Letterform Archive
- Assets
- $5.6m
- Revenue
- $4.1m
- Investments
- $0.0
- Employees
- 23
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
- Founding
- 09/2015
- Data as of
- 12/2021
- EIN
- 46-5519311
Organization Overview
Letterform Archive is located in San Francisco, CA. The organization was established in 2015. According to its NTEE Classification (B70) the organization is classified as: Libraries, under the broad grouping of Education and related organizations. As of 12/2021, Letterform Archive employed 23 individuals. This organization is an independent organization and not affiliated with a larger national or regional group of organizations. Letterform Archive is a 501(c)(3) and as such, is described as a "Charitable or Religous organization or a private foundation" by the IRS.
For the year ending 12/2021, Letterform Archive generated $4.1m in total revenue. This organization has experienced exceptional growth, as over the past 6 years, it has increased revenue by an average of 13.8% each year . All expenses for the organization totaled $2.7m during the year ending 12/2021. You can explore the organizations financials more deeply in the financial statements section below.
Form
990
Mission & Program ActivityExcerpts From the 990 Filing
TAX YEAR
2021
Describe the Organization's Mission:
Part 3 - Line 1
TO INSPIRE AND EDUCATE DESIGNERS, STUDENTS AND ADMIRERS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN, LETTERS, TYPOGRAPHY, AND CALLIGRAPHY.
Describe the Organization's Program Activity:
Part 3 - Line 4a
LETTERFORM ARCHIVE WAS FOUNDED BY ROB SAUNDERS, A COLLECTOR OF THE LETTER ARTS FOR OVER 40 YEARS, AS A PLACE TO SHARE HIS PRIVATE COLLECTION WITH THE PUBLIC. WE OPENED TO VISITORS IN FEBRUARY 2015 AND NOW OFFER HANDS-ON ACCESS TO A CURATED COLLECTION OF OVER 75,000 ITEMS RELATED TO LETTERING, TYPOGRAPHY, CALLIGRAPHY, AND GRAPHIC DESIGN, SPANNING THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY.SO FAR, THE ARCHIVE HAS WELCOMED OVER 10,000 VISITORS FROM 30 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING STUDENTS, PRACTITIONERS, AND LETTERFORM ADMIRERS FROM EVERY CREATIVE BACKGROUND. SOME COME WITH SPECIFIC RESEARCH IDEAS IN MIND, WHILE OTHERS ARE SIMPLY LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION. INVARIABLY, THANKS TO THE BREADTH AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE COLLECTION, THEY STUMBLE ON SOMETHING UNEXPECTED. SERENDIPITY IS KEY TO THE ARCHIVE EXPERIENCE.
IN ADDITION TO HOSTING VISITS AND PUBLIC EVENTS, THE ARCHIVE SERVES A GLOBAL COMMUNITY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, STATE-OF-THE-ART PHOTOGRAPHY, AND PUBLICATIONS. WE OFFER COURSES AND WORKSHOPS IN TYPE DESIGN, CALLIGRAPHY, AND TYPOGRAPHY. WE ALSO CURATE EXHIBITIONS OF OUR HOLDINGS, ORGANIZE LECTURES BY VISITING ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS, AND HOST SALONS AND RECEPTIONS TO SHOWCASE COLLECTIONS OR CELEBRATE OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS.THE ARCHIVE IS LOCATED ON RAMAYTUSH OHLONE LAND IN THE DOGPATCH NEIGHBORHOOD OF SAN FRANCISCO.
LETTERFORM ARCHIVE HOLDS PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL ARTIFACTS IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS, INCLUDING BOOKS, PERIODICALS, POSTERS, SKETCHES, ORIGINAL ART FOR REPRODUCTION, AND RELATED EPHEMERA, AS WELL AS A ROBUST REFERENCE LIBRARY. TOGETHER, THESE WORKS CHRONICLE THE HISTORY OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION, FROM THE INVENTION OF WRITING AND MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS TO MODERNISM, THE AGE OF PRINT TO THE PRESENT EXPLOSION OF DIGITAL TYPE.
