To unite youth across all backgrounds and identities by fostering self-esteem and mutual respect through the practice and performance of circus arts.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
83¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$119K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2022 · 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 $1.4M a year · 39% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
83%
of spending
Looks good: 83% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$119K
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $3.6M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 1.4 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $50K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$111K
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% 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
$6.5M
+413% vs prior year
Spent
$1.9M
To programs
83%
Net assets
$5.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$6.5M
FY2022▲ +413%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.3M
FY2022$6.5M
FY2023$2.1M
FY2024$7.7M
FY2025$2.1M
Expenses
$1.9M
FY2022▲ +61%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.0M
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$1.9M
FY2023$2.3M
FY2024$3.0M
FY2025$3.1M
Net assets
$5.3M
FY2022▲ +395%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$749K
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$5.3M
FY2023$5.6M
FY2024$10.6M
FY2025$10.0M

From the FY2022 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2022 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 May 2003.

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

Where the money goes

83 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 83% · $1.6M Management & general 10% · $190K Fundraising 7% · $130K

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

14 people listed on the 990; $119K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$118,552Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Dan Roberts’s $142K as Executive Director is at the 69th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3868 $1–10M human services 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Dan Roberts$141,810$141,753$128,187$118,552$108,106$99,944
Renee Bell Werge—$100,778————

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

Programs and updates

Unites youth through circus arts, building self-esteem and mutual respect.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $1.6M · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Provides social circus workshops for youth from various neighborhoods in chicago in order to build self esteem and build a diverse and united community. The organization also provides academic enrichment, mentoring, and community development programming for students.

$1.6Mprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$50K

By the numbers

The FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$6.5M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$6.1M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$439K
Money outPt IX
$1.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.6M
Managementcol C$190K
Fundraisingcol D$130K
Owns and owesPt X
$5.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$218K
Total assetsLn 16$5.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$111K
PeoplePt VI, VII
14
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a13
IndependentVI 1b13
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$6.1M
Government grantsLn 1e$802K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$5.0M
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$27K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$439K
Gains on assetsLn 7−$66K
Total revenueLn 12$6.5M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$206K
SavingsLn 2$12K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$218K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$3.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.4M
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$5.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$111K
Net assetsLn 32$5.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 583
VolunteersI 640
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3More from this return
Abroad and in kindSch F, M
Noncash gifts receivedSch M Pt I$5.0M
EndowmentSch D · Pt V
LineFY22FY21FY20FY19FY18
End of yearLn 1g$486K$551K$385K$368K$260K
Given inLn 1b$110K$66K$64K
4Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$163K$218K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$551K$3.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$79K$1.4M
Total assetsLn 16$1.2M$5.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$102K$111K
Net assetsLn 32$1.1M$5.3M
5Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$119K$18K$71K$30K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.1M$980K$61K$43K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$89K$74K$10K$5K
Payroll taxesLn 10$98K$81K$11K$6K
Accounting feesLn 11c$11K$11K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$15K$7K$5K$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$6K$6K
Office expensesLn 13$57K$40K$11K$6K
OccupancyLn 16$157K$127K$15K$15K
TravelLn 17$38K$38K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$29K$29K
InsuranceLn 23$50K$47K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$155K$128K$3K$23K
All other expensesLn 24e$10K$10K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.9M$1.6M$190K$130K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $2.1M$3.1M−$1.0M$10.0M 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS Aug 13, 2025 $7.7M$3.0M$4.7M$10.6M 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Aug 21, 2024 $2.1M$2.3M−$259K$5.6M 990 PDF
FY2022 ViewingFiled with the IRS Oct 3, 2023 $6.5M$1.9M$4.5M$5.3M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Aug 2, 2022 $1.3M$1.2M$71K$1.1M 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Aug 31, 2021 $1.3M$1.0M$219K$749K 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 M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $6,453,635 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $902,062$6,072,401
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $327,348$438,576
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0−$66,412
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $28,470$9,070
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,257,880$6,453,635
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 $891,123$1,389,650
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $296,083$527,370
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,187,206$1,917,020
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $70,674$4,536,615
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 $6,453,635 across 10 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$26,700
VIII-1e Government grants$801,650
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$5,244,051
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$5,016,700
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$6,072,401
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $438,576$438,576
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax −$66,412−$66,412
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $6,948$6,948
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $2,122$2,122
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $440,698 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$59,464$6,453,635
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,917,020 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $17,783 · Management $71,131 · Fundraising $29,638$118,552
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $980,309 · Management $61,147 · Fundraising $42,513$1,083,969
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $74,194 · Management $9,832 · Fundraising $5,363$89,389
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $81,124 · Management $10,752 · Fundraising $5,864$97,740
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $10,950$10,950
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $7,171 · Management $5,176 · Fundraising $2,589$14,936
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $6,481$6,481
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $39,802 · Management $11,374 · Fundraising $5,686$56,862
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $127,227 · Management $14,779 · Fundraising $14,778$156,784
IX-17 TravelPrograms $37,892$37,892
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $29,068$29,068
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $47,306 · Management $2,490$49,796
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $128,234 · Management $3,157 · Fundraising $23,231$154,622
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $9,979$9,979
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,597,520 · Management $189,838 · Fundraising $129,662$1,917,020
Part X · Balance sheet $5,442,480 assets, 17 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $326; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $162,920$205,547
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$11,991
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $88,243$203,839
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $8,763$9,486
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $78,706$1,441,249
X-11 Publicly traded securities$3,570,042
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $551,062$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $289,492$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,179,186$5,442,480
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $50,698$37,556
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $24,469$73,325
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $26,885$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $102,052$110,881
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,077,134$2,174,316
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$3,157,283
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,077,134$5,331,599
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,179,186$5,442,480
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $5,331,599 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$6,453,635
XI-2 Total expenses$1,917,020
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$4,536,615
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,077,134
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$282,150
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$5,331,599

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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