Chicago Charter School Foundation

Also known as Chicago International Charter School

Chicago, IL · EIN 36-4141583 · 501(c)(3) · School
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Chicago Charter School Foundation reported $134.0 million in revenue and $135.0 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $79.92 went to program services, $20.02 to management and general costs and $0.06 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 93.8% of the total. Government grants made up 91.9%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $188,153 (CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER). 12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 22% 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 $135M

Program services$79.92 $108M
Management & general$20.02 $27M
Fundraising$0.06 $84,956

For 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 $134M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$1.92 $2.6M
Government grants$91.88 $123M
Program service revenue$4.87 $6.5M
Investment income$1.24 $1.7M
Other revenue$0.09 $122K

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 5,499 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	79.9%	84.4%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	20.0%	13.4%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	0.1%	0.8%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.00	$0.04
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	93.8%	19.1%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	91.9%	1.1%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	4.9%	69.9%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$188,153	$331,578
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	0.14%	1.28%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	12	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	4.6	13.3
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	13 of 13	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 expense

$108M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · grants $1.3M · revenue $6.5M

Provide educational opportunities for youth through the operation of 13 campus locations serving 6,847 students in grades kindergarten through twelve during FY june 30, 2025. Cics' vibrant hub of diverse Chicago Charter schools enables students to thrive every day, puts them on a path to success in college and life, and empowers entrepreneurial educators to pursue excellence through innovation

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
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$180,216	$0	$7,937	$188,153
CHIEF OF SCHOOL Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$166,044	$0	$14,601	$180,645
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$151,236	$0	$27,031	$178,267
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TEACHING/LEARNING Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$133,824	$0	$25,200	$159,024
FORMER CEO Former, 40.00 hrs/week	$152,909	$0	$3,380	$156,289
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GOVERNANCE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$131,409	$0	$19,613	$151,022
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$123,285	$0	$19,306	$142,591
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$118,734	$0	$9,314	$128,048

12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Chicago Charter School Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $679K (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
FY2025 ⓘ	$134M	$135M	79.9%	$52M	$188,153
FY2024 ⓘ	$130M	$130M	80.1%	$52M	$324,045
FY2023 ⓘ	$123M	$122M	81.6%	$51M	$319,338
FY2022 ⓘ	$127M	$121M	81.5%	$49M	$234,201
FY2021 ⓘ	$112M	$109M	82.8%	$46M	$264,695
FY2020 ⓘ	$110M	$112M	80.7%	$41M	$231,555

Governance 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–1b13 · 13 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 11aYes
Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
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 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 5250
Volunteers Part I, line 6108

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

DISTINCTIVE SCHOOLS School management	$6,150,253
ORGANICLIFE LLC Campus food management	$3,418,852
MERIDIAN CHARTER SCHOOLS School management	$2,432,113
REGENERATION SCHOOLS School management	$2,403,405
ROSE PAVING LLC Servicing asphalt and concrete	$964,788

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 19 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

1 private foundation reported grants to Chicago Charter School Foundation totaling $47 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 Chicago Charter School Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Chicago Charter School Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Chicago Charter School Foundation How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, OK · revenue $134M · programs 92.2% · FY2025
North Carolina Partnership for Children
Raleigh, NC · revenue $134M · programs 97.3% · FY2025
Patient Advocate Foundation
Hampton, VA · revenue $134M · programs 98.1% · FY2025
Marymount University
Arlington, VA · revenue $135M · programs 73.6% · FY2025
St Paul's School
Concord, NH · revenue $134M · programs 76.7% · FY2025

All education charities · Largest charities in Illinois

Questions people ask

How much of Chicago Charter School Foundation's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Chicago Charter School Foundation reported that 79.9% of its $135.0 million in expenses went to program services, 20.0% to management and general and 0.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Chicago Charter School Foundation pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Chicago Charter School Foundation reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $188,153, for the role of CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Chicago Charter School Foundation get its money?

Of $134.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 93.8% came from contributions and grants (including 91.9% from government grants) and 4.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Chicago Charter School Foundation a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 36-4141583 as a 501(c)(3) organization (school), 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 202631329349301728 · read the filing
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202531299349302228 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202411169349301121 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202331289349304163 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202230629349300628 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202141319349302284 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 36-4141583: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.