Provide chicago with an organized, affordable and reliable resource for re-purposed art, craft and school materials and related activities

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
74¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 275 volunteers and 11 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
1 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $40K a year · 9% of revenue · last 4 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
74%
of spending
Fine: 74% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$53K
to officers and key staff · 8% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 8% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $500
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$276K
182% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 182% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$632K
+34% vs prior year
Spent
$652K
To programs
74%
Net assets
−$125K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$632K
FY2025▲ +34%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$146K
FY2022$395K
FY2023$385K
FY2024$471K
FY2025$632K
Expenses
$652K
FY2025▲ +14%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021Not on file
FY2022$328K
FY2023$488K
FY2024$574K
FY2025$652K
Net assets
−$125K
FY2025▼ -19%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$36K
FY2022$102K
FY2023−$1K
FY2024−$105K
FY2025−$125K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Dec 2015.

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

Where the money goes

74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 74% · $479K Management & general 21% · $135K Fundraising 6% · $38K

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

12 people listed on the 990; $53K 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
Executive Director/Officer
$52,975Pt VII · Sec A
Board President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024
Eleanor Ray$52,975$54,180

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

Offers affordable, repurposed art and craft supplies and activities for Chicago.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $479K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The organization receives donated goods and sells them to the general public.

$479Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Afi FoundationFY2025$500
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$500

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$632K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$630K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$243K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Money outPt IX
$652K
Ln 25
Programscol B$479K
Managementcol C$135K
Fundraisingcol D$38K
Owns and owesPt X
−$125K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$53K
Total assetsLn 16$151K
LiabilitiesLn 26$276K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$630K
Government grantsLn 1e$36K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$467K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$243K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Total revenueLn 12$632K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$53K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$53K
Other assetsLn 15$11K
Total assetsLn 16$151K
LiabilitiesLn 26$276K
Net assetsLn 32−$125K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 511
VolunteersI 6275
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$61K$53K
Total assetsLn 16$171K$151K
LiabilitiesLn 26$276K$276K
Net assetsLn 32−$105K−$125K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$439K$327K$88K$25K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$17K$13K$3K$972
Payroll taxesLn 10$43K$32K$9K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$3K$1K$1K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$20K$13K$4K$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$0$0$2K
Office expensesLn 13$4K$4K$141$0
OccupancyLn 16$84K$72K$9K$3K
InterestLn 20$10K$10K$0$0
InsuranceLn 23$9K$4K$4K$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$18K$1K$17K$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$652K$479K$135K$38K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $632K$652K−$20K−$125K 990 PDF
FY2024 $471K$574K−$104K−$105K 990 PDF
FY2023 $385K$488K−$103K−$1K 990 PDF
FY2022 $395K$328K$66K$102K 990 PDF
FY2021 $146K$36K 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 M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $632,004 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $468,493$630,003
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $175,072$243,079
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $4,745$1,582
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$177,589−$242,660
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $470,721$632,004
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $433,526$499,633
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $140,792$152,240
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $574,318$651,873
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$103,597−$19,869
Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members12
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $632,004 across 7 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for −$242,660 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$36,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$594,003
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$466,947
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$630,003
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$243,079
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,582
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $2,001 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$632,004
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $651,873 across 11 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $326,665 · Management $87,505 · Fundraising $24,946$439,116
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $12,722 · Management $3,408 · Fundraising $972$17,102
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $32,297 · Management $8,652 · Fundraising $2,466$43,415
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $2,682 · Management $1,341 · Fundraising $1,341$5,364
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $13,162 · Management $3,772 · Fundraising $3,441$20,375
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $1,694$1,694
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,763 · Management $141 · Fundraising $0$3,904
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $72,352 · Management $9,148 · Fundraising $2,770$84,270
IX-20 InterestPrograms $10,098 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$10,098
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $4,277 · Management $4,277 · Fundraising $0$8,554
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $1,387 · Management $16,594 · Fundraising $0$17,981
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $479,405 · Management $134,838 · Fundraising $37,630$651,873
Part X · Balance sheet $150,996 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $61,339$53,450
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $49,572$86,959
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $10,587$10,587
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $171,453$150,996
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $26,152$25,564
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $250,000$250,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $276,152$275,564
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$104,699−$134,948
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$10,380
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$104,699−$124,568
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $171,453$150,996
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$124,568 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$632,004
XI-2 Total expenses$651,873
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$19,869
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$104,699
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$124,568

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

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