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.
70¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$137K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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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
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
70%
of spending
Fine: 70% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$137K
to officers and key staff · 24% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 24% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
18 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 18.4 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
$588K
-14% vs prior year
Spent
$582K
To programs
70%
Net assets
$774K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$588K
FY2021▼ -14%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$686K
FY2021$588K
FY2022$549K
FY2023$592K
FY2024$574K
FY2025$553K
Expenses
$582K
FY2021▼ -16%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$697K
FY2021$582K
FY2022$539K
FY2023$604K
FY2024$563K
FY2025$500K
Net assets
$774K
FY2021▲ +0.8%
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 FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 2021) · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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

70 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 70% · $406K Management & general 30% · $176K

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

9 people listed on the 990; $137K 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
Principal
$49,206Pt VII · Sec A
Assistant PR
$43,807Pt VII · Sec A
Finance Dire
$9,071Pt VII · Sec A
Registration
$7,831Pt VII · Sec A
Assistant PR
$7,454Pt VII · Sec A
IT Director
$5,985Pt VII · Sec A
Comms Direct
$5,068Pt VII · Sec A
General Dire
$4,525Pt 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.

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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

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

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $406K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

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

$406Kprogram 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 FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$588K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$568K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$14K
Investment incomeLn 3$7K
Money outPt IX
$582K
Ln 25
Programscol B$406K
Managementcol C$176K
Owns and owesPt X
$774K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$893K
Total assetsLn 16$919K
LiabilitiesLn 26$145K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A9
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$14K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$568K
Investment incomeLn 3$7K
Total revenueLn 12$588K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$635K
SavingsLn 2$258K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$893K
Total assetsLn 16$919K
LiabilitiesLn 26$145K
Net assetsLn 32$774K
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$891K$893K
Total assetsLn 16$913K$919K
LiabilitiesLn 26$145K$145K
Net assetsLn 32$768K$774K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$200K$200K
Payroll taxesLn 10$17K$17K
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$7K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K
OccupancyLn 16$4K$479$4K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$4K$4K
InsuranceLn 23$8K$8K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$334K$185K$148K
All other expensesLn 24e$8K$4K$5K
Total functional expensesLn 25$582K$406K$176K$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 Viewing $588K$582K$6K$774K 990 PDF
FY2020 $686K$697K−$11K$768K 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 $588,272 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $54,703$13,903
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $620,719$567,706
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $10,386$6,663
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $685,808$588,272
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $272,857$216,787
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $424,244$365,449
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $697,101$582,236
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$11,293$6,036
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 $588,272 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$13,903
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$13,903
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $567,706$567,706
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $6,663$6,663
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $574,369$588,272
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $582,236 across 9 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $199,657$199,657
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $17,130$17,130
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,647$6,647
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $1,275$1,275
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $479 · Management $3,532$4,011
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsManagement $3,720$3,720
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $7,827$7,827
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $185,401 · Management $148,227$333,628
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $3,587 · Management $4,754$8,341
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $406,254 · Management $175,982 · Fundraising $0$582,236
Part X · Balance sheet $918,693 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $636,787$634,660
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $253,744$258,171
X-4 Accounts receivable$2,066
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $22,668$23,796
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $913,199$918,693
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $7,212$16,793
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $138,205$128,082
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $145,417$144,875
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $767,782$773,818
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $767,782$773,818
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $913,199$918,693
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $773,818 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$588,272
XI-2 Total expenses$582,236
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$6,036
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$767,782
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$773,818

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

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