Supports high-need, values-based schools in Chicago and Northwest Indiana through academic enrichment, teacher training, capital improvements, and student leadership programs.
Leadership
Joshua Hale · President and Chief Executive Officer · $586K
Money in and out
$53.2M revenue, $54.9M expenses
Bottom line
94% program efficiency
Supports high-need, values-based schools in Chicago and Northwest Indiana through academic enrichment, teacher training, capital improvements, and student leadership programs.
For fiscal year 2025 it reported $53.2M in revenue, $54.9M in expenses, and $129.4M in net assets.Pt I
Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$53.2M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$54.9M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$129.4M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$1.7M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
94%
Program services $0.94 Management & general $0.03 Fundraising $0.02
Program efficiency
94%
of spending reaches programs▼ -2% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
25.2mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +11% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-3%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -131% vs prior filing year
Summary of the Filing
Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$53.2M
FY2025▼ -37%
$84.8M$42.4M$0
FY2020FY2025
Expenses
$54.9M
FY2025▼ -28%
$75.9M$37.9M$0
FY2020FY2025
Total assets
$152.1M
FY2025▲ +1%
$152.1M$76.0M$0
FY2020FY2025
Total liabilities
$22.7M
FY2025▲ +17%
$22.7M$11.4M$0
FY2020FY2025
Total revenue
$53.2M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$54.9M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$129.4M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$1.7M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$152.1M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B94%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 332
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 432
Mission & Programs · Part III
Where the work happens
3 program services account for $49.8M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01
School Operations
Distributed operating and capital grants to multiple schools in an effort to prevent school closures; also assisted schools in improving MARKETING/RECRUITING, building new external funding sources, improving school business operations, etc.
$24.1Mprogram expense
02
Student Scholarship Programs
Administered OVER90 distinct scholarship programs that include mentoring, enrichment and other support activities. 5,267 scholarships were awarded to 5,080 students at 120 elementary and high schools to enable them to attend non-public schools.
$13.6Mprogram expense
03
Academic Enrichment and Leadership Development
Big shoulders administers over 25 ongoing programs in 90 schools involving over 800 teachers and administrators to improve instruction and learning through leadership and professional development, professional learning communities and access to high quality curricula with focus on math, science, civics, and literacy.
Joshua Hale’s $586K as President and Chief Executive Officer
is at the 93rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3682 $10–100M 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
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.
Individual Joshua Hale · Reported title President and Chief Executive Officer · Highest reported compensation $586K · Total expenses $54.9M
1%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $8.8M · Total expenses $54.9M
16%
Peer comparison
Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.
Metric
This org
Peer median
Percentile
Program ratio
94%
—
—
Overhead ratio
3%
—
—
Fundraising cost ratio
3%
—
—
Revenue growth
-37%
—
—
Investment management fee ratio
0%
—
—
Legal fee ratio
0%
—
—
Accounting fee ratio
0%
—
—
Fundraising 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.
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) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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