Ray Chinese School is a non-for-profit corporation that operates one of the largest Chinese schools in the chicagoland area.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
72¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$110K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $9K a year · 2% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
72%
of spending
Fine: 72% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$110K
to officers and key staff · 16% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 16% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
15 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 15.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $200
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$145K
16% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 16% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$686K
Spent
$697K
To programs
72%
Net assets
$768K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$686K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$686K
FY2021$588K
FY2022$549K
FY2023$592K
FY2024$574K
FY2025$553K
Expenses
$697K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$697K
FY2021$582K
FY2022$539K
FY2023$604K
FY2024$563K
FY2025$500K
Net assets
$768K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$768K
FY2021$774K
FY2022$784K
FY2023$771K
FY2024$786K
FY2025$838K

From the FY2020 Form 990 (year ending June 2020) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim
You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 1997.

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

Where the money goes

72 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 72% · $501K Management & general 28% · $196K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Something off? Claim to add context

Who runs it and what they're paid

10 people listed on the 990; $110K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2019); the FY2020 filing did not itemize Part VII
Assistant PR
$24,516Pt VII · Sec A
HR Director
$17,641Pt VII · Sec A
Principal
$17,488Pt VII · Sec A
Assistant PR
$11,556Pt VII · Sec A
Finance Dire
$9,377Pt VII · Sec A
IT Director
$7,830Pt VII · Sec A
Information
$7,820Pt VII · Sec A
General Dire
$7,171Pt VII · Sec A

Zhihong Guo’s $30K as Teacher/Suca is at the 22nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Jason Xi—$8,252$31,507$41,852$49,206—
Bing Zhang—$3,860$22,950$36,161$43,807$17,641
Zhihong Guo$29,702—————
Lihong Shi—$29,494————
Jian Xi—————$24,516
Jiyong Zhao—————$17,488
Yifeng Liao—$14,600$5,840$1,912——
Jing Han$13,982$8,606————

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 Ray Chinese School executive salaries →

On this list? Claim this org

Something off? Claim to add context

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

Teaches Chinese language and culture to students in the Chicagoland area.

Questions for Ray Chinese School

Tap to ask. Ray Chinese School sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Ray Chinese School answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

Know this org? Add your story

1 program · $501K · in their own filed words · FY2019
01

School offering curriculum and extra-curriculum activities toward achieving academic excellence and international perspective through chinese language and culture for over 800 students

$501Kprogram 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 · FY2020
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$200

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$686K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$621K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$55K
Investment incomeLn 3$10K
Money outPt IX
$697K
Ln 25
Programscol B$501K
Managementcol C$196K
Owns and owesPt X
$768K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$891K
Total assetsLn 16$913K
LiabilitiesLn 26$145K
PeoplePt VI, VII
10
listed · VII A
PaidVII A10
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$55K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$621K
Investment incomeLn 3$10K
Total revenueLn 12$686K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$637K
SavingsLn 2$254K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$891K
Total assetsLn 16$913K
LiabilitiesLn 26$145K
Net assetsLn 32$768K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 533
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$777K$891K
Total assetsLn 16$784K$913K
LiabilitiesLn 26$5K$145K
Net assetsLn 32$779K$768K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$17K$17K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$235K$235K
Payroll taxesLn 10$20K$19K$1K
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$7K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$7K$6K$888
Information technologyLn 14$1K$813$420
OccupancyLn 16$67K$64K$3K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$5K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$5K$5K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$298K$159K$139K
All other expensesLn 24e$32K$17K$15K
Total functional expensesLn 25$697K$501K$196K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $553K$500K$52K$838K 990 PDF
FY2024 $574K$563K$12K$786K 990 PDF
FY2023 $592K$604K−$12K$771K 990 PDF
FY2022 $549K$539K$10K$784K 990 PDF
FY2021 $588K$582K$6K$774K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $686K$697K−$11K$768K 990 PDF

More to add? Claim this org

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $685,808 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $11,392$54,703
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $607,726$620,719
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,119$10,386
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $620,237$685,808
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $244,597$272,857
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $338,934$424,244
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $583,531$697,101
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $36,706−$11,293
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
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 $685,808 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$54,703
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$54,703
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $620,719$620,719
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $10,386$10,386
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $631,105$685,808
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $697,101 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $17,488$17,488
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $235,192$235,192
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $18,755 · Management $1,422$20,177
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,985$6,985
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $1,285$1,285
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $5,983 · Management $888$6,871
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $813 · Management $420$1,233
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $63,798 · Management $3,444$67,242
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsManagement $4,572$4,572
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $5,344$5,344
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $159,323 · Management $139,086$298,409
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $17,148 · Management $15,155$32,303
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $501,012 · Management $196,089 · Fundraising $0$697,101
Part X · Balance sheet $913,199 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $415,614$636,787
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $361,087$253,744
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $7,113$22,668
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $783,814$913,199
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $4,739$7,212
X-19 Deferred revenue$138,205
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $4,739$145,417
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $779,075$767,782
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $779,075$767,782
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $783,814$913,199
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $767,782 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$685,808
XI-2 Total expenses$697,101
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$11,293
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$779,075
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$767,782

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

Your org? Add context

Made it to the end? Claim this org

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the pay comparisons above.