Bright Promise EIN 36-3634360 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Bright Promise

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Helps Christian schools find new funding to offer education to more families. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $3.4M in revenue, $722K in expenses, and $5.5M in net assets.Pt I

Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Nonprofit
Location
Chicago, IL
Website
www.brightpromisefund.org
Filings
6 on file (2020–2025)
Revenue
$3.4MFY2025
Expenses
$722K
Net assets
$5.5M
People
9
Filings
6
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  36-3634360 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Chicago, IL
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/28/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Helps Christian schools find new funding to offer education to more families.
Leadership
Steve Blom · Executive Director · $90K
Money in and out
$3.4M revenue, $722K expenses
Bottom line
76% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$3.4M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$722K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$5.5M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $2.7M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.76 Management & general $0.08 Fundraising $0.16
Program efficiency
76%
of spending reaches programs▲ +4% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
83.5mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +114% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+79%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +153% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$3.4M
FY2025▲ +226%
Expenses
$722K
FY2025▲ +1%
Total assets
$5.8M
FY2025▲ +85%
Total liabilities
$332K
FY2025▼ -41%
Total revenue
$3.4M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$722K
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$5.5M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$2.7M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$5.8M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B76%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 38
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 48
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

2 program services account for $549K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

The funds raised will be divided among the fifteen affiliated christian schools it serves, in the confidence that each local school board knows best as to which priorities to address. Most often, the highest priority is providing tuition assistance to families in need.

$366Kprogram expense
02

The organization now includes new to you upscale resale. Proceeds will be used to provide a professional network for christians involved in private, public, and christian education in urban north america.

$183Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CBright Promise
EINHdr · item D36-3634360
Principal addressHdr · item CChicago, IL
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.brightpromisefund.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MIL
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFNonprofit
Ruling yearIRS BMFApr 1989

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a8
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b8
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aNo
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13No
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14No
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aNo
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
Executive Director
$90,450Pt 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
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President/Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Steve Blom$90,450$86,911$82,703$79,078$76,002$73,541

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
Contributions & grants$2.9M · 85%
Program service revenue$414K · 12%
Investment income$94K · 3%
Contributions & grants85%$2.9M
Program service revenue12%$414K
Investment income3%$94K
Other revenue$9K
Total revenueLn 12$3.4M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.76 Management & general $0.08 Fundraising $0.16
Program services76%$549K
Management & general8%$56K
Fundraising16%$118K
Total functional expensesLn 25$722K

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$201K
Total assetsLn 16$5.8M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$332K
Total net assetsLn 32$5.5M
Months of cash on handcomputed3.3

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $5.0M · Operating expenses/yr $722K
83.5 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $549K · Total expenses $722K
76%
Management & General
Management & general $56K · Total expenses $722K
8%
Fundraising
Fundraising $118K · Total expenses $722K
16%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $128K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $1.3M
$0.10 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $2.9M · Total revenue $3.4M
85%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $3.4M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $414K · Total revenue $3.4M
12%
Investment reliance
Investment income $94K · Total revenue $3.4M
+3%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $414K · Total expenses $722K
57%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $3.4M · Prior year $1.0M
+226%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $282K · FY2024 $3.4M
+64%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $5.5M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $3.4M · Expenses $722K
+79%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $5.8M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $5.5M · Total assets $5.8M
94%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $4.8M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $5.8M
83%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Steve Blom · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $90K · Total expenses $722K
13%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $178K · Total expenses $722K
25%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 76%
Overhead ratio 8%
Fundraising cost ratio 4%
Revenue growth 226%
Legal fee ratio 0.5%
Accounting fee ratio 3%

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 · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$18K
Grants paid · 75 grants · $1.5M · 2019–2024
Pui-Tak Christian SchoolFY2024$42,505
The Field SchoolIL · FY2024$28,000
Unity Christian AcademyIL · FY2024$20,500
Cambridge Classical AcademyIL · FY2024$15,930
Calvary Academy INCIL · FY2024$15,000
Midwestern Christian AcademyIL · FY2024$15,000
Cornerstone AcademyIL · FY2024$15,000
Pui-Tak Christian SchoolFY2023$42,000
The Field SchoolIL · FY2023$21,500
Unity Christian AcademyIL · FY2023$16,500
See all 75 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)$3.4M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$1.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$1.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$649K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$365K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$282K 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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