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Nonprofiteer
← EXPERIMENTAL STATION

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by EXPERIMENTAL STATION.

Totals

Total revenue
$3,071,505
Total expenses
$3,261,695
Contributions and grants received
$2,845,853
Grants paid
$1,485,767
Program service revenue
$212,963
Investment income
$8,948
Other revenue
$3,741
Total assets, end of year
$1,560,262
Total liabilities, end of year
$106,086
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$1,454,176
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,711,807
Management and general expenses
$351,507
Fundraising expenses
$198,381
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,711,807

Program services were 83.1% 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.

  • 1c · Fundraising events

    $13,301

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $2,246,028

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $586,524

  • 2a · Program service revenue: PROG. SERVICE REVENUE

    total $107,300 · related or exempt $107,300

  • 2b · Program service revenue: RENTAL TO COMMUNITY

    total $82,015 · related or exempt $82,015

  • 2c · Program service revenue: FARMERS MARKET

    total $23,648 · related or exempt $23,648

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $8,948 · excluded $8,948

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $0

  • 8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c

    $13,301

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $0

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $0

  • 11a · Other revenue: OTHERS

    total $3,741 · excluded $3,741

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $3,741

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $1,267,324 · program services $1,267,324

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $218,443 · program services $218,443

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $119,292 · program services $63,225 · management and general $27,437 · fundraising $28,630

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $734,272 · program services $549,136 · management and general $55,701 · fundraising $129,435

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $5,876 · program services $3,847 · management and general $774 · fundraising $1,255

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $39,615 · program services $25,457 · management and general $7,499 · fundraising $6,659

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $84,238 · program services $61,489 · management and general $8,325 · fundraising $14,424

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $2,871 · management and general $2,871

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $100,795 · management and general $100,795

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $27,738 · management and general $27,738

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $74,118 · management and general $74,118

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $22,375 · program services $21,444 · management and general $904 · fundraising $27

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $127,267 · program services $114,958 · management and general $10,495 · fundraising $1,814

  • 17 · Travel

    total $3,608 · program services $3,600 · management and general $8

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $11,387 · program services $9,223 · management and general $1,936 · fundraising $228

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $37,388 · program services $28,481 · management and general $7,896 · fundraising $1,011

  • 24a · Other expenses: OUTSIDE SERVICES

    total $175,435 · program services $175,435

  • 24b · Other expenses: LINK DVCP REIMBURSEMENT

    total $80,153 · program services $80,153

  • 24c · Other expenses: PRINTING

    total $51,213 · program services $49,573 · management and general $99 · fundraising $1,541

  • 24d · Other expenses: MISCELLANEOUS

    total $43,445 · program services $18,966 · management and general $21,897 · fundraising $2,582

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $34,842 · program services $21,053 · management and general $3,014 · fundraising $10,775

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $509,880 · end of year $176,855

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    end of year $592,443

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $1,370,534 · end of year $622,145

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $54,626 · end of year $99,503

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $243,678

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $174,362

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $76,871 · end of year $69,316

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $78,544 · end of year $65,847

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $17,836 · end of year $30,675

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $24,700 · end of year $9,564

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $978,911 · end of year $1,051,271

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $911,920 · end of year $402,905

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE EXPERIMENTAL STATION WAS ORGANIZED TO PROMOTE, ENCOURAGE AND FOSTER INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES OF ALL GENRES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ART AND DESIGN, INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL MODELS, FOOD, AND ALTERNATIVE MEDIA AND JOURNALISM.

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE MISSION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL STATION IS TO BUILD INDEPENDENT CULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO. WE DO THIS BY FOSTERING A DYNAMIC ECOLOGY OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS, SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. SINCE 2006, WE HAVE BOTH BUILT OUR OWN PROGRAMMING TO ADDRESS A VARIETY OF IDENTIFIED LOCAL NEEDS AND HAVE FOSTERED, HOSTED, AND SPONSORED NUMEROUS OTHER INITIATIVES.

  • LINK UP ILLINOIS PROVIDES FUNDING, TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO FARMERS MARKETS FOOD COOPERATIVES, MOBILE MARKETS, CORNER STORES, AND OTHER VENUES SELLING LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE TO IMPLEMENT LINK MATCH AT THEIR VENUES. LINK MATCH MATCHES THE VALUE OF SNAP/LINK PURCHASES,ALLOWING RECIPIENTS TO RECEIVE UP TO $25 OF FREE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PER TRANSACTION AT FARMERS MARKETS AND $5 PER DAY IN GROCERY SETTINGS.

    Expenses $2,166,159 · Grants $1,485,767 · Revenue $107,300

  • THE 61ST STREET FARMERS MARKET WAS CREATED IN 2008 TO BRING HEALTHY FOOD AND FOOD EDUCATION TO THE WOODLAWN COMMUNITY. A LEADER IN ILLINOIS IN SERVING A LOW-INCOME POPULATION, THE MARKET ACCEPTS SNAP/ILLINOIS 'LINK', DOUBLES THE VALUE OF SNAP/LINK PURCHASES WITH LINK MATCH, AND OFFERS YEAR-ROUND AT-MARKET, IN-SCHOOL, AFTER-SCHOOL, AND ADULT FOOD EDUCATION.

    Expenses $266,440 · Revenue $23,648

  • BLACKSTONE BICYCLE WORKS PROVIDES YOUTH EDUCATION IN A BIKE SHOP SETTING. BLACKSTONE BICYCLE WORKS OFFERS FREE MECHANIC TRAINING, FREE BICYCLES, INTERNSHIPS, COLLEGE AND CAREER ADVISING, AND COLLEGE/VOCATIONAL SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS.

    Expenses $279,208 · Revenue $82,015

As filed on the 2024 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Martin Friedman

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    6

  • Emmitt House

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    6

  • Mulubwa Munkanta

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Beth Loeb

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.25

  • Steve Wiesenthal

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.25

  • Corliss King

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.25

  • Jill Ingrassia

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.25

  • Richard Wright

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.25

  • Constance Spreen

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $126,858
    From this org
    $109,168
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $17,690
    Hours/week
    40

  • Dan Peterman

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.25

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.

Grants on this return

  • GREEN CITY MARKET

    $177,500

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • CERMAK PRODUCE NO 7 INC

    $173,175

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • ONE STOP FOODS & LIQUOR INC

    $134,287

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • A&S SUPERMERCADO INC AKA MI MEXICO

    $109,000

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • THE LAND CONNECTION

    $83,950

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • COMMON GROUND FOOD CO-OP

    $75,738

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • ALBERTSON'S COMPANY INC

    $68,324

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • NEIGHBORHOOD CO-OP GROCERY

    $64,525

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • SUGAR BEET FOOD CO-OP

    $63,867

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

  • UPTOWN FARMERS MARKET NFP

    $32,000

    SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FAMER'S MARKET

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

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
17 October 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202512909349301401

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

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