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Center for Technology and Civic Life

Chicago, IL · EIN 47-2158694 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Center for Technology and Civic Life reported $29.0 million in revenue and $25.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $81.00 went to program services, $18.76 to management and general costs and $0.24 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 92.1% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $218,810 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 6 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 753% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending January 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $25M

For context, the median across 185 covered public & societal benefit charities: $88.81 programs, $11.18 management, $0.01 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

The fiscal year ending January 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $29M

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

FY2025 filing. Median across 185 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
MeasureFY2025Median
Program services
Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)
81.0%84.9%
Management & general
Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)
18.8%10.7%
Fundraising
Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)
0.2%0.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions
Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h
$0.00$0.01
Contributions & grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1h ÷ 12
92.1%83.8%
Government grants share of revenue
Part VIII 1e ÷ 12
0.0%0.0%
Program service revenue share
Part VIII 2g ÷ 12
3.3%3.2%
Highest reported compensation
Part VII-A, columns D–F
$218,810$357,133
Highest compensation as share of expenses
Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)
0.86%1.52%
People paid over $100,000
Part VII, line 2
612
Net assets, in months of expenses
Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses
40.410.5
Independent voting board members
Part VI 1a–1b
4 of 5100.0%

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
$17M expenses · 81.3% of program spending · grants $13M · revenue $951K

The center educates the public about government and democracy in the united states, focusing particularly on local government. The center does this by aggregating and disseminating detailed information about government, candidates for office, elected officials, and voting in the united states in easily accessible "datasets". These datasets include information that help the general public find basic information, including what is on their ballot and who represents them. These datasets are available to the public

$2.2M expenses · 10.7% of program spending · grants $600K · revenue $8,000

The center's government services program educates government agencies about the skills, strategies, and tools to engage their citizens. This is accomplished through (1) written and multimedia materials, (2) providing expert consulting services to government agencies, and (3) in-person training seminars for local government agencies

$1.6M expenses · 8.0% of program spending

Educate election officials on how to identify funding gaps in their departments and how to find opportunities to close the gap through leadership development and community building

Highest reported compensation

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here
RoleFrom this orgFrom related orgsOtherTotal
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week
$218,810$0$0$218,810
DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT SER
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$137,589$0$0$137,589
DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$136,784$0$0$136,784
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$128,627$0$0$128,627
DIRECTOR OF CIVIC INFORMAT
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$123,067$0$0$123,067
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week
$117,617$0$0$117,617

6 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Center for Technology and Civic Life (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $790K (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
$0$100M$200M$300M$400MFY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025$29M$25M
FilingRevenueExpensesProgramsNet assetsTop pay
FY2025 ⓘ$29M$25M81.0%$85M$218,810
FY2024 ⓘ$10M$23M84.5%$73M$214,337
FY2023 ⓘ$19M$16M91.2%$79M$210,180
FY2022 ⓘ$65M$4.8M90.2%$81M$133,802
FY2021 (amended) ⓘ$356M$335M99.9%$24M$117,106
FY2020 ⓘ$3.4M$1.4M76.3%$3.1M$111,901

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–1b5 · 4 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 561
  • Volunteers Part I, line 64

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only
THE ELECTIONS GROUP
Program services
$1,571,429
KAPLAN HECKER FINK LLP
Legal
$730,865
SEVEN LETTER
Communication consulting
$338,000
MELTSNER STRATEGIES LLC
Strategic consulting
$162,500

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 4 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

13 private foundations reported grants to Center for Technology and Civic Life totaling $5.5M 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 Center for Technology and Civic Life's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Center for Technology and Civic Life, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Similar-sized charities in this cause

All public & societal benefit charities · Largest charities in Illinois

Questions people ask

How much of Center for Technology and Civic Life's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending January 31, 2025, Center for Technology and Civic Life reported that 81.0% of its $25.3 million in expenses went to program services, 18.8% to management and general and 0.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Center for Technology and Civic Life pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Center for Technology and Civic Life reported for one person in the fiscal year ending January 31, 2025 was $218,810, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Center for Technology and Civic Life get its money?

Of $29.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending January 31, 2025, 92.1% came from contributions and grants and 3.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Center for Technology and Civic Life a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 47-2158694 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 January 31, 2025, object 202543499349301484 · read the filing · XML
  • FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2024, object 202443519349301654 · read the filing
  • FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2023, object 202313489349301851 · read the filing
  • FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2022, object 202223499349301237 · read the filing
  • FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2021 (amended), object 202240249349300769 · read the filing
  • FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2020, object 202043499349300029 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 47-2158694: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.