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Board, Officers & Key Employees
| Name (title) | Role | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
Johnny Avots-Smith CFO | Officer | 40 | $148,273 |
Rob Saunders President & Ed | OfficerTrustee | 2 | $0 |
Karl Hellman Chairman | OfficerTrustee | 2 | $0 |
Alejandro Chavetta Secretary | Trustee | 1 | $0 |
Jennifer Morla Director | Trustee | 1 | $0 |
Louise Sandhaus Director | Trustee | 1 | $0 |
Financial Statements
| Statement of Revenue | |
|---|---|
| Federated campaigns | $0 |
| Membership dues | $0 |
| Fundraising events | $0 |
| Related organizations | $0 |
| Government grants | $25,000 |
| All other contributions, gifts, grants, and similar amounts not included above | $3,679,752 |
| Noncash contributions included in lines 1a–1f | $2,152,793 |
| Total Revenue from Contributions, Gifts, Grants & Similar | $3,704,752 |
| Total Program Service Revenue | $231,042 |
| Investment income | $23 |
| Tax Exempt Bond Proceeds | $0 |
| Royalties | $0 |
| Net Rental Income | $0 |
| Net Gain/Loss on Asset Sales | $0 |
| Net Income from Fundraising Events | $0 |
| Net Income from Gaming Activities | $0 |
| Net Income from Sales of Inventory | $111,688 |
| Miscellaneous Revenue | $0 |
| Total Revenue | $4,051,847 |
| Statement of Expenses | |
|---|---|
| Grants and other assistance to domestic organizations and domestic governments. | $0 |
| Grants and other assistance to domestic individuals. | $0 |
| Grants and other assistance to Foreign Orgs/Individuals | $0 |
| Benefits paid to or for members | $0 |
| Compensation of current officers, directors, key employees. | $148,273 |
| Compensation of current officers, directors, key employees. | $57,826 |
| Compensation to disqualified persons | $0 |
| Other salaries and wages | $958,756 |
| Pension plan accruals and contributions | $0 |
| Other employee benefits | $110,613 |
| Payroll taxes | $88,349 |
| Fees for services: Management | $0 |
| Fees for services: Legal | $9,930 |
| Fees for services: Accounting | $22,160 |
| Fees for services: Lobbying | $0 |
| Fees for services: Fundraising | $0 |
| Fees for services: Investment Management | $0 |
| Fees for services: Other | $305,313 |
| Advertising and promotion | $15,763 |
| Office expenses | $29,580 |
| Information technology | $164,457 |
| Royalties | $0 |
| Occupancy | $454,349 |
| Travel | $2,928 |
| Payments of travel or entertainment expenses for any federal, state, or local public officials | $0 |
| Conferences, conventions, and meetings | $0 |
| Interest | $1,230 |
| Payments to affiliates | $0 |
| Depreciation, depletion, and amortization | $136,855 |
| Insurance | $31,968 |
| All other expenses | $13,375 |
| Total functional expenses | $2,652,380 |
| Balance Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Cash—non-interest-bearing | $368,698 |
| Savings and temporary cash investments | $0 |
| Pledges and grants receivable | $0 |
| Accounts receivable, net | $50,264 |
| Loans from Officers, Directors, or Controlling Persons | $0 |
| Loans from Disqualified Persons | $0 |
| Notes and loans receivable | $0 |
| Inventories for sale or use | $0 |
| Prepaid expenses and deferred charges | $217,635 |
| Net Land, buildings, and equipment | $1,092,823 |
| Investments—publicly traded securities | $0 |
| Investments—other securities | $0 |
| Investments—program-related | $0 |
| Intangible assets | $0 |
| Other assets | $3,883,156 |
| Total assets | $5,612,576 |
| Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $387,510 |
| Grants payable | $0 |
| Deferred revenue | $143,163 |
| Tax-exempt bond liabilities | $0 |
| Escrow or custodial account liability | $0 |
| Loans and other payables to any current Officer, Director, or Controlling Person | $0 |
| Secured mortgages and notes payable | $150,000 |
| Unsecured mortgages and notes payable | $0 |
| Other liabilities | $1,259,623 |
| Total liabilities | $1,940,296 |
| Net assets without donor restrictions | $3,672,280 |
| Net assets with donor restrictions | $0 |
| Capital stock or trust principal, or current funds | $0 |
| Paid-in or capital surplus, or land, building, or equipment fund | $0 |
| Retained earnings, endowment, accumulated income, or other funds | $0 |
| Total liabilities and net assets/fund balances | $5,612,576 |
Grants Recieved
Over the last fiscal year, we have identified 1 grants that Letterform Archive has recieved totaling $54.
| Awarding Organization | Amount |
|---|---|
Amazonsmile Foundation Seattle, WA PURPOSE: GENERAL SUPPORT | $54 |
Peer Organizations
| Organization Name | Assets | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
Ck12 Foundation San Jose, CA | $3,790,567 | $12,243,457 |
Creative Commons Corporation Mountain View, CA | $9,584,245 | $9,853,619 |
Long Now Foundation San Francisco, CA | $8,496,773 | $4,135,043 |
Letterform Archive San Francisco, CA | $5,612,576 | $4,051,847 |
Rancho Cucamonga Public Library Foundation Rancho Cucamonga, CA | $80,561 | $132,446 |
Library Association Of La Jolla La Jolla, CA | $7,657,063 | $2,243,407 |
Sedona Public Library Sedona, AZ | $7,250,372 | $2,554,776 |
Lafayette Library And Learningcenter Foundation Lafayette, CA | $28,882,741 | $2,073,300 |
The Digital Distributed Community Archive Stanford, CA | $3,639,872 | $1,772,956 |
Walt Disney Family Foundation San Francisco, CA | $8,081,443 | $1,620,731 |
Cancer Patients Alliance Pacific Grove, CA | $1,207,473 | $1,716,621 |
Desert Foothills Library Association Cave Creek, AZ | $11,787,133 | $1,313,288 |