Totals
- Total revenue
- $2,462,835
- Total expenses
- $1,644,802
- Contributions and grants received
- $2,455,635
- Grants paid
- $0
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $250
- Other revenue
- $6,950
- Total assets, end of year
- $3,263,088
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $669,257
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $2,593,831
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $1,405,013
- Management and general expenses
- $210,308
- Fundraising expenses
- $29,481
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $1,405,013
Program services were 85.4% 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.
-
1a · Federated campaigns
$0
-
1b · Membership dues
$0
-
1c · Fundraising events
$0
-
1d · Related organizations
$0
-
1e · Government grants (contributions)
$112,635
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$2,343,000
-
1g · Noncash contributions included above
$0
-
3 · Investment income
total $250 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $250
-
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
5 · Royalties
total $0 · related or exempt $0 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
6c · Rental income or loss
real property $0 · personal property $0
-
7c · Gain or loss
securities $0 · other assets $0
-
8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c
$0
-
11d · All other revenue
total $6,950 · related or exempt $6,950 · unrelated business $0 · excluded $0
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$6,950
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $0 · program services $0
-
2 · Grants to domestic individuals
total $0 · program services $0
-
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals
total $0 · program services $0
-
4 · Benefits paid to or for members
total $0 · program services $0
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $167,981 · program services $134,385 · management and general $16,798 · fundraising $16,798
-
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $469,969 · program services $384,125 · management and general $79,682 · fundraising $6,162
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $8,210 · program services $0 · management and general $8,210 · fundraising $0
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $67,486 · program services $53,501 · management and general $11,228 · fundraising $2,757
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $51,065 · program services $41,392 · management and general $7,778 · fundraising $1,895
-
11a · Fees: management
total $444,018 · program services $437,238 · management and general $6,780 · fundraising $0
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $57,631 · program services $54,641 · management and general $2,990 · fundraising $0
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $18,691 · program services $0 · management and general $18,691 · fundraising $0
-
11d · Fees: lobbying
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services
total $0 · fundraising $0
-
11f · Fees: investment management
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
11g · Fees: other
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $50,909 · program services $49,230 · management and general $371 · fundraising $1,308
-
13 · Office expenses
total $17,940 · program services $3,037 · management and general $14,903 · fundraising $0
-
14 · Information technology
total $19,144 · program services $16,767 · management and general $2,377 · fundraising $0
-
15 · Royalties
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
16 · Occupancy
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
17 · Travel
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $37,684 · program services $34,405 · management and general $3,263 · fundraising $16
-
20 · Interest
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
21 · Payments to affiliates
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $107,301 · program services $75,729 · management and general $31,027 · fundraising $545
-
23 · Insurance
total $18,791 · program services $12,967 · management and general $5,824 · fundraising $0
-
24a · Other expenses: Provision for Credit Losses
total $100,000 · program services $100,000 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
24b · Other expenses: Sponsorships
total $7,000 · program services $7,000 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
-
24c · Other expenses: Dues, Subscriptions, Publications
total $982 · program services $596 · management and general $386 · fundraising $0
-
24e · All other expenses
total $0 · program services $0 · management and general $0 · fundraising $0
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $203,804 · end of year $189,231
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
beginning of year $1,150,277 · end of year $1,455,527
-
3 · Pledges and grants receivable
beginning of year $400,000 · end of year $1,064,135
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $22,633 · end of year $29,776
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$81,981
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$21,537
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $36,491 · end of year $60,444
-
15 · Other assets
beginning of year $89,560 · end of year $463,975
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $23,332 · end of year $145,417
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $103,635 · end of year $523,840
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $959,497 · end of year $1,138,991
-
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions
beginning of year $816,301 · end of year $1,454,840
Mission and programs · 2025
Mission
Community Desk Chicago ("the Desk") is an Illinois 501 (C)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to advance equitable economic prosperity in collaboration with historically under-resourced communities. The Organization serves as a help desk and works with nonprofits, community developers and entrepreneurs to assemble the necessary capital, expertise and other resources to develop brick-and-mortar projects that foster wealth building and a high quality of life.
