Back 2 School America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to create and support educational opportunities that enrich the lives of illinois children.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
74¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$92K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2021 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $48K a year · 6% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
74%
of spending
Fine: 74% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$92K
to officers and key staff · 14% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 14% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $20K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$46K
33% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 33% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
13
of 13 voting members
Looks good: 13 of 13 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$605K
-12% vs prior year
Spent
$672K
To programs
74%
Net assets
$91K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$605K
FY2021▼ -12%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$688K
FY2021$605K
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$994K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$679K
Expenses
$672K
FY2021▲ +16%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$579K
FY2021$672K
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$970K
FY2024$877K
FY2025$736K
Net assets
$91K
FY2021▼ -42%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$158K
FY2021$91K
FY2022$188K
FY2023$212K
FY2024$391K
FY2025$335K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 2010.

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

Where the money goes

74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 74% · $500K Management & general 16% · $109K Fundraising 9% · $63K

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

13 people listed on the 990; $92K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$92,453Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Matthew Kurtzman’s $100K as C.e.o. is at the 87th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1993 $100K–1M youth development 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

NameFY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Matthew Kurtzman$100,000$93,340$92,453$89,760

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.

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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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Creates and supports educational opportunities to enrich Illinois children's lives.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $500K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Back 2 school america D/B/A back 2 school illinois distributes school supply kits.

$487Kprogram expense
02

Back 2 school america D/B/A back 2 school illinois provides scholarships to eligible students.

$10Kprogram expense
03

Back 2 school america D/B/A back 2 school illinois promotes the writing of notes of inspiration as part of its programming to encourage and motivate children.

$3Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$20K
Grants paid · 6 grants · $1.8M · 2020–2025
Unitemized GrantFY2025$243,016
Unitemized GrantFY2024$357,065
Unitemized GrantFY2023$503,238
Unitemized GrantFY2022$608,728
Unitemized GrantFY2021$10,000
Unitemized GrantFY2020$40,000

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$605K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$550K
Other incomeLn 4–11$55K
Investment incomeLn 3$170
Money outPt IX
$672K
Ln 25
Programscol B$500K
Managementcol C$109K
Fundraisingcol D$63K
Owns and owesPt X
$91K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$122K
Total assetsLn 16$137K
LiabilitiesLn 26$46K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a13
IndependentVI 1b13
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$550K
Government grantsLn 1e$47K
Investment incomeLn 3$170
Other incomeLn 4–11$55K
Total revenueLn 12$605K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$21K
SavingsLn 2$101K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$122K
Total assetsLn 16$137K
LiabilitiesLn 26$46K
Net assetsLn 32$91K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 610
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$174K$122K
Total assetsLn 16$227K$137K
LiabilitiesLn 26$69K$46K
Net assetsLn 32$158K$91K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$302K$302K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$92K$69K$14K$9K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$112K$61K$45K$6K
Payroll taxesLn 10$28K$1K$13K$13K
Accounting feesLn 11c$14K$14K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$15K$15K
Office expensesLn 13$5K$5K
OccupancyLn 16$2K$2K
TravelLn 17$41$21$20
InsuranceLn 23$26K$13K$10K$3K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$63K$37K$786$25K
All other expensesLn 24e$14K$814$6K$7K
Total functional expensesLn 25$672K$500K$109K$63K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $679K$736K−$57K$335K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.1M$877K$180K$391K 990 PDF
FY2023 $994K$970K$24K$212K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.2M$1.1M$97K$188K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $605K$672K−$67K$91K 990 PDF
FY2020 $688K$579K$109K$158K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $605,175 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $687,245$549,998
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $77$170
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $488$55,007
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $687,810$605,175
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $256,240$302,026
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $222,654$231,936
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $100,092$137,882
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $578,986$671,844
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $108,824−$66,669
Part VI · Governance 13 of 13 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body13
VI-1b Independent voting members13
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $605,175 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$321,773
VIII-1e Government grants$46,800
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$181,425
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$549,998
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $170$170
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$54,572
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $435$435
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $605$605,175
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $671,844 across 12 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $302,026$302,026
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $69,340 · Management $13,868 · Fundraising $9,245$92,453
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $60,986 · Management $45,126 · Fundraising $5,585$111,697
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $1,496 · Management $12,938 · Fundraising $13,352$27,786
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $13,803$13,803
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $14,859$14,859
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $5,023$5,023
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $1,601$1,601
IX-17 TravelPrograms $21 · Fundraising $20$41
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $12,728 · Management $10,086 · Fundraising $2,692$25,506
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $37,498 · Management $786 · Fundraising $25,173$63,457
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $814 · Management $5,704 · Fundraising $7,074$13,592
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $499,768 · Management $108,935 · Fundraising $63,141$671,844
Part X · Balance sheet $137,216 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $9,752$21,077
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $164,277$101,344
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $14,810$10,222
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $13,022$4,573
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $226,760$137,216
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $38,268$2,111
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $30,418$43,700
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $68,686$45,811
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $158,074$91,405
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $158,074$91,405
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $226,760$137,216
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $91,405 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$605,175
XI-2 Total expenses$671,844
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$66,669
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$158,074
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$91,405

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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