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HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO

EIN 51-0248353 WILMETTE, IL

Browse the largest nonprofits in Illinois

Revenue 2024
$4,033,798
Expenses 2024
$2,725,982

Program services were 72.2% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
Classification
1200
Street
1100 LARAMIE AVE

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Group exemption

A subordinate covered by the group exemption of HOPE IGNITES (EIN 51-0182614). matched by us

The IRS lists each organization's group exemption number; we match a subordinate to its central organization by that number and the affiliation code the IRS assigns.

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

Boys Hope Girls Hope nurtures and guides motivated young people in need to become well-educated, career-ready men and women for others through its holistic, long-term residential and academy programming. The organization provides direct program support and college scholarships.

Activities or mission (Part I)

The program provides housing and educational assistance for abandoned, abused, and neglected youths in a family environment that allows them to mature and succeed.

  • BHGH of Illinois is a privately funded, DCFS-licensed, residential scholarship program. We provide family-like group homes, college-prep education, and support through college graduation to motivated students from impoverished families, mostly from Chicago's South and West sides. We have a 40-year track record in Evanston with hundreds of successful outcomes. For our 24 high school Scholars, ages 12-18, we break down barriers to achievement by providing everything a fortunate family might offer: a safe, structured home and excellent schools, nightly meals around a family table, medical care and social-emotional support, tutoring, ACT prep, college application guidance, community service, and extracurricular activities. For our 24 Collegians, we provide financial aid navigation, a scholarship, dorm setup, and computer, internship access, career readiness, and ongoing support when they stumble. BHGH offers motivated kids an opportunity to see the world beyond their neighborhoods and build a future for themselves and their families through grit, hard work, and high-quality education. Our program works: 100% of our Scholars graduate high school and matriculate to college. 75% of our Scholars graduate with a college degree!

    Expenses $1,968,643

As filed on the 2024 return.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Karen Croteau

    Executive Director

    Total calculated
    $152,848
    From this org
    $152,848
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $152,848
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $152,848
  • Michael Leahy

    Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jamie Baisley

    Executive Committee

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mike Halkitis

    Executive Committee

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • John Lafferty

    Executive Committee

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Amy Ward

    Executive Committee

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jim Bertler

    Treasurer and Finance Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Daniel Baker

    Executive Committee

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Christine Hjorth

    Events Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jeff Lundal

    Executive Committee

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • John Zumski

    Secretary and Service Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • David Gibson

    Nominations Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Michael Kailus

    Housing Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Christopher Tarzon

    Executive Committee

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • David Blocker

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Lucien Cater

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Chris Crawshaw

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Donald Doan

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Mary Beth Fahrney

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Rochelle Foster

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kathleen Gallagher

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Krista Gallagher

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • John Hughes

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Martha Idler

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Peter Lee

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

The first 25 listed. 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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $4,033,798
    Expenses
    $2,725,982
    Contributions
    $3,287,800
    Grants paid
    $0
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $4,923,491
    Expenses
    $2,437,819
    Contributions
    $4,291,923
    Grants paid
    $0
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $2,210,344
    Expenses
    $2,294,473
    Contributions
    $1,664,596
    Grants paid
    $0

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $3,217,355
    Expenses
    $1,936,916
    Assets (EOY)
    $7,760,886
  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $2,787,835
    Expenses
    $2,159,124
    Assets (EOY)
    $8,242,662

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

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

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Declared as related by

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Not present in the most recent drop.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 9 November 2026 and read 9 November 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.