Lake Forest College
90% goes to programs $6 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Lake Forest College is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Lake Forest, Illinois, registered in 1934, with $165,068,732 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 90% of spending to programs.
555 N Sheridan Rd, Lake Forest, IL, 60045 EIN 36-2167770 Since 1934
Revenue (FY2024)
$165.1M
▲ 16.6% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2024)
$155.5M
Net assets
$231.7M
Employees
1,510
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 rating90% to programs · $6 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 Lake Forest College: 90% to programs · $6 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating18 mo reserves · +6% 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 Lake Forest College: 18 mo reserves · +6% 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 Lake Forest College: 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 Lake Forest College: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Lake forest college is a national residential liberal arts college, accredited by the north central association of colleges and schools.
What they do
Student services are considered programmatic and include activities that contribute to student emotional and physical well-being and intellectual, cultural and social development outside the formal instructional program.
Auxiliary enterprises include expenses relating to the operation of the auxiliary activities such as housing, dining services, and parking.
Contact & location
- Address
- 555 N Sheridan Rd, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
- City
- Lake Forest
- State
- Illinois
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Colleges & Universities
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $108.0M (FY2013) to $165.1M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $55.5MNet assets $231.7M
Operating margin
5.8%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$287.2M
Total liabilities
$55.5M
Net assets
$231.7M
Salaries & benefits
$38.6M
25% of expenses
Board members
34
34 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $165,068,732▲16.6% | $155,459,424▲7.6% | $231,679,761▲9.5% | $287,159,838▲6.7% | 990 |
| 2023 | $141,545,403▲0.7% | $144,507,496▲7.9% | $211,631,966▲4.3% | $269,045,907▲2.7% | 990 |
| 2022 | $140,501,124▲10.1% | $133,938,841▲8.5% | $202,812,221▲4.4% | $261,948,018▲7.1% | 990 |
| 2021 | $127,569,310▲14.4% | $123,493,970▲13.1% | $194,330,089▼0.1% | $244,551,905▼2.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $111,531,265▲1.0% | $109,144,708▼1.7% | $194,609,285▲14.7% | $251,265,144▲15.4% | 990 |
| 2019 | $110,394,405▲5.4% | $111,076,177▲7.5% | $169,731,675▼0.7% | $217,688,817▼4.2% | 990 |
| 2018 | $104,734,631▲9.7% | $103,299,244▲4.4% | $170,929,117▲2.5% | $227,144,105▲0.6% | 990 |
| 2017 | $95,437,976▼0.2% | $98,947,529▲5.2% | $166,720,373▲3.4% | $225,775,523▲4.1% | 990 |
| 2016 | $95,653,578▼11.6% | $94,065,076▲0.8% | $161,189,028▲6.9% | $216,860,824▲4.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $108,229,722▲3.6% | $93,286,767▲1.1% | $150,759,424▲9.5% | $207,677,912▲7.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $104,460,314▼3.2% | $92,266,771▲3.5% | $137,691,572▲11.3% | $194,165,223▲7.9% | 990 |
| 2013 | $107,956,191 | $89,104,236▲7.4% | $123,705,152▲4.9% | $179,965,596▲1.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $82,927,367▲5.1% | $117,913,751▲5.5% | $177,717,523▲16.3% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $78,870,128▲6.8% | $111,762,164▼1.9% | $152,756,128▼0.2% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $73,843,952▲8.0% | $113,968,826▲9.8% | $153,075,356▲6.5% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $68,375,469 | $103,813,684 | $143,787,014 | 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: Jill Baren — $709,690 (0.46% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jill Baren | President (until 12/10/24) | 50 | $709,690 |
| Lori Sundberg | Vp For Finance/planning; Treasurer | 50 | $281,169 |
| Katie Sue Spieth | Vp For Advancement and Secretary | 50 | $240,525 |
| Christopher Ellertson | Vice President For Campus Life | 50 | $239,646 |
| Davis Schneiderman Exec Dir | Of the Krebs Center For Humanities | 50 | $207,868 |
| Jacqueline Slaats | Vp For Career Advancement/athletics | 50 | $196,406 |
| Tara Natarajan | Provost and Dean of Faculty | 50 | $185,474 |
| Ravikant Agarwal | Chief Information Officer | 50 | $184,936 |
| Richard Bartolozzi | Senior Director of Gift Planning | 50 | $164,900 |
| Jacqueline Hoefler | Vp For Marketing and Communication | 50 | $149,033 |
| Janet Mccracken | Professor of Philosophy | 50 | $143,840 |
| Dejuran Richardson | Professor of Mathematics | 50 | $140,027 |
| Gerard Cebrzynski | Senior Associate Vp of Finance | 50 | $137,804 |
| Kevin Howley Vp For Finance | And Institution (until 5/23/25) | 50 | $58,750 |
| Alexander D Stuart | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Charles M Brennan III P '90 | '92, Trustee | 1 | — |
| Claudia Wyatt-johnson '69 | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Craig Omtvedt | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Cristen Kogl '88 | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David F Gorter '80 | Trustee | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Parkhurst Dining | Campus Food Services | $7,360,333 |
| Aramark Services Inc | Custodial Services | $2,164,365 |
| Hill Mechanical Corp | Construction and Maintenance Services | $1,801,846 |
| Wellington Homes Inc | General Contractor | $1,577,954 |
| Blackhawk Electronical Construction LLC | Electrical Contracting Services | $737,060 |
Grants received · $25.8M total
124 grants to Lake Forest College totaling $25.8M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The New York Community Trust | For general support. | 2024 | $236,900 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $50,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $37,475 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $32,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2024 | $28,000 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Education | 2024 | $27,000 |
| Community Foundation of New Jersey | Universities, graduate schools or law schools | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $23,874 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2024 | $20,900 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2024 | $10,000 |
| Denver Foundation | Universities | 2024 | $8,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2023 | $9,528,000 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Education | 2023 | $764,250 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $232,800 |
| The New York Community Trust | For general support. | 2023 | $208,310 |
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Compare Lake Forest College
Frequently asked questions
- Is Lake Forest College a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Lake Forest College is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 36-2167770, based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Lake Forest College's EIN?
- Lake Forest College's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 36-2167770.
- How much revenue does Lake Forest College report?
- Lake Forest College reported $165,068,732 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Lake Forest College's spending goes to programs?
- Lake Forest College spends about 90% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Lake Forest College have?
- CharityIndex grades Lake Forest College A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Lake Forest College's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Lake Forest College's latest Form 990 is $709,690, paid to Jill Baren (President (until 12/10/24)).
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Data for Lake Forest College (EIN 36-2167770) 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.