Form 990 for tax year 2025

Totals

Total revenue

$5,678,584

Total expenses

$8,288,367

Contributions and grants received

$4,891,320

Grants paid

$1,352,650

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$787,264

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$37,428,254

Total liabilities, end of year

$1,573,048

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$35,855,206

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$7,022,635

Management and general expenses

$845,385

Fundraising expenses

$420,347

Program service expenses (Part III)

$7,022,635

Program services were 84.7% 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 · 2025

• PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORTSPROGRAMS: DESIGN, LEADERSHIP BRIDGE, MALOTT, MASTERCLASS, NETWORK, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES, & PIPELINETHE FUND INVESTS IN DIRECT SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL LEADERS THROUGH PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE. OUR PROGRAMS ARE OPEN TO ALL SCHOOL LEADERS (PRINCIPALS), ASPIRING PRINCIPALS (ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS, AND TEACHER LEADERS), AND PRINCIPAL SUPERVISORS ACROSS CHICAGO'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE USE REAL-TIME DATA ON SCHOOL LEADERS' NEEDS AND STUDENT LEARNING TO PILOT, REFINE, AND SUSTAIN WHAT WORKS.ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS, THE FUND'S PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLCS) OFFERED A STRUCTURED SPACE FOR PRINCIPALS TO LEARN FROM DATA, COLLEAGUES, AND PEER ACCOUNTABILITY. LED BY EDUCATIONAL LEADERS, THESE PEER-STUDY GROUPS SPANNED 12 TOPICS IN SEMESTER-LENGTH SESSIONS, ENABLING SCHOOL LEADERS TO BENEFIT FROM MULTIPLE TOPICS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND EARN ILLINOIS ADMINISTRATOR ACADEMY CREDITS TOWARD ANNUAL CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. IN 2025, 93 UNIQUE SCHOOL LEADERS AND 12 PLC LEADERS PARTICIPATED IN A PLC.OUR MASTERCLASS LEARNING SERIES OFFERED RESPONSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TAILORED TO SCHOOL LEADERS' CHANGING NEEDS. MASTERCLASSES REQUIRED SHORTER COMMITMENTS THAN OTHER FUND PROGRAMS, WHICH ALLOWED US TO ADAPT TO PARTICIPANT NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IN 2025, 166 PRINCIPALS AND ASPIRING PRINCIPALS ENROLLED IN A MASTERCLASS ON TOPICS SUCH AS REDUCING CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, IMPROVING GRADING PRACTICES, AND EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT. COMPLEMENTING THIS WORK, OUR INTERCONNECTED DESIGN SUITE PROGRAMS ENABLED EDUCATOR TEAMS TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE STUDENT-CENTERED SOLUTIONS USING DESIGN THINKING. PROGRAMS INCLUDED THE SUMMER DESIGN PROGRAM, DESIGN COACHING TO IMPLEMENT, AND THE DESIGN CHALLENGE. IN 2025, 54 PRINCIPAL- AND ASPIRING PRINCIPAL-LED EDUCATOR TEAMS PARTICIPATED.THE FUND ALSO OFFERED PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT SPECIFIC GROUPS OF SCHOOL LEADERS AND ASPIRING SCHOOL LEADERS. THE MALOTT EDUCATOR FELLOWSHIP PROVIDED MONTHLY FULL-DAY LEARNING LABS AND INDIVIDUALIZED COACHING DESIGNED TO HELP SCHOOL LEADERS ADDRESS CHALLENGES SUCH AS HIGH STUDENT MOBILITY AND CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM. IN 2025, WE PARTNERED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO'S CENTER FOR URBAN EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AND WISE LEADERSHIP CONSULTING TO SUPPORT 25 FELLOWS IN THEIR SECOND YEAR OF THE FELLOWSHIP. NOTABLY, FELLOWS INCREASED THEIR 5ESSENTIALS EFFECTIVE LEADERS SCORES BY 5.5 POINTS.OPERATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW LEADERS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO, LEADERSHIP BRIDGE TARGETED THE CRITICAL NEED FOR HIGH-QUALITY, DIVERSE SCHOOL LEADERS IN CPS. THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, EXPERT COACHING, AND COLLABORATION WITH CURRENT PRINCIPALS, LEADERSHIP BRIDGE HELPED 26 ASPIRING PRINCIPALS PREPARE TO SECURE CPS PRINCIPAL ROLES WITHIN THREE YEARS. AS AN EXTENSION OF THIS WORK TO STRENGTHEN AND DIVERSIFY THE PRINCIPAL PIPELINE, THE FUND CONVENED A PIPELINE PARTNERS COUNCIL (PPC) COMPRISED OF PRE-SERVICE PROGRAMS AND UNIVERSITIES FROM ACROSS CHICAGO. THE PPC CREATED A UNIQUE CITYWIDE FORUM FOR PARTNERS TO EXCHANGE FEEDBACK AND ALIGN EFFORTS.FINALLY, OUR NETWORK STRATEGY SUPPORTS PROGRAM DEEPENED OUR DECADE-LONG PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CPS OFFICE OF NETWORK SUPPORT (ONS). WE SUSTAINED QUARTERLY DATA WORK WITH 34 NETWORK CHIEFS AND DEPUTIES. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (UWCEL), AN ONS PARTNER CO-FACILITATED A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR 12 DEPUTY CHIEFS. WE ALSO OFFERED EIGHT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS TO NETWORKS TO SUPPORT INITIATIVES THAT ENHANCED PRINCIPAL PRACTICE, SATISFACTION, DIVERSITY, AND RETENTION.

