Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Alton, Illinois. Established in 1985, the foundation is affiliated with Bound to Stay Bound Books, a third-generation family-owned business founded in 1920 that specializes in providing high-quality prebound juvenile books to school and public libraries.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$4.2M

+43.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$202K

-10.0% YoY

Grant Count

40

-7.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$5K

-3.2% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports the library field and library media programs through funding and scholarships. Primary focus areas include:

  • Library Education & Professional Development: Offering scholarships for individuals pursuing work in the library field
  • Conference Support: Underwriting attendance for media specialists at professional conferences
  • Literature & Media Programs: Providing funding for the development and distribution of literature and support for media programs
  • Library Awards & Recognition: Establishing and supporting prestigious awards in the library community

Grantmaking

The foundation's grantmaking activities include:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

19states
+11 more states

Cities

AllendaleAustinBaltimoreBoca RatonChampaignChicagoColumbiaDallasDaytonDentonDurhamGreensboroGreenvilleHagerstownHattiesburgJacksonvileJacksonvilleLewistownLexingtonLisle

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

  • Total Assets: $2.89 million
  • Annual Revenue: $172,000
  • Annual Expenses: $246,000
  • Total Liabilities: $0

The foundation has been tax-exempt since July 1985.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$413K$825K$1M$2M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$4,151,664$2,886,813$2,960,282
Revenue$1,500,877$172,314$142,988
Expenses$236,091$245,784$251,122
Qualifying Distributions$201,850$220,750$229,800
Net Investment Income$1,471,719$149,233$121,416
Distributable Amount$199,785$207,370$215,227

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$57K$115K$172K$230K38 grants202034 grants202143 grants202243 grants202340 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Prairieland United Way$25KMorgan County Historical…$15KTexas Library Association$15KAmerican Association of …$13KThe Dollywood Foundation$9KAmerican Library Associa…$9KCatholic University of A…$8KIllinois State University$8KLoyola University Maryland$8KMissouri S& T$8K

Grant Size Distribution

198 grants across all recorded years

197<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

No officer/director data available.

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation continues active grantmaking, with recent announcements including:

2024

Awards for Bound to Stay Bound and Melcher Scholarships distributed to students in 2024 and 2025

ALSC awards Bound to Stay Bound and Melcher Scholarships to six students
2025

Grants awarded to AASL members to attend the 2025 AASL National Conference

Thirty AASL members receive Bound To Stay Bound grants to attend first national

Ongoing support of school library advocacy initiatives

Bound To Stay Bound Books continues support of school library advocacy

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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