CHICAGO PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND

As filed

Subsection

03

NTEE code

B022

Classification

2000

Street

200 W ADAMS ST STE 1175

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).

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.

Officers and directors · 2025

As listed in Part VII of the 2025 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

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

• 2025

  Revenue

  $5,678,584

  Expenses

  $8,288,367

  Contributions

  $4,891,320

  Grants paid

  $1,352,650

• 2024

  Revenue

  $3,626,203

  Expenses

  $7,039,776

  Contributions

  $2,989,953

  Grants paid

  $1,144,689

• 2023

  Revenue

  $6,923,244

  Expenses

  $6,453,836

  Contributions

  $6,524,752

  Grants paid

  $904,039

• 2022

  Revenue

  $24,687,762

  Expenses

  $5,895,317

  Contributions

  $24,987,900

  Grants paid

  $711,499

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

  $5,321,467

  Expenses

  $5,548,637

  Assets (EOY)

  $21,727,022

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,833,776

  Expenses

  $4,727,727

  Assets (EOY)

  $21,173,102

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $6,280,980

  Expenses

  $5,085,823

  Assets (EOY)

  $23,045,007

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $11,278,857

  Expenses

  $4,502,503

  Assets (EOY)

  $21,901,790

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $8,713,368

  Expenses

  $4,726,093

  Assets (EOY)

  $15,461,155

• 2016 · 990

  Revenue

  $3,424,037

  Expenses

  $4,649,756

  Assets (EOY)

  $11,388,702

• 2015 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,537,612

  Expenses

  $4,407,498

  Assets (EOY)

  $12,696,363

• 2014 · 990

  Revenue

  $8,772,664

  Expenses

  $3,076,448

  Assets (EOY)

  $14,948,783

• 2013 · 990

  Revenue

  $3,893,015

  Expenses

  $2,656,271

  Assets (EOY)

  $8,843,438

• 2012 · 990

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  $4,267,627

  Assets (EOY)

  $7,796,655

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. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

• Chicago Public Schools

  $391,500

  2022 · Program participation stipends

• CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  $256,000

  2025 · GRANTS TO SUPPORT WINNING DESIGN CHALLENGE SCHOOLS AND NETWORK-LEVEL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATORS

• NEW LEADERS INC

  $219,898

  2025 · GRANT IN SUPPORT OF THE LEADERSHIP BRIDGE PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP

• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - CHICAGO

  $214,000

  2024 · SUPPORT THE MALOTT EDUCATOR FELLOWSHIP AND LEADERSHIP BRIDGE.

• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS - CHICAGO

  $205,438

  2023 · SUPPORT THE MALOTT EDUCATOR FELLOWSHIP AND LEADERSHIP BRIDGE.

• NEW LEADERS INC

  $182,089

  2024 · LEADERSHIP BRIDGE PROGRAM PARTNER

• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-CHICAGO

  $155,500

  2025 · GRANT IN SUPPORT OF THE MALOTT FELLOWSHIP AND LEADERSHIP BRIDGE PROGRAM PARTNERSHIPS

• CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  $144,000

  2024 · WINNING DESIGN CHALLENGE SCHOOLS, NETWORK PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

• CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  $97,000

  2023 · PROGRAM PARTICIPATION STIPENDS.

• LEADERSHIP AND DESIGN

  $90,000

  2025 · GRANT IN SUPPORT OF A DESIGN CHALLENGE PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP

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

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

• ROBERT R MCCORMICK FOUNDATION

  $1,010,000

  2022 · SUPPORT FOR ENGLEWOOD AND LITTLE VILLAGE LEADERS, MATCHING GIFT

• AMERICAN ONLINE GIVING FOUNDATION INC

  $512,977

  2023 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• AMERICAN ONLINE GIVING FOUNDATION INC

  $500,845

  2024 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• AMERICAN ONLINE GIVING FOUNDATION INC

  $500,198

  2022 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $100,000

  2024 · ENVIRONMENT, ANIMALS

• LANE TECH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION INC

  $51,330

  2024 · TEACHER INNOVATION GRANTS

• LANE TECH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION INC

  $43,280

  2023 · TEACHER INNOVATION GRANTS

• THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA INC

  $40,000

  2022 · FOR GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT

• THE BLACKBAUD GIVING FUND

  $35,860

  2022 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $35,500

  2022 · EDUCATION

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

Other IRS files