Columbia College Chicago
83% goes to programs $37 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Columbia College Chicago is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 1943, with $250,712,341 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 83% of spending to programs.
600 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60605 EIN 36-6112087 Since 1943
Revenue (FY2023)
$250.7M
▲ 4.8% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$270.3M
Net assets
$304.6M
Employees
2,836
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating83% to programs · $37 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 Columbia College Chicago: 83% to programs · $37 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating14 mo reserves · -8% 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 Columbia College Chicago: 14 mo reserves · -8% margin earns a B+ 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 Columbia College Chicago: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 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 Columbia College Chicago: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The organization's mission is to educate students for creative occupations in diverse fields of arts and media.
What they do
Columbia college chicago provides housing, food service, and residence life programs to its students. the college has over 2,000 beds available to its students in five different residence centers on its campus.
Contact & location
- Address
- 600 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60605
- City
- Chicago
- State
- Illinois
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Colleges & Universities
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $261.5M (FY2013) to $250.7M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $172.0MNet assets $304.6M
Operating margin
-7.8%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$476.6M
Total liabilities
$172.0M
Net assets
$304.6M
Salaries & benefits
$102.6M
38% of expenses
Board members
23
22 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $250,712,341▲4.8% | $270,273,011▲1.2% | $304,611,847▼4.9% | $476,636,857▼9.3% | 990 |
| 2022 | $239,170,569▲3.3% | $267,151,138▲2.2% | $320,292,506▼4.4% | $525,230,384▼8.8% | 990 |
| 2021 | $231,462,919▲4.6% | $261,280,814▲5.2% | $334,880,439▼17.9% | $575,612,110▼13.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $221,332,415▼4.3% | $248,370,433▲4.3% | $407,659,176▲3.1% | $667,072,943▲27.6% | 990 |
| 2019 | $231,394,986▲2.3% | $238,175,763▲6.0% | $395,259,733▲1.3% | $522,591,069▼0.4% | 990 |
| 2018 | $226,170,577▼10.2% | $224,770,968▼0.3% | $390,341,575▼2.2% | $524,601,747▼1.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $251,942,785▼8.7% | $225,535,557▼4.7% | $399,144,774▲10.9% | $532,448,196▲6.3% | 990 |
| 2016 | $275,842,222▲10.0% | $236,773,481▼1.6% | $360,026,663▲21.5% | $500,948,193▲13.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $250,866,085▼3.1% | $240,608,067▼4.9% | $296,365,083▲2.2% | $442,200,993▲4.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $258,810,940▼1.0% | $253,103,517▼0.7% | $290,058,151▼0.6% | $421,934,750▼3.0% | 990 |
| 2013 | $261,512,709 | $254,894,812▲3.2% | $291,941,863▲6.5% | $434,840,399 | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $247,023,540▲1.0% | $274,030,284▲13.5% | $434,660,156▲7.4% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $244,593,643▲0.4% | $241,413,554▲6.7% | $404,541,495▲3.7% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $243,587,123▲1.5% | $226,338,313▲14.3% | $390,054,972▲9.0% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $239,880,298 | $198,083,513 | $357,949,359 | 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 (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Kwang-wu Kim — $917,404 (0.34% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwang-wu Kim | President and Ceo, Trustee, Ex-officio - Partial Year | 40 | $917,404 |
| Marcella David | Senior Vp and Provost | 40 | $303,201 |
| Jerry Tarrer | Interim President and Ceo - Partial Year | 40 | $300,631 |
| Michael Joseph | Vp of Enrollment Management | 40 | $289,320 |
| Kathie Koch | Avp and Chief Information Officer | 40 | $266,062 |
| Miriam Smith | Vp of Development and Alumni Relations | 40 | $242,664 |
| Patricia Bergeson | Vp of Legal Affairs & General Counsel | 40 | $239,659 |
| Terence Smith | Special Counsel Labor Relations | 40 | $233,196 |
| Ann Kalayil | Avp Facilities/construction | 40 | $228,607 |
| Sharon Wilson Taylor | Vp of Student Affairs | 40 | $226,542 |
| Laurent Pernot | Chief of Staff | 40 | $225,561 |
| Rosita Sands | Department Chair, Dean of School of Fine and Performing Arts | 40 | $215,411 |
| Steven Corey | Dean of Liberal Arts School (las) | 40 | $212,914 |
| Allison Grant Williams | Trustee - Partial Year | 1 | — |
| Andreas Waldburg-wolfegg | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Arjun Aggarwal | Trustee - Partial Year | 1 | — |
| Arlen Rubin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Averill Leviton | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Barry M Sabloff | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Cayla Weisberg | Trustee - Partial Year | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Protection Service LLC | Security Services | $3,199,524 |
| Harvard Maintenance Inc | Maintenance and Cleaning | $3,109,226 |
| Pepper Construction Company | General Contractor | $2,809,651 |
| Ahead Inc | It Maintenance | $936,971 |
| Agae Contractors Inc | General Contractor | $860,988 |
Grants received · $3.7M total
77 grants to Columbia College Chicago totaling $3.7M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Education | 2024 | $40,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2024 | $35,500 |
| Hispanic Scholarship Fund | To provide scholarships for students | 2024 | $33,203 |
| Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc | 2024-2025 mocp exhibition and program support | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $243,767 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | 2023 | $72,700 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $60,450 |
| Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc | 2023-2024 mocp exhibition and program support | 2023 | $25,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $13,500 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $13,403 |
| Tulsa Community Foundation | Scholarships | 2023 | $12,500 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2023 | $10,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2023 | $10,000 |
| Goldman Sachs Charitable Gift Fund | Scholarships & financial aid | 2023 | $10,000 |
| The Bessemer Giving Fund | General support | 2023 | $8,000 |
Grants made · $11K in FY2022
2 grants totaling $11K in FY2022. All grants made by Columbia College Chicago →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Filter Photo Nfp | Festival sponsorship | $5,750 |
| Grant Park Orchestral Association | Festival contribution | $5,000 |
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Compare Columbia College Chicago
Frequently asked questions
- Is Columbia College Chicago a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Columbia College Chicago is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 36-6112087, based in Chicago, Illinois. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Columbia College Chicago's EIN?
- Columbia College Chicago's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 36-6112087.
- How much revenue does Columbia College Chicago report?
- Columbia College Chicago reported $250,712,341 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Columbia College Chicago's spending goes to programs?
- Columbia College Chicago spends about 83% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Columbia College Chicago have?
- CharityIndex grades Columbia College Chicago A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Columbia College Chicago's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Columbia College Chicago's latest Form 990 is $917,404, paid to Kwang-wu Kim (President and Ceo, Trustee, Ex-officio - Partial Year).
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Data for Columbia College Chicago (EIN 36-6112087) 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.