The Chicago Community Trust is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 1951, with $2,455,691,801 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 98% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$2.5B
▲ 59.8% vs prior year
Philanthropy median: $168K
Expenses (FY2023)
$1.5B
Net assets
$6.0B
Employees
157
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 The Chicago Community Trust: 98% 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 The Chicago Community Trust: 47 mo reserves · +38% 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 The Chicago Community Trust: 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 The Chicago Community Trust: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Show this grade on your website
A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Provides grants and other resources to improve the community; addresses community challenges; and promotes philanthropy by informing donors about philanthropic opportunities.
Revenue grew from $508.8M (FY2016) to $2.5B (FY2023) across 8 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
38.0%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$6.0B
Total liabilities
$38.9M
Net assets
$6.0B
Salaries & benefits
$14.6M
1% of expenses
Board members
17
17 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $2,455,691,801▲59.8% | $1,521,532,173▼5.6% | $5,979,962,617▲33.3% | $6,018,840,318▲32.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $1,536,635,743▼17.8% | $1,611,696,826▲7.0% | $4,485,249,795▲5.0% | $4,528,410,929▲5.1% | 990 |
| 2021 | $1,869,389,592▼6.8% | $1,506,140,398▲7.1% | $4,270,666,948▼9.7% | $4,307,117,777▼9.8% | 990 |
| 2020 | $2,005,272,891▲133% | $1,406,260,755▲132% | $4,727,438,685▲33.5% | $4,777,238,560▲32.6% | 990 |
| 2019 | $862,303,171▲52.8% | $606,459,499▲63.8% | $3,541,801,045▲11.1% | $3,602,504,724▲10.9% | 990 |
| 2018 | $564,214,027▼19.1% | $370,211,400▼3.5% | $3,188,454,658▲3.7% | $3,248,271,849▲3.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $697,210,026▲37.0% | $383,775,224▲16.6% | $3,073,236,027▲17.0% | $3,139,290,774▲16.6% | 990 |
| 2016 | $508,813,283 | $329,251,240 | $2,627,212,405 | $2,691,371,233 | 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: Andrea Saenz — $596,277 (0.04% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Saenz | President & Ceo | 38 | $596,277 |
| Jessica Strausbaugh | Chief Financial Officer | 37 | $322,265 |
| Clothilde A Ewing | Vp Strategic Communications | 40 | $260,251 |
| Lisa Jericho | Vp Innovation & Technology | 40 | $249,996 |
| Amy Pena | General Counsel & Secretary | 37 | $231,325 |
| Wendell Williams | Associate Vp Talent & Admin | 40 | $216,656 |
| Kristin Vogen | Assoc. Vp Philanthropic Services | 39 | $207,344 |
| Rosa Carrillo | Controller (until 10/23) | 40 | $199,801 |
| Jennifer Axelrod | Sr. Director Learning & Impact | 40 | $189,872 |
| Peggy Davis | Former Vp Community Impact | 0 | $134,492 |
| Sylvia Garcia | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $99,164 |
| Anne Ladky | Director | 1 | — |
| Brett Hart | Director | 1 | — |
| Bryan Traubert | Director & Chair (as of 1/24) | 1 | — |
| Connie Lindsey | Director | 1 | — |
| Ethan Meers | Director | 1 | — |
| Gretchen Crosby Sims | Director | 1 | — |
| Heather Steans | Director | 1 | — |
| James Reynolds | Director | 1 | — |
| Jesse Ruiz | Director | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Trust Company | Advisory Services | $3,919,611 |
| Clarity Partners LLC | Consulting Services | $1,413,559 |
| Bank of America | Advisory Services | $1,199,939 |
| Jp Morgan Chase | Advisory Services | $602,046 |
| Bmo Harris Bank | Advisory Services | $577,507 |
118 grants to The Chicago Community Trust totaling $212.7M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $1,142,783 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | Community improvement & capacity building, housing & shelter | 2024 | $250,000 |
| Myriad USA Inc | To support community development activities. | 2024 | $128,571 |
| World Education Services Inc | Project-based support grant | 2024 | $53,000 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Education | 2023 | $2,084,075 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $1,212,800 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2023 | $850,000 |
| Neo Philanthropy Inc | Program grant | 2023 | $175,000 |
| Robert R Mccormick Foundation | Chicago fund for safe & peaceful communities | 2023 | $175,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Philanthropy | 2023 | $155,832 |
| Gulf Coast Community Foundation Inc | Human services | 2023 | $100,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Public, societal benefit | 2023 | $68,100 |
| Orange County Community Foundation | Community improvement and development | 2023 | $67,925 |
| Oregon Community Foundation | Civic engagement | 2023 | $49,368 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $47,500 |
3,976 grants totaling $1.4B in FY2023 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by The Chicago Community Trust →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Save the Children Federation Inc | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $50,837,225 |
| Capital Impact Partners | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $45,000,000 |
| Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Foundation | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $30,000,000 |
| Hope Enterprise Corporation | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $28,000,000 |
| Tides Foundation | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $26,088,000 |
| Accion Opportunity Fund Community Development | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $23,000,000 |
| Center For Popular Democracy | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $20,060,000 |
| Eisenhower Medical Center | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $20,050,000 |
| National Council of Young Mens Christian Assns of the USA | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $20,000,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of America | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $20,000,000 |
| Climate Imperative Foundation | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $20,000,000 |
| Community Investment Corp | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $15,100,000 |
| The Miami Foundation Inc | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $15,000,000 |
| Community First Fund | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $15,000,000 |
| Grid Alternatives | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | $15,000,000 |
Explore more
Data for The Chicago Community Trust (EIN 36-2167000) 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.