The Chicago Help Initiative

Tax-deductible

Chicago, IL501(c)(3)Since 2011Human ServicesEIN 45-2542979

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The Chicago Help Initiative is a consortium of business, residential, religious, social services, institutional and volunteer leaders striving to promote an atmosphere of dignity and compassion toward those in need by providing access to food, health services, shelter and employment. The organization works to educate local businesses and residents as to how they can Help ease the plight of the homeless, disadvantaged and out of work individuals and improve their well-being, self esteem and productivity.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
66¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 18 volunteers and 4 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $38K a year · 12% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
66%
of spending
Fine: 66% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $10K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$2K
0.5% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
18
of 18 voting members
Looks good: 18 of 18 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$354K
+15% vs prior year
Spent
$326K
To programs
66%
Net assets
$458K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$354K
FY2024▲ +15%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$348K
FY2021$323K
FY2022$243K
FY2023$413K
FY2024$306K
FY2024$354K
Expenses
$326K
FY2024▼ -6%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$292K
FY2021$217K
FY2022$234K
FY2023$355K
FY2024$348K
FY2024$326K
Net assets
$458K
FY2024▲ +6%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$290K
FY2021$397K
FY2022$406K
FY2023$472K
FY2024$430K
FY2024$458K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Sep 2011.

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

Where the money goes

66 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 66% · $216K Management & general 24% · $79K Fundraising 10% · $32K

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.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Founder & President Emerit
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Douglas B Fraser’s $63K as Executive Director is at the 52nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 2168 $100K–1M human services 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

NameFY2022FY2021FY2020
Douglas B Fraser$63,000$67,500$62,000

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 The Chicago Help Initiative 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Provides food, health, shelter, and employment to those in need, educating the community on how to help.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until The Chicago Help Initiative claims this page.

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3 program services account for $216K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Adult learning program, housing assistance and social services.

$172Kprogram expense
02

Wednesday Dinners

Each wednesday a nutritious meal is provided to guests at a dinner hall. The meals are donated by the local area restaurants, hotels, business, board members, friends and their families and members of the community who want to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than themselves.

$24Kprogram expense
03

Holiday Gifts Program

Every christmas, the chicago help initiative provides gift cards for the guests we serve, focused on those who participate in our programs, are not alone and that they are part of a community. For some of our guests, it can be the only acknowledgement of their value over this holiday period.

$20Kprogram expense

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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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$10K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$354K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$353K
Investment incomeLn 3$7K
Money outPt IX
$326K
Ln 25
Programscol B$216K
Managementcol C$79K
Fundraisingcol D$32K
Owns and owesPt X
$458K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$99K
Total assetsLn 16$460K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K
PeoplePt VI, VII
18
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a18
IndependentVI 1b18
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$353K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$13K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$117K
Investment incomeLn 3$7K
Total revenueLn 12$354K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$13K
SavingsLn 2$86K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$99K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$361K
Total assetsLn 16$460K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K
Net assetsLn 32$458K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 618
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$144K$99K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$289K$361K
Total assetsLn 16$433K$460K
LiabilitiesLn 26$2K$2K
Net assetsLn 32$430K$458K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$178K$121K$52K$5K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$6K$4K$2K$194
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$11K$5K$475
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$6K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$25K$25K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$3K$2K$830$86
OccupancyLn 16$18K$12K$5K$537
TravelLn 17$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$65K$59K$6K
All other expensesLn 24e$3K$3K$260
Total functional expensesLn 25$326K$216K$79K$32K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 $306K$348K−$42K$430K 990 PDF
FY2023 $413K$355K$58K$472K 990 PDF
FY2022 $243K$234K$9K$406K 990 PDF
FY2021 $323K$217K$107K$397K 990 PDF
FY2020 $348K$292K$56K$290K 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 FY2024 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $353,610 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$116,627
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$236,337
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$13,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$352,964
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $6,893$6,893
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$6,247−$6,247
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $646$353,610
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $326,368 across 12 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $120,869 · Management $51,547 · Fundraising $5,332$177,748
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $4,405 · Management $1,879 · Fundraising $194$6,478
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $10,749 · Management $4,584 · Fundraising $475$15,808
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,330$6,330
IX-11g Other fees for servicesFundraising $25,000$25,000
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $1,842$1,842
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,945 · Management $830 · Fundraising $86$2,861
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $12,156 · Management $5,184 · Fundraising $537$17,877
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,055$2,055
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,313$2,313
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $58,972 · Management $6,048$65,020
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,776 · Management $260$3,036
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $216,240 · Management $78,504 · Fundraising $31,624$326,368
Part X · Balance sheet $459,784 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $143,507$12,616
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$86,180
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $289,246$360,988
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $432,753$459,784
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,285$2,074
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $2,285$2,074
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $430,264$452,747
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $204$4,963
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $430,468$457,710
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $432,753$459,784
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $457,710 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$353,610
XI-2 Total expenses$326,368
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$27,242
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$430,468
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$457,710

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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