First Literacy Inc
Funding innovation in adult literacy to change lives. We do this by: offering free best practice workshops for teachers and other adult education professionals; encouraging, supporting, and sharing innovative practices, curriculum and resources through our First Literacy lab program grant initiative; and awarding scholarships and providing support for adult learners who are starting college.
First Literacy Inc at a glance
In short: First Literacy Inc gave $11K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $11,125
- -62.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- -66.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,125
- +13.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $11,125
- Total assets
- $1,197,480
- -14.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who First Literacy Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Literacy Project ($11K).
Grant Size Distribution
10 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 10 grants of 10 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How First Literacy Inc gives
- Giving fell 70% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $11K (2025) to $49K (2019). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $11K.
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
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Literacy Project Greenfield, MA | For Reading Curriculum Really Great Reading | $11,125 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,197,480 | $669,780 | $769,794 | $11,125 | 1 | $114,894 |
| 2024 | $1,401,927 | $796,853 | $700,620 | $29,371 | 3 | $70,753 |
| 2023 | $1,129,162 | $490,804 | $752,639 | $33,121 | 3 | $26,450 |
| 2022 | $1,268,482 | $615,900 | $729,964 | $37,500 | 3 | $92,281 |
| 2021 | $1,650,211 | $653,913 | $645,880 | $24,873 | Total only | $89,227 |
| 2020 | $1,342,823 | $458,574 | $540,497 | $40,500 | Total only | $66,691 |
| 2019 | $1,345,307 | $655,242 | $565,559 | $48,900 | 11 | $57,238 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
About First Literacy Inc
Based on IRS filings
First Literacy Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in Boston, MA. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $1.2M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $11K. Net investment income was $115K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
First Literacy Inc is led by Theresa B. Witherell, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 13 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Theresa B. Witherell
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
50 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $174K (2025)
James Nolan
Chairman
Vice President → Chairman, 2023
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Corey Groves
Board Member
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Holly Reeves
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey P. Beale
Vice President
Chairman → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lawrence Fahey
Vice President
Board Member → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nilan Jayasinghe
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Olga Kasparova
Board Member
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rudy Bozas
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Garner
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tony Da Silva
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Kenyon
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karime Abdel-Hay
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (24)
- Former: Karime Adbel-Hay (2023–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Lee Kenyon (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Ann Noble-Kiley (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Christopher Walsh (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Ryan Tosi (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Mayor Michelle Wu (2022–2023) — Executive Officio Board Member
- Former: Amanda Mackenzie (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Ciro Valientine (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Julie Paris (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Steve Stanton (2023) — Board Member
- Former: Ciro Valiente (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Donna Charpentier (2019–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Xu Cheng (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: John Shea (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Kathleen Rowell (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Mayor Martin Walsh (2019–2021) — Executive Officio Board Member
- Former: Christopher Cullinan (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Kimberly Brennan O'Loughlin (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Skye M. Morrison (2020) — Former Executive Director
- Former: Barbara Healy Smith (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Jamie O'Riordan (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Karen Morrissey (2019) — Vice President
- Former: Kimberly Brennan (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Skye Morrison Kramer (2019) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $174K, to Theresa B Witherell (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about First Literacy Inc
How much does First Literacy Inc give each year?
First Literacy Inc gave $11K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $29K across 3 grants.
How large is First Literacy Inc?
First Literacy Inc reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $670K.
What is First Literacy Inc?
First Literacy Inc is a public charity focused on Education, based in Boston, MA. It holds $1.2M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does First Literacy Inc operate?
First Literacy Inc has awarded grants in Massachusetts.
What is First Literacy Inc's EIN?
First Literacy Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2997446. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 3, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work First Literacy Inc funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in First Literacy Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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First Literacy Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?