Link Unlimited EIN 23-7386928 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Link Unlimited FY2021 filing

Not yet claimed Claim this org →

Provides resources and support to those in need. For fiscal year 2021 it reported $2.9M in revenue, $2.5M in expenses, and $2.9M in net assets.Pt I

Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Education
Location
Chicago, IL
Website
www.linkunlimited.org
Filings
6 on file (2020–2021)
Revenue
$2.9MFY2021
Expenses
$2.5M
Net assets
$2.9M
People
25
Filings
6
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  23-7386928 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Chicago, IL
Form 990 (PDF)
You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →
Compare with another nonprofit →
Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/26/26 · see original: IRS
Is this your organization?
Claim this profile to manage it and share your story.
Claim
Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Link Unlimited claims this page.

Know this organization? Claim it to add your story

Size
$1–10M
What they do
Provides resources and support to those in need.
Leadership
Jonathan T Swain · President and CEO · $178K
Money in and out
$2.9M revenue, $2.5M expenses
Bottom line
65% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2021
Total revenue
$2.9M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$2.5M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$2.9M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $403K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.65 Management & general $0.23 Fundraising $0.12
Program efficiency
65%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
4.4mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
+14%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2021 · Form 990
Revenue
$2.9M
FY2021▲ +28%
Expenses
$2.5M
FY2021▲ +21%
Total assets
$3.1M
FY2021▲ +12%
Total liabilities
$198K
FY2021▼ -29%
Total revenue
$2.9M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$2.5M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$2.9M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$403K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$3.1M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B65%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 324
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 424

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CLink Unlimited
EINHdr · item D23-7386928
Principal addressHdr · item CChicago, IL
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.linkunlimited.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MIL
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEducation (B82Z)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 1975

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a24
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b24
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
President and CEO
$178,500Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Dr Toinette Gunn’s $255K as President & CEO is at the 91st percentile of top reported officer pay among 3392 $1–10M education 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Dr Toinette Gunn$255,320
Toinette Gunn$234,772
Jonathan T Swain$180,731
Jonathan T Swain$178,500$176,458
Dr Toinette Gunn$169,232
Janine Franklin$135,424
Dr Jacquelin Baker$121,945
Kelli Hobson$117,271

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 Link Unlimited executive salaries →

Are you one of these people? Claim this org to confirm your role

Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $1.6M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2020.
01

Academic enrichment comprises the majority of link's fellowship model, helping high-potentialblack students in chicago thrive in academic settings as they work to create and maintain highgpas and other elements of their academic profiles.

$1.0Mprogram expense
02

Students cultivate leadership development skills with the support of their volunteer mentor andenrichment activities, which reinforces a strong sense of personal identity, confidence in socialrelations and shared values.

$283Kprogram expense
03

Scholars are supported through individualized, research-based college advising allowing themto find the best fit school for them academically, personally, and financially. Link's collegiatestrategy also provides guidance for scholars in completing their college and fafsaapplications.

$270Kprogram expense

Run this program? Claim this org to tell your story

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants100%$2.9M
Investment income$2K
Other revenue$5K
— government grantsLn 1e$58K
Total revenueLn 12$2.9M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.65 Management & general $0.23 Fundraising $0.12
Program services65%$1.6M
Management & general23%$578K
Fundraising12%$303K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.5M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$848K
Total assetsLn 16$3.1M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$198K
Total net assetsLn 32$2.9M
Months of cash on handcomputed4.0

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2021 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $920K · Operating expenses/yr $2.5M
4.4 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $1.6M · Total expenses $2.5M
65%
Management & General
Management & general $578K · Total expenses $2.5M
23%
Fundraising
Fundraising $303K · Total expenses $2.5M
12%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (2-yr avg) $225K · Solicited contributions (2-yr avg) $2.5M
$0.09 to raise $1 (2-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $2.9M · Total revenue $2.9M
100%
Government reliance
Government grants $58K · Total revenue $2.9M
2%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $0 · Total revenue $2.9M
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $2K · Total revenue $2.9M
+0.06%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $0 · Total expenses $2.5M
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $2.9M · Prior year $2.3M
+28%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $2.9M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $2.9M · Expenses $2.5M
+14%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $3.1M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $2.9M · Total assets $3.1M
94%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $72K · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $3.1M
2%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Jonathan T Swain · Reported title PRESIDENT AND CEO · Highest reported compensation $178K · Total expenses $2.5M
7%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $987K · Total expenses $2.5M
39%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 65%
Overhead ratio 23%
Fundraising cost ratio 10%
Revenue growth 28%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$40K
Grants paid · 6 grants · $1.9M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$300,117
Unitemized GrantFY2023$284,106
Unitemized GrantFY2022$360,680
Unitemized GrantFY2021$291,557
Unitemized GrantFY2020$284,163
Unitemized GrantFY2019$337,140

Similar Organizations

Closest in mission — by what they do
See all organizations like Link Unlimited →

Compare

Search another nonprofit to view revenue, expenses, assets, key metrics, and leaders side by side

Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$3.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$2.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$2.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$3.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$2.9M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$2.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

Want to add your own materials alongside these filings? Claim this org

Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2021IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

If you ARE the filing organization, claim this org and add context

Made it to the end? Claim this organization

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the peer-cohort and compensation comparisons above.