Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$6,923,244

Total expenses

$6,453,836

Contributions and grants received

$6,524,752

Grants paid

$904,039

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$395,618

Other revenue

$2,874

Total assets, end of year

$41,819,615

Total liabilities, end of year

$1,320,100

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$40,499,515

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$5,546,379

Management and general expenses

$705,827

Fundraising expenses

$201,630

Program service expenses (Part III)

$5,546,379

Program services were 85.9% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORTS (2023) THE FUND SUPPORTS PRINCIPALS AND ASPIRING PRINCIPALS THROUGH PROGRAMMING. FUND PROGRAMS ARE OPEN TO ALL EDUCATORS LEADING OR ASPIRING TO LEAD IN CHICAGO'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE EDUCATORS ACROSS THE CITY IN MANY SCHOOL TYPES, INCLUDING ELEMENTARY, HIGH SCHOOL, CHARTER, AND DISTRICT. WE LEVERAGE REAL-TIME DATA ON SCHOOL NEEDS AND OUTCOMES TO IMPLEMENT THE MOST EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR OUR PARTICIPATING EDUCATORS EACH YEAR. OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLCS) ACCOUNTED FOR 286 (85%) OF OUR PARTICIPANTS IN 2023. PLCS ALLOWED SCHOOL LEADERS TO PARTICIPATE IN YEARLONG PEER-LEARNING GROUPS LED BY THE CITY'S TOP PRINCIPALS. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN REFLECTIVE JOURNEYS DESIGNED TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR LEADERSHIP MORE DEEPLY, LEARN NEW SKILLS, ENCOURAGE INNOVATIVE PRACTICES IN THEIR BUILDINGS, AND ADVANCE POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE. IN ADDITION TO THE PLCS, WE OFFERED A DESIGN SUITE IN 2023. THIS SUITE EQUIPPED EDUCATORS WITH THE RESOURCES TO CREATE STUDENT-CENTERED SOLUTIONS TO PRESSING SCHOOL-BASED CHALLENGES. PARTICIPANTS FROM 25 SCHOOLS DESIGNED AND TESTED INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE TEACHING, LEARNING, AND SCHOOL CLIMATE. FINALLY, OUR TEAM MANAGED A MASTERCLASS SERIES AND LEADERSHIP BRIDGE, AN ASPIRING PRINCIPAL PROGRAM, IN 2023. THESE PROGRAMS EXPANDED THE RESPONSIVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.IN TOTAL, THE FUND'S PROGRAMS SUPPORTED 333 LEADERS IN 253 SCHOOLS SERVING 128,000 STUDENTS ACROSS THE CITY IN THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR. OVER HALF OF OUR PARTICIPANTS WERE LEADERS OF COLOR: 44.4% AND 14.1% IDENTIFIED AS BLACK AND LATINO/A/X.

  Expenses $2,836,018 · Grants $424,400

• SYSTEMS, DATA, AND POLICIES (2023) THE FUND HAS INVESTED IN EDUCATOR TALENT IN CHICAGO FOR ALMOST 25 YEARS. IN THE LAST DECADE, WE NARROWED OUR FOCUS TO SCHOOL LEADERS. WE BELIEVE CHICAGO'S PRINCIPALS SHOULDER TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THEY REQUIRE THE AUTONOMY TO ACT ON THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. AS SUCH, THE FUND IS DEDICATED TO BUILDING A CULTURE OF STRONG, LOCAL LEADERSHIP IN CHICAGO. WE VALUE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR SYSTEM-LEVEL WORK. IN 2023, WE WORKED MOST CLOSELY WITH CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CPS). OUR ANNUAL PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ENGAGEMENT SURVEYS HELPED INFORM DISTRICT STRATEGY AND INFLUENCED MODIFICATIONS TO OUR PROGRAMS TO BETTER SERVE LEADERS. WE ALSO SUPPORTED CPS IN SURVEYING LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL (LSC) MEMBERS. WE LAUNCHED THIS FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SURVEY IN OCTOBER 2023 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LSC MEMBER SATISFACTION AND NEEDS FOR SUPPORT. WE ALSO PUBLISHED FOUR REPORTS IN 2023, INCLUDING "THE ILLINOIS PRINCIPAL: THEIR WORK, THEIR CHALLENGES, THEIR IMPACT." WE WROTE THIS REPORT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ILLINOIS PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION, A STATEWIDE MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION AIMING TO DEVELOP, SUPPORT, AND ADVOCATE FOR INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL LEADERS. THE REPORT INCLUDED DATA ON ILLINOIS PRINCIPALS, OFFERING INSIGHT INTO THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE STORIES OF LEADERS STATEWIDE TO DEMONSTRATE THE URGENT NEED FOR MORE LOCAL-LEVEL DECISION-MAKING IN CHICAGO AND BEYOND.

