We Grow Dreams INC

Tax-deductible

West Chicago, IL501(c)(3)Since 2005EmploymentEIN 20-1991671Revenue $428K in FY2025

On file with the IRSwegrowdreams.org1055 W Washington St, 60185-2625 · West Chicago, ILTax-exempt since May 2005Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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To provide people with disabilities the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives and to train and work in a supportive, safe and caring environment while producing and providing products and services to the community.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
60¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 80 volunteers and 70 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $29K a year · 7% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
60%
of spending
Worth a look: 60% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$34K
to officers and key staff · 7% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 58% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 7% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.6 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $23K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$390K
59% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 59% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$428K
+17% vs prior year
Spent
$460K
To programs
60%
Net assets
$273K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$428K
FY2025▲ +17%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$349K
FY2021$507K
FY2022$335K
FY2023$452K
FY2024$367K
FY2025$428K
Expenses
$460K
FY2025▲ +11%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$306K
FY2021$345K
FY2022$368K
FY2023$371K
FY2024$414K
FY2025$460K
Net assets
$273K
FY2025▼ -11%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$45K
FY2021$206K
FY2022$173K
FY2023$255K
FY2024$305K
FY2025$273K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 2005.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

60 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 60% · $275K Management & general 40% · $185K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

7 people listed on the 990; $34K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$34,038Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Gregg Bettcher’s $34K as Executive Director is at the 42nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1216 $100K–1M employment nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Gregg Bettcher$34,038$30,000$30,000$30,000$30,000$30,000

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See We Grow Dreams INC executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Provides jobs for young adults with disabilities through a public greenhouse.

Questions for We Grow Dreams INC

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $275K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

We grow dreams, inc has provided jobs to young adults with disabilities. These young adults have had the opportunity to work directly with the public as opposed to performing behind the scenes tasks. This interaction gives the workers a stronger sense of independence in their lives.

$275Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$23K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$428K
Ln 12
Investment incomeLn 3$268K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$155K
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Money outPt IX
$460K
Ln 25
Programscol B$275K
Managementcol C$185K
Owns and owesPt X
$273K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$63K
Total assetsLn 16$663K
LiabilitiesLn 26$390K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$155K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$20K
Investment incomeLn 3$268K
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Gains on assetsLn 7$268K
Total revenueLn 12$428K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$63K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$63K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$597K
Total assetsLn 16$663K
LiabilitiesLn 26$390K
Net assetsLn 32$273K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 570
VolunteersI 680
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$104K$63K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$603K$597K
Total assetsLn 16$737K$663K
LiabilitiesLn 26$432K$390K
Net assetsLn 32$305K$273K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$34K$34K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$114K$65K$49K
Payroll taxesLn 10$19K$8K$10K
Accounting feesLn 11c$30K$30K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$6K$4K$2K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$18K$18K
Office expensesLn 13$29K$29K
OccupancyLn 16$68K$68K
TravelLn 17$129$129
InterestLn 20$24K$24K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$6K$6K
InsuranceLn 23$32K$32K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$80K$67K$12K
All other expensesLn 24e$666$666
Total functional expensesLn 25$460K$275K$185K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $428K$460K−$32K$273K 990 PDF
FY2024 $367K$414K−$48K$305K 990 PDF
FY2023 $452K$371K$81K$255K 990 PDF
FY2022 $335K$368K−$33K$173K 990 PDF
FY2021 $507K$345K$162K$206K 990 PDF
FY2020 $349K$306K$43K$45K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $427,516 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $178,229$155,237
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $188,972$268,214
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$616$4,065
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $366,585$427,516
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $131,349$166,423
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $282,897$293,527
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $414,246$459,950
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$47,661−$32,434
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 5 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $427,516 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$20,019
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$135,218
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$155,237
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $268,214$268,214
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$5,849−$5,849
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $9,914$9,914
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $278,128 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$5,849$427,516
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $459,950 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $34,038$34,038
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $64,798 · Management $49,039$113,837
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,128 · Management $10,420$18,548
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $29,675$29,675
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $4,144 · Management $2,250$6,394
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $18,278$18,278
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $28,743$28,743
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $68,260$68,260
IX-17 TravelManagement $129$129
IX-20 InterestPrograms $23,638$23,638
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $5,897$5,897
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $32,132$32,132
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $67,410 · Management $12,305$79,715
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $666$666
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $275,073 · Management $184,877 · Fundraising $0$459,950
Part X · Balance sheet $663,349 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $104,214$63,025
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $218$3,409
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $602,812$596,915
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $737,249$663,349
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $77,401$63,822
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $5,412$5,769
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $431,884$390,418
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $302,865$270,431
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,500$2,500
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $305,365$272,931
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $737,249$663,349
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $272,931 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$427,516
XI-2 Total expenses$459,950
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$32,434
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$305,365
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$272,931

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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