Friends of the Parks is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 1975, with $643,726 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B.
Revenue (FY2024)
$644K
▲ 85.7% vs prior year
Recreation median: $129K
Expenses (FY2024)
$471K
Net assets
$503K
Employees
—
Rated on 2 of 4 criteria — the rest aren't reported in this filing type.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →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. Not scored for Friends of the Parks— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). 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 Friends of the Parks: 13 mo reserves · +27% 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. Not scored for Friends of the Parks— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). 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 Friends of the Parks: 2 of 5 disclosure signals earns a C on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Revenue declined from $724K (FY2013) to $644K (FY2024) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
26.8%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$1.3M
Total liabilities
$809K
Net assets
$503K
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $643,726▲85.7% | $471,034▼16.8% | $502,752▲61.6% | $1,312,178▲20.9% | 990 |
| 2023 | $346,594▼51.0% | $566,118▼11.3% | $311,141▼40.0% | $1,085,022▼17.5% | 990 |
| 2022 | $707,512▲9.7% | $638,372▲2.4% | $518,859▲11.4% | $1,315,588▲31.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $644,835▼10.6% | $623,612▲7.8% | $465,693▲5.6% | $999,319▼3.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $721,262▲15.6% | $578,479▼1.6% | $440,947▲50.9% | $1,032,172▲19.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $623,995▲12.5% | $587,943▼13.2% | $292,285▲15.9% | $865,066▼14.0% | 990 |
| 2018 | $554,602▼39.9% | $676,970▼30.9% | $252,139▼34.1% | $1,005,785▼9.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $922,687▲5.2% | $980,200 | $382,579▼64.0% | $1,107,136▲3.2% | 990 |
| 2016 | $877,229▲106% | $980,288▲89.2% | $1,064,155▲322% | $1,073,149▲275% | 990 |
| 2014 | $426,534▼41.1% | $518,162▼34.1% | $252,302▼27.6% | $286,329▼30.2% | 990 |
| 2013 | $724,051 | $785,737 | $348,292 | $410,189 | 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.
36 grants to Friends of the Parks totaling $965K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Grants from donor advised funds- operating support | 2023 | $50,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $18,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | 2023 | $16,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $7,400 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Human services | 2023 | $6,250 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | Support for the promontory point conservancy, for an independent third party marine engineering study of the historic limestone revetment at promontory point, general operating support, support for activities on the south side of chicago | 2022 | $66,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Grants from donor advised funds - operating support | 2022 | $50,100 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2022 | $10,300 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2022 | $6,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | Support for activities on the south side. in support of fotp to coordinate with and build a community prioritization plan process for key sites along or near the calumet river. | 2021 | $85,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | Support for activities on the south side. in support of fotp to coordinate with and build a community prioritization plan process for key sites along or near the calumet river. | 2021 | $85,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Grants from donor advised funds - operating support | 2021 | $51,100 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $7,150 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $7,150 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2021 | $7,000 |
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Data for Friends of the Parks (EIN 36-2844241) 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.