  Expenses $3,958,856 · Grants $1,208,272

• SYSTEMS, DATA & POLICYPROGRAMS: CBOE, EAC, LSC, POLICY ENGAGEMENT, FIELD CATALYSTSTRONG SCHOOLS REQUIRE EFFECTIVE LOCAL LEADERSHIP AND A SHARED COMMITMENT TO STUDENT LEARNING. THE FUND'S SYSTEMS, DATA, AND POLICY WORK AIMS TO STRENGTHEN THESE CONDITIONS IN AND ACROSS SCHOOLS. WE SUPPORT PRINCIPALS, PRINCIPAL SUPERVISORS, LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCILS (LSCS), AND THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION (CBOE) IN SERVING LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND CHICAGO'S YOUNG PEOPLE.IN 2025, THE FUND OFFERED ROBUST PROGRAMMING TO SUPPORT LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCILS (LSCS). OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACCELERATOR HELPED 7 SCHOOLS STRENGTHEN THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH FAMILIES, STUDENTS, LSC MEMBERS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON THE INVOLVED FAMILIES COMPONENT OF THE 5ESSENTIALS SURVEY. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CPS DEPARTMENT OF PRINCIPAL QUALITY, THE LSC MENTORSHIP PROGRAM PAIRED 14 PRINCIPALS WITH 6 EXPERIENCED COLLEAGUES TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE THROUGH LSC MEETING VISITS, DEBRIEFING SESSIONS, AND ACTION PLANNING. THE LSC MASTERCLASS SERIES COMPLEMENTED THIS WORK WITH SESSIONS ON EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, TRANSPARENT DECISION-MAKING, AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. FINALLY, LSC WORKING GROUPS CONVENED 22 LSC MEMBERS TO DEVELOP PRACTICAL TOOLS TO STRENGTHEN LSC EFFECTIVENESS, INCLUDING AN LSC SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL TO HELP COUNCILS EVALUATE THEIR PRACTICES AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH.THE FUND'S EDUCATOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE (EAC) ENSURED SCHOOL LEADERS' EXPERTISE INFORMED AND IMPROVED OUR WORK. COMPOSED OF 26 PRINCIPALS AND 13 ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, OUR EAC PROVIDED ONGOING FEEDBACK ON OUR PROGRAMS, IDENTIFIED CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR STRONG LEADERSHIP, SHAPED OUR POLICY AGENDA, AND BUILT RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS THE CITY.IN 2025, THE FUND EXPANDED OUR PUBLIC POLICY ENGAGEMENT AS CPS TRANSITIONED TO A HYBRID CBOE COMPRISED OF 10 ELECTED AND 11 APPOINTED MEMBERS. WE TESTIFIED AT CBOE MEETINGS AND HELD MONTHLY BRIEFINGS WITH CBOE MEMBERS. WE SHARED DATA AND RESEARCH WITH CBOE MEMBERS -- INCLUDING OUR ANNUAL PRINCIPAL AND AP ENGAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS, PUBLIC OPINION POLLING ON CPS POLICY ISSUES, AND CPS BUDGET ANALYSIS. WE ALSO FACILITATED CONNECTIONS BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS, AND PUBLISHED OP-EDS ON PRINCIPAL AUTONOMY AND THE GOVERNANCE ISSUES AFFECTING CHICAGO'S SCHOOLS.FINALLY, THE FUND PARTNERED WITH THE ALLIANCE FOR LOCAL LEADERSHIP CHICAGO (ALL CHICAGO) TO PROVIDE BUDGET TRAININGS FOR ALL CHICAGO FELLOWS AND ONBOARDING FOR EIGHT NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS.

