Acero Charter Schools Inc
501(c)(3) Donations tax-deductible
94% goes to programs $0 to raise $100
Acero Charter Schools Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 2001, with $119,122,514 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 94% of spending to programs.
18 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60603 EIN 36-4235934 Since 2001
Revenue (FY2024)
$119.1M
▼ 4.6% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2024)
$117.1M
Net assets
$53.6M
Employees
736
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A+
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating94% to programs · $0 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Acero Charter Schools Inc: 94% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating5 mo reserves · +2% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Acero Charter Schools Inc: 5 mo reserves · +2% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Acero Charter Schools Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Acero Charter Schools Inc: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Organization provides educational and community opportunities for youths in k-12.
Contact & location
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $83.0M (FY2013) to $119.1M (FY2024) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $56.7MNet assets $53.6M
Operating margin
1.7%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$110.3M
Total liabilities
$56.7M
Net assets
$53.6M
Salaries & benefits
$83.4M
71% of expenses
Board members
11
11 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $119,122,514▼4.6% | $117,072,957▼2.7% | $53,609,314▲9.1% | $110,309,333▲0.7% | 990 |
| 2023 | $124,882,198▲0.4% | $120,344,943▲0.9% | $49,140,680▲12.5% | $109,586,537▼0.6% | 990 |
| 2022 | $124,373,152▲6.0% | $119,294,736▲8.4% | $43,692,522▲15.3% | $110,284,206▲8.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $117,350,059▲3.6% | $110,041,797▲1.5% | $37,898,706▲18.0% | $101,251,624▲4.1% | 990 |
| 2020 | $113,233,241▲14.2% | $108,438,953▲10.5% | $32,112,606▲18.4% | $97,227,259▲4.2% | 990 |
| 2019 | $99,185,235▲2.2% | $98,118,443▲4.0% | $27,133,449▲4.1% | $93,308,666▲4.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $97,048,525▲0.9% | $94,381,426▲8.9% | $26,066,657▲11.4% | $89,193,414▲3.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $96,191,553▲1.8% | $86,657,893▼5.6% | $23,399,558▲72.1% | $86,394,422▲8.5% | 990 |
| 2015 | $94,514,595▲4.4% | $91,844,037▲4.2% | $13,599,298▲24.4% | $79,636,477▲6.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $90,562,940▲9.0% | $88,146,240▲9.1% | $10,928,740▲46.1% | $75,159,745▲4.9% | 990 |
| 2013 | $83,049,013 | $80,797,609▲26.5% | $7,478,719▲43.1% | $71,630,145▲5.9% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $63,890,341▲35.0% | $5,227,315▲269% | $67,613,240▲5.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $47,342,311▲20.1% | $1,417,419▲185% | $64,074,900▼7.9% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $39,416,329▲12.2% | -$1,658,203▲69.4% | $69,577,279▲2.4% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $35,118,083 | -$5,413,380 | $67,950,405 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Richard L Rodriguez — $290,543 (0.25% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard L Rodriguez | President & Ceo | 40 | $290,543 |
| Richard E Valerga | Chief Financial & Op Officer | 40 | $245,433 |
| Alfredo Nambo | Chief Education Officer | 40 | $209,865 |
| Helena C Stangle | Chief Culture Officer | 40 | $209,865 |
| Melissa Sweazy | School Principal | 40 | $157,351 |
| Madelyn P Bartholomew | Deputy Chief Op Officer | 40 | $154,931 |
| Ariel A Correa | School Principal | 40 | $154,842 |
| Analaura Alcantar | School Principal | 40 | $148,712 |
| Mark Nagode | Facilities and Asset Manager | 40 | $147,226 |
| Douglass Hewitt | Vice-chairman | 2 | — |
| Jairo Naranjo | Chairman | 2 | — |
| Joseph Garcia | Director | 2 | — |
| Kevin J Guitterrez | Director | 2 | — |
| Lionel Sarti | Director | 2 | — |
| Marco A Rodriguez | Director | 2 | — |
| Margery Yeager | Director | 2 | — |
| Roxanne Matias | Secretary | 2 | — |
| Simon Yohanan | Treasurer | 2 | — |
| Socorro Vega | Director | 2 | — |
| Vivian Mikhail | Director | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Kokua Education Inc | Substitute Teachers | $4,912,789 |
| Organiclife LLC | Food Service | $3,549,149 |
| Healthpro Heritage | Healthcare Workers | $3,231,087 |
| Monterrey Security | Security | $1,409,220 |
| Premistar | Hvac/janitorial | $1,089,609 |
Grants received · $238K total
4 grants to Acero Charter Schools Inc totaling $238K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Acero Charter Schools Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Acero Charter Schools Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 36-4235934, based in Chicago, Illinois. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Acero Charter Schools Inc's EIN?
- Acero Charter Schools Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 36-4235934.
- How much revenue does Acero Charter Schools Inc report?
- Acero Charter Schools Inc reported $119,122,514 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Acero Charter Schools Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Acero Charter Schools Inc spends about 94% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Acero Charter Schools Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Acero Charter Schools Inc A+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Acero Charter Schools Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Acero Charter Schools Inc's latest Form 990 is $290,543, paid to Richard L Rodriguez (President & Ceo).
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Data for Acero Charter Schools Inc (EIN 36-4235934) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.