Ucan EIN 36-2167937

Ucan

EIN  36-2167937 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Chicago, IL Founded 1869
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 7/7/26 · see original filing: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Empowers youth, young adults, and teen parents to achieve self-sufficiency through compassionate healing, education, life-skills training, and safe transitional housing.
Leadership
Christa Hamilton · CEO/President · $263K
Money in and out
$74.6M revenue, $70.3M expenses
Bottom line
75% program efficiency

Empowers youth, young adults, and teen parents to achieve self-sufficiency through compassionate healing, education, life-skills training, and safe transitional housing. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $74.6M in revenue, $70.3M in expenses, and $61.2M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$74.6M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$70.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$61.2M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $4.3M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.75 Management & general $0.22 Fundraising $0.02
Program efficiency
75%
of spending reaches programs▼ -5% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
2.5mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +39% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+6%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +16% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$74.6M
FY2025▲ +14%
Expenses
$70.3M
FY2025▲ +13%
Total assets
$80.9M
FY2025▲ +11%
Total liabilities
$19.7M
FY2025▲ +13%
Total revenue
$74.6M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$70.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$61.2M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$4.3M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$80.9M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B75%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 321
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 421
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $36.5M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Ucan's therapeutic youth home provides a structured, stable and therapeutic living arrangement for youth in the care of the illinois department of children family services. The home works primarily with children and young adults ages 7-18 who have histories of severe trauma, abuse, and neglect.

$16.0Mprogram expense
02

Youth development PREVENTION/OTHER includes multiple violence prevention programs in and around north lawndale, riverdale, and roseland as well as safe passage programs to ensure safety for school aged children walking to school.

$13.9Mprogram expense
03

Independent Living/Transitional Living

Provide youth, young adults and teen parents with the skills necessary to live self-sufficiently, and provide a safe environment for the pregnant AND/OR parenting clients and their children.

$6.6Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CUcan
EINHdr · item D36-2167937
Principal addressHdr · item CChicago, IL
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.ucanchicago.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1869
State of legal domicileHdr · item MIL
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFHuman Services (P70Z)
Ruling yearIRS BMFFeb 1939

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a21
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b21
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 (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
CEO/President
$263,128Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Program Officer
$181,655Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Operations Officer
$181,630Pt VII · Sec A
SVP Theurapeutic and Clinical Services
$166,925Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Vice President
$164,521Pt VII · Sec A
Associate Vice President
$163,740Pt VII · Sec A
SVP Prevention and Empowerment Services
$154,608Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Information Officer
$153,556Pt VII · Sec A

Christa Hamilton’s $263K as CEO/President is at the 67th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3123 $10–100M 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Zachary Schrantz$272,676$242,283$226,071
Christa Hamilton$263,128$252,548$268,687
Claude Robinson$193,075
Tenisha Jones$181,655$11,923
Terri Sharpp$181,630
Cherilyn Thomas$174,321$168,434
Kimberly Casey$143,528$172,514
Randy Sadler$166,925

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Program service revenue$45.4M · 61%
Contributions & grants$26.7M · 36%
Investment income$2.7M · 4%
Program service revenue61%$45.4M
Contributions & grants36%$26.7M
Investment income4%$2.7M
— government grantsLn 1e$18.3M
Total revenueLn 12$74.6M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.75 Management & general $0.22 Fundraising $0.02
Program services75%$53.0M
Management & general22%$15.8M
Fundraising2%$1.6M
Total functional expensesLn 25$70.3M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$3.7M
Total assetsLn 16$80.9M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$19.7M
Total net assetsLn 32$61.2M
Months of cash on handcomputed0.6

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $14.4M · Operating expenses/yr $70.3M
2.5 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $53.0M · Total expenses $70.3M
75%
Management & General
Management & general $15.8M · Total expenses $70.3M
22%
Fundraising
Fundraising $1.6M · Total expenses $70.3M
2%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $1.5M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $7.6M
$0.20 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $26.7M · Total revenue $74.6M
36%
Government reliance
Government grants $18.3M · Total revenue $74.6M
25%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $45.4M · Total revenue $74.6M
61%
Investment reliance
Investment income $2.7M · Total revenue $74.6M
+4%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $45.4M · Total expenses $70.3M
65%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $74.6M · Prior year $65.2M
+14%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $46.4M · FY2024 $74.6M
+10%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $61.2M · Beginning of year $55.6M
+10%
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $74.6M · Expenses $70.3M
+6%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities $19.7M · Total assets $80.9M
24%
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $61.2M · Total assets $80.9M
76%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $10.7M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $80.9M
13%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Christa Hamilton · Reported title CEO/PRESIDENT · Highest reported compensation $263K · Total expenses $70.3M
0%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $41.4M · Total expenses $70.3M
59%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 75%
Overhead ratio 22%
Fundraising cost ratio 6%
Revenue growth 14%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 0%
Accounting fee ratio 0%

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 1 funder$10K
Grants paid · 36 grants · $26.1M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$2,273,268
Unitemized GrantFY2024$1,085,922
Unitemized GrantFY2024$776,249
Unitemized GrantFY2024$661,969
Unitemized GrantFY2024$301,873
Unitemized GrantFY2023$3,013,896
Unitemized GrantFY2023$863,701
Unitemized GrantFY2023$459,210
Unitemized GrantFY2023$383,288
Unitemized GrantFY2023$238,196
Unitemized GrantFY2022$3,184,574
Unitemized GrantFY2022$805,704
Unitemized GrantFY2022$804,620
Unitemized GrantFY2022$461,328
Unitemized GrantFY2022$140,319
Unitemized GrantFY2021$1,546,114
Unitemized GrantFY2021$908,809
Unitemized GrantFY2021$776,261
See all 36 grants →

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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)$74.6M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$65.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$57.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$52.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$44.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$46.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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