Words Alive
Donations deductibleRevenue
$1.2m
year to 30 June 2025
Expenses
$1.1m
year to 30 June 2025
Total assets
$3m
$81k liabilities
Net assets
$2.9m
assets less liabilities
Directors and trustees
16
2.7 years on average
Staff
19
786 volunteers
Chair observed
≥3 yrs
Karen Silberman term ended January
Left since last filing
0
no seats appear to have opened
Words Alive's network
16 people2 organisationsi16 people and 2 organisations on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (16). Violet dotted lines (2) are likely: the same full name sits on the current board of another organisation in the same register and region. Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK. It may be a different person.The board
16 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations in the tables. The network map shows same-name matches as likely links only, never as confirmed.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 13 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI; we list 16 in Part VII (Part VII does not always name every voting member).| Name | Role as filed | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Silberman Term Ended January Chair | Immediate Past Chair | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Meredith Baratz Chair | Chair | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Bijan Nowroozian | Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Brian Fidler | Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Collen Smiley | Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Jeffra Becknell Elected January 202 | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Jon Yonemitsu July 2024-November 20 | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Julia Loman | Director | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Julie Dubick | Vice Chair | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Karen Malin | Company secretary | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Kelsey Vasko Elected January 2025 | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Laura Galinson Resigned May 2025 | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Nick Giordano | Treasurer | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Rick Seidenwurm Elected January 202 | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Tami Daiber-Hirst | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Tammy Carpowich | Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
Officers and senior leadership
2 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.| Name | Title as filed | On the filings |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Stewart | Executive Director through 5/30/19 | 2019 |
| Rachael Orose | Executive Director 7/1/23-1/31/24 | since 2020 |
Pay and hours
year to 30 June 2025iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.| Name | Title as filed | Hours a week | Pay from the organisation | Related organisations | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Nonprofit Mgt Jan -Dec 2024 | Executive Director | 2 | $79k | ||
| Rachael Orose | Executive Director | 40 | $53k | $1k | |
| Anastasia Rollins Optima started Dec 2024 | Director of Finance | 6 | $1k | ||
| Meredith Baratz | Chair | 2 | $0 | ||
| Julie Dubick | Vice Chair | 2 | $0 | ||
| Karen Silberman term ended January | Immediate Past Chair | 2 | $0 | ||
| Karen Malin | Secretary | 2 | $0 | ||
| Nick Giordano | Treasurer | 2 | $0 | ||
| Jon Yonemitsu July 2024-November 20 | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Laura Galinson resigned May 2025 | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Collen Smiley | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Bijan Nowroozian | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Tammy Carpowich | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Brian Fidler | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Tami Daiber-Hirst | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Julia Loman | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Rick Seidenwurm elected January 202 | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Jeffra Becknell elected January 202 | Director | 2 | $0 | ||
| Kelsey Vasko elected January 2025 | Director | 2 | $0 |
About
- Legal name
- Words Alive
- EIN
- 330857381
- Address
- 770 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA, 92101-6508
- State
- California
- Mission
- At 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. (as filed on the Form 990)
- Activity (NTEE)
- A70 Arts, culture and humanities
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Classified purpose
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Size band
- 6 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 1999
- IRS ruling date
- 1 July 1999
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 7, latest 2025
- IRS Publication 78
- PC (contributions deductible)
Most connected
Longest observed on the filings
≥6years on the filingsKaren Malin
≥4years on the filingsMeredith Baratz
≥4years on the filingsJulia Loman
≥4years on the filingsJulie Dubick
Latest return
year to 30 June 2025iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 30 June 2025. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $3m
- Total liabilities
- $81k
- Net assets or fund balances
- $2.9m
- Contributions and grants received
- $1m
- Program service revenue
- $108k
- Employees
- 19
- Volunteers
- 786
Filed finances
2 yearsiTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.| Tax year | Total revenue | Total expenses | Surplus or deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1.2m | $1.1m | $27k |
| 2023 | $1m | $1.1m | Deficit $74k |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.