Fame Center FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Chicago, IL501(c)(3)Arts & CultureEIN 83-2170757Revenue $515K in FY2021

On file with the IRSfamecenter.org1319 S State St, 60605-2537 · Chicago, ILTax-exempt since Apr 2019Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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FAME Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to music and art education for children and adults. Throughout the calendar year, FAME Center offers fine arts education through music lessons, digital art and visual art, computer coding classes, musical theater and drama classes, creative writing classes, and music therapy for mental health. Our vision is to enrich the lives of children and adults in every community of Chicago, through music and arts education, and music therapy for the promotion of mental health.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
85¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$76K 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

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
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
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $39K a year · 10% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
85%
of spending
Looks good: 85% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$76K
to officers and key staff · 17% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 17% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 5.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $166K
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$93K
47% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 47% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$515K
+112% vs prior year
Spent
$454K
To programs
85%
Net assets
$105K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$515K
FY2021▲ +112%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$243K
FY2021$515K
FY2022$275K
FY2023$478K
FY2024$413K
Expenses
$454K
FY2021▲ +125%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$202K
FY2021$454K
FY2022$510K
FY2023$578K
FY2024$372K
Net assets
$105K
FY2021▲ +138%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$44K
FY2021$105K
FY2022−$55K
FY2023−$102K
FY2024−$62K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Apr 2019.

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

Where the money goes

85 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 85% · $384K Management & general 21% · $95K Fundraising 2% · $10K

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

8 people listed on the 990; $76K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Exedir/Board President
$76,210Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chairperson
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Sheila R Fortson’s $75K as Executive Director is at the 71st 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2023FY2021FY2020
Sheila R Fortson$75,416$76,210$52,403

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

Programs and updates

Provides music and art education, including therapy, for children and adults in Chicago.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $384K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

FAME Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to music and art education for children and adults. Throughout the calendar year, FAME Center offers fine arts education through music lessons, digital art and visual art, computer coding classes, musical theater and drama classes, creative writing classes, and music therapy…

$384Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 5 funders →
Grants paid · 3 grants · $131K · 2022–2023
Unitemized GrantFY2023$42,642
Unitemized GrantFY2023$42,642
Unitemized GrantFY2022$45,686

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$515K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$465K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$184K
Investment incomeLn 3$1
Money outPt IX
$454K
Ln 25
Programscol B$384K
Managementcol C$95K
Fundraisingcol D$10K
Owns and owesPt X
$105K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$194K
Total assetsLn 16$198K
LiabilitiesLn 26$93K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$465K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$4K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$184K
Investment incomeLn 3$1
Total revenueLn 12$515K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$194K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$194K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Total assetsLn 16$198K
LiabilitiesLn 26$93K
Net assetsLn 32$105K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 523
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$107K$194K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$4K$2K
Total assetsLn 16$134K$298K
LiabilitiesLn 26$90K$93K
Net assetsLn 32$44K$205K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$236K$189K$47K
Payroll taxesLn 10$22K$17K$4K
Legal feesLn 11b$106$106
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$7K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$10K$10K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$9K$9K
OccupancyLn 16$31K$25K$6K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$2K$2K
InterestLn 20$644$644
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$7K$1K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$4K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$145K$145K
All other expensesLn 24e$17K$7K$9K$900
Total functional expensesLn 25$489K$384K$95K$10K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $413K$372K$40K−$62K 990 PDF
FY2023 $478K$578K−$100K−$102K 990 PDF
FY2022 $275K$510K−$234K−$55K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $515K$454K$61K$105K 990 PDF
FY2020 $243K$202K$41K$44K 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $649,228 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $126,147$465,141
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $111,336$184,086
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1$1
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $5,204$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $242,688$649,228
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $69,118$257,329
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $132,717$231,361
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $201,835$488,690
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $40,853$160,538
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $649,228 across 7 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $12 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$4,136
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$461,005
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$465,141
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $184,074$184,074
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $1$1
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $184,087 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$649,228
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $488,690 across 13 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $188,575 · Management $47,143$235,718
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $17,289 · Management $4,322$21,611
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $106$106
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $6,801$6,801
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $9,620$9,620
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $8,989$8,989
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $24,813 · Management $6,203$31,016
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsManagement $1,592$1,592
IX-20 InterestManagement $644$644
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $1,180 · Management $5,412$6,592
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $4,274$4,274
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $144,689$144,689
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $7,480 · Management $8,658 · Fundraising $900$17,038
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $384,026 · Management $94,775 · Fundraising $9,889$488,690
Part X · Balance sheet $297,517 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $107,157$193,861
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$100,000
X-4 Accounts receivable$1,295
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $3,541$2,361
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $5,412$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $134,111$297,517
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$3,179
X-19 Deferred revenue$16,887
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $5,914$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $90,098$92,966
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $44,013$204,551
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $44,013$204,551
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $134,111$297,517
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $204,551 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$649,228
XI-2 Total expenses$488,690
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$160,538
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$44,013
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$1
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$204,551

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

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