The Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago reported $464.4 million in revenue and $381.9 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $89.07 went to program services, $7.98 to management and general costs and $2.95 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 53.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $1,163,144 (PRESIDENT, MUSEUM). 223 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 32% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $382MFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $464MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 89.1% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 8.0% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.9% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.14 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 17.3% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 53.9% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $1,163,144 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.30% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 223 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 61.4 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 58 of 58 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe school of the Art Institute of Chicago (saic} is an accredited college of art and design offering undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate degree programs for studio artists, art educators, art therapists, designers, writers, and art historians. Saic's fine arts graduate program is ranked number two in the nation by U.S. News and world report, and the school offers world-class resources including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities. In fiscal year 2025, average academic year full-time-equivalent enrollment of degree-seeking…
The Art Institute of Chicago shares its singular collections with our city and the world. We collect, care for, and interpret works of art across time, cultures, geographies, and identities, centering the vision of artists and makers. We recognize that all art is made in a particular context, demanding continual, dynamic reconsideration in the present. We are a place of gathering; we foster the exchange of ideas and inspire an expansive, inclusive understanding of human creativity. The museum achieves this through building and stewarding its renowned permanent collection, producing…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT, MUSEUM Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $1,024,393 | $0 | $138,751 | $1,163,144 |
| PRESIDENT, SAIC ENDED 07/2024 Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $753,076 | $0 | $63,745 | $816,821 |
| EVP FOR FINANCE AND ADMIN Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $511,868 | $0 | $54,389 | $566,257 |
| CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $256,998 | $0 | $213,026 | $470,024 |
| EVP, GENERAL CSL & SECRETARY Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $416,960 | $0 | $50,830 | $467,790 |
| DEPUTY DIR & SR VP CUR AFFAIRS Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $357,259 | $0 | $106,123 | $463,382 |
| SENIOR VP, ENGAGEMENT, MUSEUM Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $344,764 | $0 | $102,963 | $447,727 |
| PROVOST & SR VP ACAD AFFAIRS Key employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $394,834 | $0 | $41,968 | $436,802 |
223 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Art Institute of Chicago (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $5.6M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b58 · 58 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 53,643
- Volunteers Part I, line 6193
Private foundation grants it received
238 private foundations reported grants to The Art Institute of Chicago totaling $19M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from The Art Institute of Chicago's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Art Institute of Chicago, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Art Institute of Chicago spent in FY2025, $89.07 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Berklee College of MusicBoston, MA · revenue $460M · programs 81.6% · FY2025
- The Ojc FundBrooklyn, NY · revenue $469M · programs 99.1% · FY2025
- The Rockefeller UniversityNew York, NY · revenue $458M · programs 84.1% · FY2025
- University of Nebraska FoundationLincoln, NE · revenue $479M · programs 81.1% · FY2025
- Bar Ilan University in IsraelNew York, NY · revenue $458M · programs 71.1% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of The Art Institute of Chicago's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Art Institute of Chicago reported that 89.1% of its $381.9 million in expenses went to program services, 8.0% to management and general and 2.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Art Institute of Chicago pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Art Institute of Chicago reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $1,163,144, for the role of PRESIDENT, MUSEUM (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Art Institute of Chicago get its money?
Of $464.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 17.3% came from contributions and grants (including 1.4% from government grants) and 53.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Art Institute of Chicago a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 36-2167725 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202611319349305991 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202531209349301428 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401249349302090 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202301319349307400 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202231329349306313 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202141379349301414 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 36-2167725: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.