Public Narrative

Tax-deductible

Chicago, IL501(c)(3)Since 1991EducationEIN 36-3759714Revenue $1.1M in FY2025

On file with the IRSpublicnarrative.org1245 S Michigan Ave 121, 60605-2408 · Chicago, ILTax-exempt since Mar 1992Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Public Narrative teaches journalists and non-profit organizations to tell better stories in order to fulfill our missions to support a free and informed press, and to ensure that non-profit and neighborhood voices are heard, and are part of the conversation.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
86¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 4 volunteers and 3 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $52K a year · 9% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
86%
of spending
Looks good: 86% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$131K
to officers and key staff · 19% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 54% of similar orgs
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 19% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
6
named funders · $806K
Looks good: 6 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$182K
36% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 36% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.1M
+140% vs prior year
Spent
$677K
To programs
86%
Net assets
$329K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.1M
FY2025▲ +140%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$475K
FY2021$288K
FY2022$545K
FY2023$543K
FY2024$453K
FY2025$1.1M
Expenses
$677K
FY2025▲ +29%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$335K
FY2021$405K
FY2022$515K
FY2023$622K
FY2024$527K
FY2025$677K
Net assets
$329K
FY2025▲ +509%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$159K
FY2021$42K
FY2022$72K
FY2023−$7K
FY2024−$81K
FY2025$329K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 1992.

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

Where the money goes

86 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 86% · $582K Management & general 7% · $46K Fundraising 7% · $49K

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

4 people listed on the 990; $131K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$131,492Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Jhmira Alexander’s $131K as President is at the 54th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3394 $1–10M 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Jhmira Alexander$131,492$127,920$124,800$124,800$110,620$77,723

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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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

Trains journalists and nonprofits to craft compelling stories for a free press and amplified community voices.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $582K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Public narrative trains and supports journalists to produce accurate, ethical, and community-centered reporting. During the year, public narrative facilitated listening sessions that convene neighborhood leaders, community-based organizations, and media professionals to address issues such as diversity and inequality in media coverage.

$582Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 6 funders →
Grants paid · 1 grant · $53K · 2023–2023
Unitemized GrantFY2023$53,250

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$75K
Investment incomeLn 3$29
Money outPt IX
$677K
Ln 25
Programscol B$582K
Managementcol C$46K
Fundraisingcol D$49K
Owns and owesPt X
$329K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$366K
Total assetsLn 16$512K
LiabilitiesLn 26$182K
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Government grantsLn 1e$141K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$75K
Investment incomeLn 3$29
Total revenueLn 12$1.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$366K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$366K
Total assetsLn 16$512K
LiabilitiesLn 26$182K
Net assetsLn 32$329K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 64
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$6K$366K
Total assetsLn 16$81K$512K
LiabilitiesLn 26$162K$182K
Net assetsLn 32−$81K$329K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$134K$107K$13K$13K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$141K$130K$2K$9K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$16K$14K$959$1K
Payroll taxesLn 10$54K$47K$3K$4K
Accounting feesLn 11c$55K$48K$3K$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$156K$134K$8K$14K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$957$957
Office expensesLn 13$5K$4K$388$402
TravelLn 17$8K$7K$432$649
InterestLn 20$12K$12K
InsuranceLn 23$949$819$52$78
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$95K$90K$2K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$677K$582K$46K$49K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.1M$677K$410K$329K 990 PDF
FY2024 $453K$527K−$73K−$81K 990 PDF
FY2023 $543K$622K−$79K−$7K 990 PDF
FY2022 $545K$515K$30K$72K 990 PDF
FY2021 $288K$405K−$117K$42K 990 PDF
FY2020 $475K$335K$140K$159K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,087,196 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $383,775$1,011,736
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $69,496$75,431
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $23$29
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $453,294$1,087,196
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $53,250$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $280,294$344,823
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $192,450$332,479
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $525,994$677,302
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$72,700$409,894
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
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 $1,087,196 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$141,436
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$870,300
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,011,736
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $75,431$75,431
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $29$29
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $75,431 · Excluded from tax $29$1,087,196
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $677,302 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $106,929 · Management $13,366 · Fundraising $13,366$133,661
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $130,318 · Management $1,707 · Fundraising $9,243$141,268
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $13,913 · Management $959 · Fundraising $1,120$15,992
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $46,895 · Management $3,234 · Fundraising $3,773$53,902
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $47,570 · Management $3,281 · Fundraising $3,827$54,678
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $134,326 · Management $8,275 · Fundraising $13,507$156,108
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $957$957
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,226 · Management $388 · Fundraising $402$5,016
IX-17 TravelPrograms $6,806 · Management $432 · Fundraising $649$7,887
IX-20 InterestManagement $11,710$11,710
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $819 · Management $52 · Fundraising $78$949
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $89,508 · Management $2,267 · Fundraising $3,399$95,174
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $582,267 · Management $45,671 · Fundraising $49,364$677,302
Part X · Balance sheet $511,681 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $6,157$365,680
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $64,000$131,150
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $11,131$14,851
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $81,288$511,681
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $81,918$85,457
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $74,940$96,900
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $161,858$182,357
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$159,320$45,991
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $78,750$283,333
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$80,570$329,324
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $81,288$511,681
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $329,324 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,087,196
XI-2 Total expenses$677,302
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$409,894
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$80,570
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$329,324

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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