  Expenses $1,381,478 · Grants $470,764

• EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT (2023) IN 2023, THE FUND CONNECTED EDUCATORS TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY, TO OUR WORK, AND TO ONE ANOTHER. WE CELEBRATED THEIR INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP CITYWIDE. IN APRIL, WE CO-HOSTED AN EVENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CONSORTIUM ON SCHOOL RESEARCH. OVER 130 EDUCATION LEADERS AND CHAMPIONS ATTENDED. IT INCLUDED A CONVERSATION ON THE GROWTH OF THE CHICAGO EDUCATION LANDSCAPE OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES AND THE ROLE OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AS DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK "HOW A CITY LEARNED TO IMPROVE ITS SCHOOLS." THE EVENT CONCLUDED WITH A FIRESIDE CHAT INVOLVING SOME OF THE BOOK'S AUTHORS, CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ, AND THE ACADEMY GROUP CEO GREG JONES. IN OCTOBER, THE FUND CELEBRATED EDUCATORS CITYWIDE THROUGH OUR ANNUAL PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION CAMPAIGN. THE CAMPAIGN INCLUDED A SCHOOL VISIT, FREE TICKETS FOR PRINCIPALS TO ATTEND A CHICAGO BULLS GAME, AND ONE EVENT AT THE FIELD MUSEUM THAT FEATURED STORIES FROM TRANSFORMATIONAL SCHOOL LEADERS. WE ALSO EXECUTED A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND PARTNERED WITH THE CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY TO FEATURE EXTRAORDINARY SCHOOL LEADERS IN ADS ON BUSES AND TRAINS IN THE CITY. IN LATE 2023, WE WELCOMED A NEW EDUCATOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHOSE MEMBERS CONSULTED ON OUR WORK. COMPOSED OF 36 PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, THE COMMITTEE AIMS TO SHAPE THE FUND'S POLICY AGENDA, OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS ON PROGRAMMING, AND FACILITATE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER LEADERS ACROSS THE CITY. IT ALSO SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON CO-CREATING THE CRITERIA, DESIGN, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AWARDS FOR SCHOOL LEADERS THAT WILL LAUNCH IN 2024. THE ANTICIPATED OUTCOME OF OUR CURRENT EDUCATOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS TO LEVERAGE THE INSIGHTS AND EXPERIENCES OF SCHOOL LEADERS TO ENHANCE THE FUND'S INITIATIVES AND STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERS IN THE CITY.

  Expenses $1,328,883 · Grants $8,875

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - CHICAGO

  $205,438

  SUPPORT THE MALOTT EDUCATOR FELLOWSHIP AND LEADERSHIP BRIDGE.

• CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  $97,000

  PROGRAM PARTICIPATION STIPENDS.

• NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

  $71,150

  DESIGN AND FACILITATE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE SESSIONS FOR PLC LEADERS.

• LEADERSHIP & DESIGN

  $61,250

  PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND FACILITATION OF THE DESIGN SUITE.

• UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

  $55,500

  PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES INCLUDING TRAINING AND COACHING TO CPS NETWORK CHIEFS.

• ACCELERATE INSTITUTE

  $47,400

  SUPPORT FOR LEADERSHIP BRIDGE INCLUDING A SUMMER INSTITUTE AND COACHING FOR PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL PAIRS, AND A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE TO DEVELOP SUCCESSION PLANS.

• THE MODERN CLASSROOMS PROJECT

  $15,000

  TRAINING AND COACHING OF PLC LEADERS TO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY IN STUDENT-CENTERED CLASSROOMS.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

6 November 2024

IRS schema version

2023v5.1

Source object

202413139349302486

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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