The Chicago Bar Foundation
The Chicago Bar Foundation reported $15.4 million in revenue and $12.4 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $93.54 went to program services, $4.04 to management and general costs and $2.42 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.3% of the total. Government grants made up 54.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $171,750 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 3 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 467% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending May 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $12MFor 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 May 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $15M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$45.05 $7.0M
- Government grants$53.68 $8.3M
- Program service revenue$0.29 $44,890
- Investment income$0.98 $153K
Other revenue was negative: −$83,962. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 93.5% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 4.0% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.4% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.02 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.3% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 54.0% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.3% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $171,750 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.38% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 3 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 5.4 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 33 of 33 | 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 expenseMade the court system more user-friendly and accessible for people in need, particularly those without lawyers. The cbf continued its role as a lead partner with the circuit court, cook county, legal aid, and others in the cook county legal aid for housing and debt program, which provides critical help for people facing evictions, consumer debt challenges, and foreclosures and helps tens of thousands of people annually. The cbf continued its leadership and support for advice desks in the state and federal courts and in the city's department of administrative hearings. The cbf also played a…
Provided significant grants and other key support to chicago's pro bono and legal aid organizations and related initiatives serving the chicago area. These grants enabled tens of thousands of chicagoans in need to get critical legal advice and assistance; strengthened chicago's pro bono and legal aid system; and supported a number of initiatives that helped make the justice system more user-friendly and accessible. The cbf made other grants to support a variety of access to justice and related philanthropic initiatives, including the cbf's pro bono and public service award grants and grants…
Invested in the attorneys dedicating their careers to legal aid. The cbf made it possible for 12 attorneys and law students to pursue careers in legal aid through the cbf's anderson fellowship, the moses public interest scholarship, equal justice works fellowship program, and the cbf's sponsorship of pili law student internships. In addition, the cbf continued to administer the newly rebranded and expanded cbf patton legal aid training academy, an innovative pro bono program through which law firms, legal aid organizations, academic institutions, consultants and other professionals are…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 60.00 hrs/week | $155,462 | $0 | $16,288 | $171,750 |
| CHIEF GRANTS & OPERATIONS OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 50.00 hrs/week | $108,350 | $0 | $35,769 | $144,119 |
| CHIEF ADVOCACY & INNOVATION OFC Highest compensated employee, 50.00 hrs/week | $110,210 | $0 | $17,167 | $127,377 |
3 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Chicago Bar Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $182K (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–1b33 · 33 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 4Yes
- 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 512
- Volunteers Part I, line 6300
Private foundation grants it received
10 private foundations reported grants to The Chicago Bar Foundation totaling $105K 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 Chicago Bar 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 The Chicago Bar Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Chicago Bar Foundation spent in FY2025, $93.54 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Resurrection UniversityOak Brook, IL · revenue $15M · programs 72.8% · FY2023
- Davinci Academy of Science and the ArtsOgden, UT · revenue $15M · programs 86.4% · FY2025
- Baconton Parents and Citizens for Better EducationBaconton, GA · revenue $15M · programs 74.7% · FY2025
- Education Resource StrategiesWatertown, MA · revenue $15M · programs 85.6% · 2025
- Eagle Academy Public Charter SchoolWashington, DC · revenue $15M · programs 73.6% · FY2024
Questions people ask
How much of The Chicago Bar Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, The Chicago Bar Foundation reported that 93.5% of its $12.4 million in expenses went to program services, 4.0% to management and general and 2.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Chicago Bar Foundation pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Chicago Bar Foundation reported for one person in the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025 was $171,750, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Chicago Bar Foundation get its money?
Of $15.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, 99.3% came from contributions and grants (including 54.0% from government grants) and 0.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Chicago Bar Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 36-6109584 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 May 31, 2025, object 202513149349306066 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2024, object 202403259349301700 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2023, object 202303139349302840 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2022, object 202300309349300530 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2021, object 202210569349301351 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2020, object 202003149349303855 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 36-6109584: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.