Young Chicago Authors transforms the lives of the Young people by cultivating their voices through writing, publication, and performance education.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
68¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 350 volunteers and 12 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
FY2021
latest Form 990
Concern: the latest return is for FY2021, 5 tax years back; more than 4 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
1 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $183K a year · 17% of revenue · last 2 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
68%
of spending
Fine: 68% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$192K
to officers and key staff · 15% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 15% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $553K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 1.4 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
10
named funders · $531K
Looks good: 10 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$772K
47% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 47% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
16
of 16 voting members
Looks good: 16 of 16 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$698K
-52% vs prior year
Spent
$1.3M
To programs
68%
Net assets
$874K
By yearFY2020–FY2021
Revenue
$698K
FY2021▼ -52%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.5M
FY2021$698K
Expenses
$1.3M
FY2021▼ -2%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.3M
FY2021$1.3M
Net assets
$874K
FY2021▼ -37%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4M
FY2021$874K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending August 2021) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Exemption reinstated (2025-01-15). Per the IRS revocation list. Latest filing on record: FY2021. IRS ruling in Apr 2026.

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

Where the money goes

68 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 68% · $853K Management & general 19% · $240K Fundraising 13% · $159K

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

18 people listed on the 990; $192K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Di
$103,140Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Di
$88,580Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Rebecca Hunter’s $103K as Executive Di is at the 90th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2021FY2020
Rebecca Hunter$103,140$95,867
Demetrius Amparan$88,580$70,167

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.

See Young Chicago Authors executive salaries →

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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

Empowers youth through writing, publication, and performance education to find and share their voices.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $853K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

At young chicago authors (yca), artist-led workshops provide writing training through weekly workshops at our center and at our partner sites around chicago, mostly in underserved communities that have little or no access to arts programming. Yca provides public forums for chicago's teen voices.

$853Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 10 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$698K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$626K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$56K
Investment incomeLn 3$16K
Money outPt IX
$1.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$853K
Managementcol C$240K
Fundraisingcol D$159K
Owns and owesPt X
$874K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$141K
Total assetsLn 16$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$772K
PeoplePt VI, VII
18
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a16
IndependentVI 1b16
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$626K
Government grantsLn 1e$129K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$56K
Investment incomeLn 3$16K
Total revenueLn 12$698K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$141K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$141K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$553K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$207K
Other assetsLn 15$588K
Total assetsLn 16$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$772K
Net assetsLn 32$874K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 512
VolunteersI 6350
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$399K$141K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$515K$553K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$227K$207K
Total assetsLn 16$2.2M$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$822K$772K
Net assetsLn 32$1.4M$874K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$192K$115K$42K$35K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$466K$279K$102K$84K
Accounting feesLn 11c$47K$38K$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$101K$62K$23K$16K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$4K$498$498
Office expensesLn 13$30K$18K$8K$3K
Information technologyLn 14$3K$2K$584$478
OccupancyLn 16$61K$36K$13K$11K
TravelLn 17$910$910
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$1K$942$52$52
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$19K$12K$4K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$12K$7K$3K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$313K$276K$37K$550
All other expensesLn 24e$2K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.3M$853K$240K$159K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2021 Latest Viewing $698K$1.3M−$553K$874K 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.5M$1.3M$187K$1.4M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $698,244 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,321,422$626,396
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $118,187$56,174
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $21,036$15,684
I-11 Other revenue−$10
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,460,645$698,244
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $665,253$657,330
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $607,918$594,026
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,273,171$1,251,356
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $187,474−$553,112
Part VI · Governance 16 of 16 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body16
VI-1b Independent voting members16
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 $698,244 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$129,450
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$496,946
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$626,396
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $56,174$56,174
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $15,684$15,684
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax −$10−$10
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $56,174 · Excluded from tax $15,674$698,244
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,251,356 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $115,032 · Management $42,179 · Fundraising $34,509$191,720
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $279,366 · Management $102,434 · Fundraising $83,810$465,610
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $37,526 · Management $4,691 · Fundraising $4,691$46,908
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $62,020 · Management $23,119 · Fundraising $15,527$100,666
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $3,987 · Management $498 · Fundraising $498$4,983
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $17,907 · Management $8,334 · Fundraising $3,265$29,506
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,593 · Management $584 · Fundraising $478$2,655
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $36,417 · Management $13,352 · Fundraising $10,924$60,693
IX-17 TravelPrograms $910$910
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $942 · Management $52 · Fundraising $52$1,046
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $11,596 · Management $4,252 · Fundraising $3,479$19,327
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $6,910 · Management $3,455 · Fundraising $1,152$11,517
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $276,072 · Management $36,709 · Fundraising $550$313,331
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,484$2,484
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $852,762 · Management $239,659 · Fundraising $158,935$1,251,356
Part X · Balance sheet $1,645,499 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $398,526$140,987
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $365,500$135,000
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $51,377$20,155
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $1,047$530
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $226,527$207,200
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $514,947$553,238
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $660,170$588,389
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,218,094$1,645,499
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $10,234$9,363
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $811,400$762,207
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $821,634$771,570
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $971,460$426,679
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $425,000$447,250
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,396,460$873,929
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,218,094$1,645,499
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $873,929 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$698,244
XI-2 Total expenses$1,251,356
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$553,112
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,396,460
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$30,581
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$873,929

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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