Chicago Commons Association EIN 36-2169136

Chicago Commons Association

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Empowers people to overcome poverty and thrive across generations. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $53.9M in revenue, $54.6M in expenses, and $14.8M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
1894
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Human Services
Location
Chicago, IL
Website
www.chicagocommons.org
Filings
5 on file (2020–2024)
Revenue
$53.9MFY2024
Expenses
$54.6M
Net assets
$14.8M
People
25
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  36-2169136 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Chicago, IL Founded 1894
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 7/9/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Empowers people to overcome poverty and thrive across generations.
Leadership
Edgar E Ramirez · President & CEO · $344K
Money in and out
$53.9M revenue, $54.6M expenses
Bottom line
89% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$53.9M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$54.6M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$14.8M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$676K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.89 Management & general $0.09 Fundraising $0.01
Program efficiency
89%
of spending reaches programs-0.3% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
1.2mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +9% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-1%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -167% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$53.9M
FY2024+0.4%
Expenses
$54.6M
FY2024▲ +4%
Total assets
$22.8M
FY2024▼ -5%
Total liabilities
$8.0M
FY2024▼ -9%
Total revenue
$53.9M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$54.6M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$14.8M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$676K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$22.8M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B89%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 316
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 416
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $48.8M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Early Childhood Development

Chicago Commons has four directly operated early education centers and partners with six external agencies to offer developmentally appropriate learning opportunities, high quality child care, and family centered supports to more than 1,700 children in 18 of Chicago's most disadvantaged communities.

$32.6Mprogram expense
02

Senior Services

Chicago Commons Senior Services operates one adult day service center and provides in-home services for seniors and adults with disabilities. The program provided services to 1,000 seniors and adults with disabilities to help them continue living in their own home prolonging, and in some cases preventing, the need for institutional care.

$14.6Mprogram expense
03

Family Hub

Chicago Commons Family Hub Program seeks to address the multifaceted needs of families with young children and older adults with the support, resources, and holistic approach that will enable success.

$1.6Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CChicago Commons Association
EINHdr · item D36-2169136
Principal addressHdr · item CChicago, IL
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.chicagocommons.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1894
State of legal domicileHdr · item MIL
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFHuman Services (P200)
Ruling yearIRS BMFOct 1985

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a16
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b16
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
President & CEO
$343,745Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Human Resource Officer
$211,625Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Financial Officer
$198,184Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Strategy Officer
$197,293Pt VII · Sec A
VP Early Education
$189,320Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Development Officer
$182,197Pt VII · Sec A
VP Finance
$160,496Pt VII · Sec A
VP Facilities
$145,383Pt VII · Sec A

Edgar E Ramirez’s $344K as President & CEO is at the 83rd 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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Edgar E Ramirez$343,745$315,889$304,325$248,714$203,694$195,822
Erica Collins$211,625$202,887$165,866$141,745
Dana Thomas$198,184$206,384$185,729$94,801
Nyla Diab$197,293$204,514$159,054$133,360
Beth Lakier$192,819$178,069$159,710$150,584
Julio Paz$182,197$190,768$177,433$159,350$139,975$132,505
Karina Slaughter$189,320$165,720$152,292$129,268$112,067
Angela Allen$160,496$164,224$150,518

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$50.4M · 94%
Contributions & grants$3.1M · 6%
Other revenue$381K · 1%
Program service revenue94%$50.4M
Contributions & grants6%$3.1M
Other revenue1%$381K
Investment income$25K
Total revenueLn 12$53.9M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.89 Management & general $0.09 Fundraising $0.01
Program services89%$48.8M
Management & general9%$5.1M
Fundraising1%$678K
Total functional expensesLn 25$54.6M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$5.3M
Total assetsLn 16$22.8M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$8.0M
Total net assetsLn 32$14.8M
Months of cash on handcomputed1.2

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $5.5M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $54.6M · Less non-cash grants $22K · Cash operating expenses/yr $54.6M
1.2 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $48.8M · Total expenses $54.6M
89%
Management & General
Management & general $5.1M · Total expenses $54.6M
9%
Fundraising
Fundraising $678K · Total expenses $54.6M
1%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $624K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $2.7M
$0.23 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $3.1M · Total revenue $53.9M
6%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $53.9M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $50.4M · Total revenue $53.9M
94%
Investment reliance
Investment income $25K · Total revenue $53.9M
+0.05%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $50.4M · Total expenses $54.6M
92%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $53.9M · Prior year $53.7M
+0.4%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $29.7M · FY2024 $53.9M
+13%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $14.8M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $53.9M · Expenses $54.6M
-1%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $22.8M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $14.8M · Total assets $22.8M
65%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $236K · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $22.8M
1%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Edgar E Ramirez · Reported title President & CEO · Highest reported compensation $344K · Total expenses $54.6M
0.6%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $28.2M · Total expenses $54.6M
52%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 89%
Overhead ratio 9%
Fundraising cost ratio 22%
Revenue growth 0.4%

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$6K
Grants paid · 34 grants · $51.8M · 2019–2024
Gads Hill CenterFY2024$7,917,541
Onward Neighborhood HouseIL · FY2024$2,504,163
Eyes on the FutureFY2024$1,756,449
Learn Together Grow TogetherFY2024$1,327,456
Unitemized GrantFY2024$45,200
Unitemized GrantFY2024$14,185
Unitemized GrantFY2024$225
Gads Hill CenterFY2023$7,971,515
Onward Neighborhood HouseIL · FY2023$2,936,456
Learn Together Grow TogetherFY2023$1,356,871
Eyes on the FutureFY2023$1,351,277
Unitemized GrantFY2023$23,635
Unitemized GrantFY2023$16,298
Unitemized GrantFY2023$6,943
Unitemized GrantFY2023$1,640
Gads Hill CenterFY2022$8,251,419
Onward Neighborhood HouseIL · FY2022$2,626,573
Eyes on the FutureFY2022$2,079,989
See all 34 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
FY2024$53.7M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$51.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$44.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$34.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$29.7M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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