Chicago Charter School Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 1999, with $129,561,820 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 80% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$129.6M
▲ 5.2% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$130.0M
Net assets
$52.2M
Employees
422
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 Chicago Charter School Foundation: 80% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Chicago Charter School Foundation: 5 mo reserves · -0% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Chicago Charter School Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Chicago Charter School Foundation: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Our vibrant network 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.
Revenue grew from $90.5M (FY2013) to $129.6M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-0.3%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$115.9M
Total liabilities
$63.7M
Net assets
$52.2M
Salaries & benefits
$80.7M
62% of expenses
Board members
8
8 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $129,561,820▲5.2% | $129,990,862▲6.9% | $52,165,786▲2.0% | $115,856,054▼1.7% | 990 |
| 2022 | $123,103,358▼3.0% | $121,558,057▲0.7% | $51,149,527▲4.0% | $117,812,382▼2.0% | 990 |
| 2021 | $126,920,103▲12.9% | $120,734,031▲10.8% | $49,179,668▲6.7% | $120,200,318▲4.3% | 990 |
| 2020 | $112,450,747▲2.5% | $109,010,269▼2.3% | $46,113,028▲12.6% | $115,297,280▲11.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $109,707,690▲0.5% | $111,546,258▲1.8% | $40,947,659▼2.3% | $103,636,981▲1.1% | 990 |
| 2018 | $109,122,218▲2.1% | $109,567,946▲4.4% | $41,909,468▲28.6% | $102,521,715▲12.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $106,844,535▲16.7% | $104,916,744▲14.1% | $32,577,172▲6.2% | $91,167,404▲13.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $91,583,029▼2.0% | $91,958,047▼0.6% | $30,688,308▼1.3% | $80,705,561▼0.8% | 990 |
| 2015 | $93,473,527▼3.3% | $92,490,131▼2.8% | $31,085,294▲7.2% | $81,373,870▲1.3% | 990 |
| 2014 | $96,636,840▲6.7% | $95,196,850▲6.1% | $28,994,567▲5.2% | $80,343,979▼1.5% | 990 |
| 2013 | $90,541,347 | $89,683,168▲2.9% | $27,556,596▲3.0% | $81,545,368▲0.9% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $87,179,251▲5.3% | $26,751,472▲3.7% | $80,828,574▼0.1% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $82,752,343▲7.1% | $25,792,839▲27.3% | $80,913,853▲5.3% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $77,250,978▲5.8% | $20,260,619▲10.6% | $76,839,686▲4.9% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $73,018,734 | $18,321,565 | $73,245,794 | 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.
Highest-paid: Kris Cheung — $318,786 (0.25% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kris Cheung | Ceo and Director (term) | 40 | $318,786 |
| Lahari Goud | Cep President | 40 | $207,020 |
| Christine Leung | President | 40 | $196,364 |
| Pelin Deniz | Chief Operations Officer | 40 | $179,904 |
| Allison Hansen | Chief of School | 40 | $163,921 |
| Yesica Rufino-perez | Engagement Partner | 40 | $150,424 |
| Anita Geter | Controller | 40 | $149,208 |
| Torry Bennett-davis | Cep Chief Executive Officer | 40 | $146,197 |
| Elizabeth Williams-clark | Director of Talent and Hr | 40 | $139,546 |
| Lucas Allen Mcshane | Managing Dir of Teaching/learning | 40 | $132,423 |
| Claudia L Beltran | Managing Director of Governance | 40 | $131,289 |
| Brian Novelline | Director | 2 | — |
| Corey Jacobson | Director (term) | 2 | — |
| Crystal Stonewall | Director | 2 | — |
| David Chizewer | Secretary | 2 | — |
| Evan Sharp | Chair | 2 | — |
| Mark Morgan | Treasurer | 2 | — |
| Tiffany N Johnson | Director | 2 | — |
| Venkat Maddila | Director | 2 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Organiclife LLC | Campus Food Management | $2,263,535 |
| Progressus Therapy LLC | School-based Therapy | $486,482 |
| The Stepping Stones Group | School-based Therapy | $469,650 |
| Psquared Consultants LLC | Accounting | $442,284 |
| Michael Accetturo Electric | Electrician | $390,230 |
14 grants to Chicago Charter School Foundation totaling $277K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $10,000 |
| The Blackbaud Giving Fund | General support | 2022 | $8,551 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2022 | $8,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2021 | $10,000 |
| Share Our Strength | Childhood hunger programs | 2020 | $35,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2020 | $10,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2019 | $20,000 |
| Share Our Strength | School breakfast program support | 2018 | $70,466 |
| New Schools Fund | Innovative schools- invent | 2018 | $25,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | General operating support | 2018 | $10,000 |
| New Schools Fund | Innovative schools | 2017 | $25,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | General | 2017 | $25,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | General operating support | 2017 | $10,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | See attached. | 2016 | $10,000 |
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Data for Chicago Charter School Foundation (EIN 36-4141583) 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.