East Side Freedom Library logo

East Side Freedom Library

Public charity · Grantmaker Saint Paul, MN EIN: 46-3794535 Website

The East Side Freedom Library's mission is to inspire solidarity, advocate for justice and work toward equity for all. The library houses non-circulating research collections that appeal to interested general learners as well as scholars, with innovative databases and finding aids that make using the collections fun and vital. Story is a major theme of the ESFL, and the telling and gathering of stories, through formal interviews, workshops, and small-scale public performances, will allow local residents and interested publics to learn more about the work and residential histories of the East Side.

East Side Freedom Library at a glance

Total assets
$557,396
-8.0% vs 2024
Revenue (2025)
$578,936
+0.1% vs 2024
Net investment income (2025)
$1,502
-49.5% vs 2024
Expenses (2025)
$571,465
-27.8% vs 2024
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Who East Side Freedom Library funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

1 grant across all recorded years

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

The most common grant size was under $50K: 1 grant of 1 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

States

Cities

Saint Paul

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$10K$20K$30K$40KTotal only2021 0 grants2022 0 grants2023 1 grant2024 0 grants2025

From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2021) to $32K (2024). In 2024 it made 1 grant totaling $32K.

Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Neo Muralismos De Mexico Saint Paul, MNCreative Support from the Minnesota State Arts Board pass through to grantee$32,484
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025$557,396$578,936$571,465——$1,502
2024$606,106$578,430$791,869$32,4841$2,975
2023$791,847$526,523$814,038——$2,299
2022$1,831,945$743,529$553,417——$1,693
2021$1,682,191$554,869$310,967$8,938Total only$477

"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.

About East Side Freedom Library

Based on IRS filings

East Side Freedom Library is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Saint Paul, MN. IRS filing data is available from 2021 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $557K in total assets. Net investment income was $2K.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

East Side Freedom Library is led by Saengmany Ratsabout, Executive Director since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 16 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Saengmany Ratsabout

    Executive Director

    Director → Executive Director, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $42K (2023) → $60K (2025)

  • Andrea M Satter

    Board President

    Director → Board President, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rick Macpherson

    Board Member

    Board Chair → President, 2023

    President → Board Member, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sangay Taythi

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sara Degner Riveros

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Selena Moon

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Wilt Hodges

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Becca Seidel

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jennings Mergenthal

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Meixi Ng

    Board Member

    Director → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michelle Filkins

    Secretary

    Director → Secretary, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Anh-Thu Pham

    Board Treasurer

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lisa Janette

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Najah A Musse

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Cassie Williams

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Warren Hanson

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (21)
  • Former: Isuru Herath (2023–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Jesse Phenow (2023–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Kate Driscoll Derickson (2023–2024) — Board Member
  • Former: Brian Xiong (2021–2023) — Director
  • Former: Mary Miller (2021–2023) — Treasurer
  • Former: Tim O'Brien (2021–2023) — Director
  • Former: Abdul Dire (2022–2023) — Director
  • Former: Caitlin Reid (2022–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: Nejaha Musse (2022–2023) — Director
  • Former: Beth Cleary (2021–2022) — Co-Executive Director
  • Former: Yuichiro Onishi (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Peter Rachelff (2022) — Co-Executive Director
  • Former: Denise Rodriguez (2021) — President
  • Former: Marlin Heise (2021) — Director
  • Former: Mary Wingerd (2021) — Director
  • Former: Peter Rachleff (2021) — Executive Director
  • Former: Robyn Gulley (2021) — Director
  • Former: Sarah Lake (2021) — Director
  • Former: Thomas O'Connell (2021) — Director
  • Former: Todd Lawrence (2021) — Vice President
  • Former: Vicki Beebe (2021) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Saengmany Ratsabout — Executive Director: $60KSaengmany RatsaboutExecutive Director$60K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $60K, to Saengmany Ratsabout (Executive Director).

Frequently asked questions about East Side Freedom Library

How large is East Side Freedom Library?

East Side Freedom Library reported $557K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $579K.

What is East Side Freedom Library?

East Side Freedom Library is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Saint Paul, MN. It holds $557K in total assets as of 2025.

Where does East Side Freedom Library operate?

East Side Freedom Library has awarded grants in Minnesota.

What is East Side Freedom Library's EIN?

East Side Freedom Library's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3794535. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

Data update history

(3)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
  2. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in East Side Freedom Library's focus areas in our free grants database

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from East Side Freedom Library's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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