  Expenses $2,124,738 · Grants $131,878

• EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENTPROGRAMS: PRINCIPAL APPRECIATIONTHE FUND RECOGNIZES SCHOOL LEADERS' CRITICAL ROLE IN STUDENT SUCCESS. THE FUND CELEBRATES SCHOOL LEADERS AND CONNECTS THEM TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY. OUR ANNUAL PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION CAMPAIGNS ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AND LOCAL SCHOOL COMMUNITIES IN CELEBRATING LEADERS. IN OCTOBER, OUR PRINCIPAL APPRECIATION CAMPAIGN FEATURED CELEBRATORY EVENTS FOR SCHOOL LEADERS, SUCH AS FREE TICKETS TO A CHICAGO BULLS GAME, AND A STORYTELLING EVENT THAT HIGHLIGHTED TRANSFORMATIONAL SCHOOL LEADERS' STORIES AND CONNECTED THEM WITH THEIR PEERS. TO RAISE AWARENESS CITYWIDE, WE RAN A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN. WE PARTNERED WITH THE CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO FEATURE STRONG SCHOOL LEADERS ON BUSES AND TRAINS THROUGHOUT CHICAGO.OUR AP APPRECIATION CAMPAIGN OCCURRED IN APRIL. WE HOSTED EVENTS THAT OFFERED OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS TO GATHER AND BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR SCHOOLS. ATTENDEES ALSO BUILT COMMUNITY WITH THEIR PEERS, CBOE MEMBERS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.THROUGH ALL OUR EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT WORK, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE CHICAGO'S SCHOOL LEADERS FEEL SEEN, VALUED, AND SUPPORTED BY THE FUND AND THE CITY AROUND THEM.

  Expenses $939,041 · Grants $12,500

As filed on the 2025 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

• CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  $256,000

  GRANTS TO SUPPORT WINNING DESIGN CHALLENGE SCHOOLS AND NETWORK-LEVEL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATORS

• NEW LEADERS INC

  $219,898

  GRANT IN SUPPORT OF THE LEADERSHIP BRIDGE PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP

• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

  $155,500

  GRANT IN SUPPORT OF THE MALOTT FELLOWSHIP AND LEADERSHIP BRIDGE PROGRAM PARTNERSHIPS

• LEADERSHIP AND DESIGN

  $90,000

  GRANT IN SUPPORT OF A DESIGN CHALLENGE PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP

• UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

  $60,000

  GRANT TO SUPPORT CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS NETWORK STRATEGY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

• FOREFRONT

  $50,000

  GRANT TO SUPPORT THE INCUBATION OF A NEW FIELD CATALYST FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN CHICAGO

• NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

  $44,300

  GRANT IN SUPPORT OF A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP

• CAMBIAR EDUCATION

  $30,000

  GRANT TO SUPPORT CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS NETWORK STRATEGY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

• HOPEWELL FUND

  $25,000

  GRANT TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS RELATED TO THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET PROCESS

• LATINO LEADERSHIP PIPELINE

  $20,000

  GRANT IN SUPPORT OF AN AFFINITY GROUP PROGRAMMING PARTNERSHIP FOR CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATORS AND LEADERS

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2025

Filed

18 September 2026

IRS schema version

2025v4.2

Source object

202602659349300305

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

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.