Activities or mission (Part I)
To advance equitable economic prosperity in collaboration with historically under-resourced communities in Chicago.
-
Neighborhood Developers Initiative (NDI) - Real estate development capacity building for community-based nonprofits. NDI provides structured learning and technical coaching focused on building knowledge related to real estate development and creating the necessary strategic development plans to be successful. The initial $3M investment was leveraged to secure an additional $4.4M in capital grants and $2.7M in operating support. The program is currently operating in the Englewood, South Shore and Humboldt Park communities in Chicago.
Expenses $244,416
-
Wealth Our Way (WOW) - A new program launched in 2025 serving as the overarching initiative for shared ownership and wealth building models. The Desk's previous Community Investment Vehicle (CIV) programming is encompassed in this new initiative. These shared ownership models are emerging community development tools that help to support the revitalization of neighborhoods through real estate and small businesses. The City of Chicago seeded the WOW Capital Grant program with $4.1M to provide capital grants along with technical coaching to shared ownership models in Chicago. To date, $2.6M in capital grants were awarded. The Desk also supported an additional $1.6M in grants and loans for other shared ownership projects.
Expenses $377,887
-
CorridorLive! - Comprehensive redevelopment of commercial corridors in under-resourced communities. CorridorLive! is designed to reduce blight and high vacancy, increase local ownership and improve the quality of life for residents. The program coordinates the necessary capital and resources for corridor stabilization and long-term strategic property acquisitions to bring new products and services to the community. To date, $5.47M has been secured to support targeted corridors on the south and west side of Chicago.
Expenses $237,063
-
Budget and Bricks - Technical coaching and project navigation to assist entrepreneurs with purchasing and developing brick-and-mortar spaces in under-resourced neighborhoods. Budgets & Bricks is designed to scale businesses through property ownership, build generational wealth and improve the quality of life for residents by activating vacate storefronts. The program supports projects on the south and west sides of Chicago. To date, the Desk has supported 50 businesses and helped to secure $6.7M in capital grants and loans.
Expenses $53,647
-
The Community W.E.B. Program - In 2025, the Desk incubated The Community Wealth Ecosystem Builders (CWEB) for a one-year period. CWEB is a partner to the Desk and complements the WOW program. CWEB serves as a hub organization to coordinate, unify and propel the existing community wealth building ecosystem in Chicago, across four priority models: worker cooperatives, limited-equity housing cooperatives, community land trusts, and community investment vehicles. The WEB obtained its 501 (C)(3) status and transitioned from the Desk on December 31, 2025.
Expenses $492,000
As filed on the 2025 return.
Listed in Part VII
-
Ja'Net Defell
President and CEO
- Total calculated
- $187,463
- From this org
- $167,981
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $19,482
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $167,891
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $90
- Deferred
- $8,648
- Nontaxable benefits
- $10,834
- Filer's total
- $187,463
-
Nneka Onwuzurike
Executive Director of CWEB
- Total calculated
- $140,222
- From this org
- $128,583
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $11,639
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $128,541
- Bonus
- $0
- Other
- $42
- Deferred
- $1,708
- Nontaxable benefits
- $9,931
- Filer's total
- $140,222
-
Kirby Burkholder
Chairperson
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Torrence Moore
Treasurer
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Nicole Bell
Secretary
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Lance Dorn
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Paula McCaleb
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Wanda Liz Diaz-Ortiz
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Deborah Bennett
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Shermann Thomas
Director
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
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 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
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
No itemized grants to organizations on this return.
Provenance
- Return type
- form_990
- Tax year
- 2025
- Filed
- 15 May 2026
- IRS schema version
- 2025v4.0
- Source object
- 202631759349301413
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.