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← CHILDRENS FIRST FUND THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL FOUNDATION

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by CHILDRENS FIRST FUND THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL FOUNDATION.

Totals

Total revenue
$17,147,986
Total expenses
$21,889,955
Contributions and grants received
$16,080,825
Grants paid
$12,707,652
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$1,067,161
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$30,400,508
Total liabilities, end of year
$3,177,105
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$27,223,403
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$20,502,991
Management and general expenses
$736,843
Fundraising expenses
$650,121
Program service expenses (Part III)
$20,502,991

Program services were 93.7% 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.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $1,259,205

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $14,821,620

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $1,067,161 · excluded $1,067,161

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $11,583,517 · program services $11,583,517

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $1,124,135 · program services $1,124,135

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,043,039 · program services $88,607 · management and general $421,474 · fundraising $532,958

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $120,839 · program services $10,265 · management and general $48,829 · fundraising $61,745

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $60,651 · program services $5,152 · management and general $24,508 · fundraising $30,991

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $47,806 · program services $4,061 · management and general $19,318 · fundraising $24,427

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $5,438 · management and general $5,438

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $53,664 · management and general $53,664

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $2,785,995 · program services $2,785,995

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $110,386 · program services $110,386

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $941,298 · program services $935,970 · management and general $5,328

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $61,211 · management and general $61,211

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $46,463 · management and general $46,463

  • 17 · Travel

    total $84,068 · program services $84,068

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $305,079 · program services $305,079

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $6,646 · program services $6,646

  • 24a · Other expenses: STUDENT PROGRAMMING AND

    total $2,165,130 · program services $2,165,130

  • 24b · Other expenses: EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE

    total $618,676 · program services $618,676

  • 24c · Other expenses: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMEN

    total $409,441 · program services $409,441

  • 24d · Other expenses: LICENSES, DUES, AND SUB

    total $206,080 · program services $206,080

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $110,393 · program services $59,783 · management and general $50,610

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $28,688,250 · end of year $25,663,264

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $4,592,242 · end of year $4,737,244

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $1,315,120 · end of year $3,177,105

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $740,897 · end of year $267,818

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $31,224,475 · end of year $26,955,585

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

THE MISSION OF THE CHILDREN FIRST FUND IS TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH AND SUCCESS OF CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH PHILANTHROPY AND PARTNERSHIPS. WE SERVE AS A KNOWLEDGE HUB AND LIAISON BETWEEN CPS AND ITS COMMUNITY OF PARTNERS, INCLUDING BUSINESSES, (SEE SCH O) FOUNDATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS. BY MATCHING RESOURCES PROVIDED BY EXTERNAL DONORS AND PARTNERS WITH THE STUDENTS, SCHOOLS, AND STAFF THAT NEED THEM MOST. CFF MAXIMIZES THE IMPACT OF CPS' PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVANCES THE CPS VISION.

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE MISSION OF THE CHILDREN FIRST FUND IS TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH AND SUCCESS OF (SEE SCH O) CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH PHILANTHROPY AND PARTNERSHIPS. WE SERVE AS A KNOWLEDGE HUB AND LIAISON BETWEEN CPS AND ITS COMMUNITY OF PARTNERS, INCLUDING BUSINESSES, FOUNDATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS. BY MATCHING RESOURCES PROVIDED BY EXTERNAL DONORS AND PARTNERS WITH THE STUDENTS, SCHOOLS, AND STAFF THAT NEED THEM MOST, CFF MAXIMIZES THE IMPACT OF CPS' PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVANCES THE CPS VISION.

  • THE CFF MISSION IS TO SUPPORT CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CPS) GOAL OF PREPARING EVERY STUDENT FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE, CAREER AND CIVIC LIFE. OPERATING AS AN INDEPENDENT 501(C)(3), CFF PROACTIVELY ENGAGES PARTNERSHIPS AND EXTERNAL RESOURCES, FACILITATING SUPPORT AND RAISING FUNDS, MAXIMIZING IMPACT FOR SUPPORTERS OF CPS' STUDENTS, AND ADVANCING EQUITY ACROSS THE DISTRICT. CFF IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE DISTRICT BY BEING A TRUSTED, INDEPENDENT PHILANTHROPIC ARM IDENTIFYING AND COMMUNICATING CPS' MOST URGENT NEEDS TO PARTNERS AND ENSURING THE FIDELITY OF THEIR INVESTMENTS.

    Expenses $20,502,991 · Grants $12,707,652

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

Listed in Part VII

  • ALAN KING

    DIRECTOR, CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • MARY CAHILLANE

    DIRECTOR, TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • ADAM LANGSAM

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • LIZ DOZIER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • MARTIN CABRERA

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • PETER ELLIS

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • PEDRO MARTINEZ

    EX OFFICIO DIRECT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • OLUYEMISI ODEDINA

    MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FINAN

    Total calculated
    $189,262
    From this org
    $166,915
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,347
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $166,915
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $13,380
    Nontaxable benefits
    $8,967
    Filer's total
    $189,262

  • JOHANNA WHEATON DUTT

    DIRECTOR OF MAJOR GIFTS

    Total calculated
    $147,492
    From this org
    $127,469
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $20,023
    Hours/week
    40

  • RACHEL ORLOWSKI

    DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL

    Total calculated
    $135,949
    From this org
    $118,200
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $17,749
    Hours/week
    40

  • KENYA MARTIN

    DIRECTOR OF ROADMAP FUNDRA

    Total calculated
    $123,698
    From this org
    $105,090
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $18,608
    Hours/week
    40

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

Answered yes

  • 3 · Written employment contract
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

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

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
4 April 2025
IRS schema version
2023v6.0
Source object
202501059349302060

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