Providing educational arts programming to students from under-resourced areas of Chicago, giving students an opportunity to develop skills and gain confidence through photography. We promote individual growth, team building, good work habits, and responsibility

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 58 volunteers and 21 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
2 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $34K a year · 14% of revenue · last 2 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 2 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
77%
of spending
Looks good: 77% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$35K
to officers and key staff · 14% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 14% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
10 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 9.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $28K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$12K
6% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 6% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 8 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
$260K
+43% vs prior year
Spent
$248K
To programs
77%
Net assets
$192K
By yearFY2022–FY2025
Revenue
$260K
FY2025▲ +43%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2022$159K
FY2023$223K
FY2024$181K
FY2025$260K
Expenses
$248K
FY2025▲ +49%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2022Not on file
FY2023$166K
FY2024Not on file
FY2025$248K
Net assets
$192K
FY2025▲ +3%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2022$137K
FY2023$194K
FY2024$188K
FY2025$192K

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 2018.

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

Where the money goes

77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 77% · $190K Management & general 13% · $31K Fundraising 11% · $27K

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; $35K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Board of Directors
$22,070Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Directors
$12,457Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer/Board of Directors
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Directors
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Directors
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Directors
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Directors
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Vanessa Luna’s $22K as Board of Directors is at the 17th 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

NameFY2025FY2024
Vanessa Luna$22,070$15,673
Nick Sinnott$12,457—

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 Freshlens Chicago 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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Teaches young people photography skills.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $190K · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Providing educational arts programming to students from under-resourced areas of chicago, giving students an opportunity to develop skills and gain confidence through photography. We promote individual growth, team building, good work habits, and responsibility

$190Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$28K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$260K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$199K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$61K
Money outPt IX
$248K
Ln 25
Programscol B$190K
Managementcol C$31K
Fundraisingcol D$27K
Owns and owesPt X
$192K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$204K
Total assetsLn 16$204K
LiabilitiesLn 26$12K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$199K
Government grantsLn 1e$20K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$71K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$61K
Total revenueLn 12$260K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$204K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$204K
Total assetsLn 16$204K
LiabilitiesLn 26$12K
Net assetsLn 32$192K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 521
VolunteersI 658
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$177K$204K
Total assetsLn 16$183K$204K
LiabilitiesLn 26$3K$12K
Net assetsLn 32$181K$192K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$125K$125K$0$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$12K$12K$0$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$0$7K$0
Office expensesLn 13$0$0$0$0
OccupancyLn 16$7K$0$7K$0
InsuranceLn 23$4K$0$4K$0
All other expensesLn 24e$92K$53K$13K$27K
Total functional expensesLn 25$248K$190K$31K$27K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $260K$248K$12K$192K 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS Sep 15, 2025 $181K$188K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS May 14, 2024 $223K$166K$57K$194K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Oct 23, 2023 $159K$137K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $259,747 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $112,389$199,109
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $68,472$60,638
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $180,861$259,747
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $108,190$137,218
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $73,602$110,582
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $181,792$247,800
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$931$11,947
Part VI · Governance 8 of 12 board members independent, 5 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $259,747 across 5 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $60,638 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$70,746
VIII-1e Government grants$20,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$108,363
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$199,109
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $60,638 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$259,747
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $247,800 across 7 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $124,847 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$124,847
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $12,371 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$12,371
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $7,365 · Fundraising $0$7,365
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $0 · Management $7,200 · Fundraising $0$7,200
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $3,666 · Fundraising $0$3,666
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $52,692 · Management $13,033 · Fundraising $26,626$92,351
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $189,910 · Management $31,264 · Fundraising $26,626$247,800
Part X · Balance sheet $204,207 assets, 6 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $176,540$204,207
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $183,340$204,207
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,787$11,707
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $2,787$11,707
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $180,553$192,500
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $183,340$204,207
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $192,500 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$259,747
XI-2 Total expenses$247,800
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$11,947
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$180,553
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$192,500

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

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