Fame Center FY2023 filing

Tax-deductible

Chicago, IL501(c)(3)Arts & CultureEIN 83-2170757Revenue $478K in FY2023

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.
75¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$151K 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

FY2023 · 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
75%
of spending
Fine: 75% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$151K
to officers and key staff · 26% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 26% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
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
$286K
145% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 145% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 10 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 10 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$478K
+74% vs prior year
Spent
$578K
To programs
75%
Net assets
−$102K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$478K
FY2023▲ +74%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$243K
FY2021$515K
FY2022$275K
FY2023$478K
FY2024$413K
Expenses
$578K
FY2023▲ +13%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$202K
FY2021$454K
FY2022$510K
FY2023$578K
FY2024$372K
Net assets
−$102K
FY2023▼ -86%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$44K
FY2021$105K
FY2022−$55K
FY2023−$102K
FY2024−$62K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 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

75 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 75% · $434K Management & general 24% · $137K Fundraising 1% · $7K

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

20 people listed on the 990; $151K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$75,416Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director
$75,416Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$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.

See Fame Center 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 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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2 programs · $860K · in their own filed words · FY2023
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 and visual art, computer coding classes, musical theater and drama classes, creative writing classes, and music therapy for…

$434Kprogram expense
02

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 and visual art, computer coding classes, musical theater and drama classes, creative writing classes, and music therapy for…

$427Kprogram 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 FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$478K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$251K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$219K
Other incomeLn 4–11$8K
Money outPt IX
$578K
Ln 25
Programscol B$434K
Managementcol C$137K
Fundraisingcol D$7K
Owns and owesPt X
−$102K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$97K
Total assetsLn 16$197K
LiabilitiesLn 26$286K
PeoplePt VI, VII
20
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$219K
Government grantsLn 1e$20K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$251K
Investment incomeLn 3$37
Other incomeLn 4–11$8K
Total revenueLn 12$478K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$97K
Total assetsLn 16$197K
LiabilitiesLn 26$286K
Net assetsLn 32−$102K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 523
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $413K$372K$40K−$62K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $478K$578K−$100K−$102K 990 PDF
FY2022 $275K$510K−$234K−$55K 990 PDF
FY2021 $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 FY2023 990 (1 part)
Part VI · Governance 9 of 10 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10
VI-1b Independent voting members9
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

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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