Navy Pier Inc
90% goes to programs $25 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Navy Pier Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 2011, with $74,554,644 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 90% of spending to programs.
600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611 EIN 27-4813461 Since 2011
Revenue (FY2024)
$74.6M
▲ 11.5% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2024)
$78.3M
Net assets
$108.4M
Employees
496
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 · $25 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 Navy Pier Inc: 90% to programs · $25 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating17 mo reserves · -5% 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 Navy Pier Inc: 17 mo reserves · -5% 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 Navy Pier 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 Navy Pier Inc: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Navy pier, chicago's iconic lakefront treasure and cultural institution, is (see schedule o)an all-welcoming, year-round civic and cultural district which is free to the public, offering unique dining, retail, entertainment and free programming to nearly 9 million guests annually, while relieving the burden of the government to maintain and operate the historic destination.
Contact & location
- Address
- 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611
- City
- Chicago
- State
- Illinois
- Category
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Subcategory
- Historical Societies
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $57.3M (FY2013) to $74.6M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $74.8MNet assets $108.4M
Operating margin
-5.0%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$183.2M
Total liabilities
$74.8M
Net assets
$108.4M
Salaries & benefits
$14.5M
19% of expenses
Board members
30
29 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $74,554,644▲11.5% | $78,318,131▲5.6% | $108,351,683▼3.0% | $183,190,563▼2.2% | 990 |
| 2023 | $66,858,095▼5.0% | $74,154,419▲4.2% | $111,699,115▼5.8% | $187,290,594▼5.8% | 990 |
| 2022 | $70,370,766▲13.1% | $71,168,111▲43.3% | $118,637,553▲0.1% | $198,751,682▼0.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $62,194,092▲219% | $49,670,031▲21.4% | $118,556,417▲12.7% | $199,546,550▲6.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $19,466,243▼66.7% | $40,929,090▼33.3% | $105,164,918▼17.4% | $187,052,693▼10.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $58,509,092▲3.5% | $61,341,793▼1.1% | $127,357,925▼2.7% | $209,784,547▲0.4% | 990 |
| 2018 | $56,547,221▼13.5% | $62,037,341▼2.6% | $130,903,585▼4.1% | $208,890,332▼6.6% | 990 |
| 2017 | $65,345,400▼8.1% | $63,723,258▲10.9% | $136,502,861▲1.1% | $223,580,200▲11.4% | 990 |
| 2016 | $71,110,639▼1.9% | $57,477,895▲23.0% | $135,032,855▲11.4% | $200,641,651▲17.9% | 990 |
| 2015 | $72,522,497▼38.8% | $46,720,075▲8.8% | $121,243,092▲25.6% | $170,225,176▲12.3% | 990 |
| 2014 | $118,425,185▲107% | $42,953,825▼0.6% | $96,501,792▲348% | $151,634,766▲92.5% | 990 |
| 2013 | $57,277,564 | $43,209,399▲3.1% | $21,551,362▲188% | $78,757,128▲4.4% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $41,897,018▲83.5% | $7,485,298▲126% | $75,425,441▲49.7% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $22,829,364 | $3,306,668 | $50,397,443 | 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: Marilynn Gardner — $637,390 (0.81% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marilynn Gardner | President & Ceo | 37.5 | $637,390 |
| Brian Murphy | Chief Operating Officer | 37.5 | $414,434 |
| Jeffrey Brown | Cfo & Asst. Treasurer | 37.5 | $313,119 |
| Arnaldo Rivera | Chief Admin. & Equity Off. | 37.5 | $296,167 |
| Seth Kagy | General Manager | 37.5 | $253,843 |
| Elizabeth Halajian | Senior Vp of Advancement | 37.5 | $229,179 |
| Chona Maglaya | Chief of Staff & Assist. Sec. | 37.5 | $220,196 |
| Dan Mitchell | Vp of Construction | 37.5 | $212,308 |
| Michael Degnan | Svp of Operations | 37.5 | $207,549 |
| Erika Taylor | Vp of Arts, Culture, Engagement | 37.5 | $188,751 |
| Aarti Kotak | Director | 1 | — |
| Bridget Reidy | Director | 1 | — |
| Dean M Harrison | Director | 1 | — |
| Eileen Chin | Director | 1 | — |
| Emily Heisley Stoeckel | Director | 1 | — |
| Eric Smith | Director | 1 | — |
| Gery J Chico | Director | 1 | — |
| James Blair | Director | 1 | — |
| Jeff Bethke | Ex-officio | 1 | — |
| Jennifer Steans | Chair | 5 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Levy Restaurants | Catering | $9,132,527 |
| Abm Parking Services | Contracted Services | $5,011,101 |
| Aramark Globetrotters LLC | Housekeeping | $4,658,275 |
| Allied Universal Security Services | Security | $3,332,101 |
| Envisionit Chicago LLC | Advertising | $2,235,936 |
Grants received · $4.1M total
37 grants to Navy Pier Inc totaling $4.1M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Community & human services | 2024 | $105,000 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $32,500 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $5,279 |
| Northwestern Memorial Healthcare | Community support | 2023 | $270,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | 2023 | $254,000 |
| Ncrc Community Development Fund Inc | Illinois coronavirus fiscal recovery funds | 2023 | $250,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Community & human services | 2023 | $100,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Arts, culture | 2023 | $25,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $25,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $6,700 |
| The Blackbaud Giving Fund | General support | 2022 | $251,450 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | Support for save the people's pier campaign (fundraising campaign to support the re-opening of navy pier), support for legacy expierience: #000826, general operating support, support for chicago live, support of the 2023 global connections program, support for stories of survival, support for legacy expierience (no tickets or tangible benefits), in support of winter pier-adise event. | 2022 | $194,333 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Community & human services | 2022 | $100,000 |
| Northwestern Memorial Healthcare | Community support | 2022 | $25,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | General operating support | 2022 | $12,000 |
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Compare Navy Pier Inc
Frequently asked questions
- Is Navy Pier Inc a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Navy Pier Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 27-4813461, based in Chicago, Illinois. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Navy Pier Inc's EIN?
- Navy Pier Inc's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 27-4813461.
- How much revenue does Navy Pier Inc report?
- Navy Pier Inc reported $74,554,644 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Navy Pier Inc's spending goes to programs?
- Navy Pier Inc spends about 90% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Navy Pier Inc have?
- CharityIndex grades Navy Pier Inc A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Navy Pier Inc's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Navy Pier Inc's latest Form 990 is $637,390, paid to Marilynn Gardner (President & Ceo).
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Data for Navy Pier Inc (EIN 27-4813461) 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.