To elevate and connect a network of leaders with disabilities who shift power, transform systems, and redefine leadership.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
80¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$110K 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

FY2020 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $97K a year · 11% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
80%
of spending
Looks good: 80% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$110K
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
13 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 12.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
17
named funders · $1.1M
Looks good: 17 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$92K
15% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 15% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
10
of 10 voting members
Looks good: 10 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
$737K
Spent
$555K
To programs
80%
Net assets
$540K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$737K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$737K
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$546K
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$1.3M
FY2025$557K
Expenses
$555K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$555K
FY2021$617K
FY2022$633K
FY2023$699K
FY2024$1.0M
FY2025$1.3M
Net assets
$540K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$540K
FY2021$999K
FY2022$911K
FY2023$1.4M
FY2024$1.7M
FY2025$937K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 2019.

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

Where the money goes

80 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 80% · $444K Management & general 13% · $72K Fundraising 7% · $39K

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

11 people listed on the 990; $110K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$110,231Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Governance Co-Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Emily E Blum’s $138K as Executive Director is at the 58th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M education 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Emily E Blum$138,292$111,278$108,432———
Emily Blum———$116,699$113,300$110,231
Risa J Rifkind$100,000—————

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 Disability Lead 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

Develops leaders with disabilities to boost civic engagement and diverse representation in Chicago.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $444K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Since inception, advancing leadership members have experienced more than 200 civic, professional, and leadership advancements.

$444Kprogram 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
See all 17 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$737K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$712K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$25K
Money outPt IX
$555K
Ln 25
Programscol B$444K
Managementcol C$72K
Fundraisingcol D$39K
Owns and owesPt X
$540K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$585K
Total assetsLn 16$632K
LiabilitiesLn 26$92K
PeoplePt VI, VII
11
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a10
IndependentVI 1b10
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$712K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$25K
Total revenueLn 12$737K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$585K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$585K
Total assetsLn 16$632K
LiabilitiesLn 26$92K
Net assetsLn 32$540K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 613
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$368K$585K
Total assetsLn 16$368K$632K
LiabilitiesLn 26$10K$92K
Net assetsLn 32$358K$540K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$110K$110K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$204K$141K$31K$31K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$9K$7K$881$881
Other employee benefitsLn 9$22K$18K$2K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$23K$16K$5K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$792$792
Accounting feesLn 11c$19K$19K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$98K$93K$5K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K$436
Information technologyLn 14$21K$15K$6K
OccupancyLn 16$19K$19K
TravelLn 17$2K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$5K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$4K$3K$432$432
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$14K$12K$1K$583
Total functional expensesLn 25$555K$444K$72K$39K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $557K$1.3M−$763K$937K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.3M$1.0M$299K$1.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.2M$699K$490K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $546K$633K−$88K$911K 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.1M$617K$459K$999K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $737K$555K$182K$540K 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $737,270 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $501,728$712,045
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,500$25,225
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $503,228$737,270
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 $87,245$368,412
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $58,151$186,869
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $145,396$555,281
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $357,832$181,989
Part VI · Governance 10 of 10 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body10
VI-1b Independent voting members10
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $737,270 across 4 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$712,045
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$712,045
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $25,225$25,225
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $25,225 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$737,270
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $555,281 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $110,231$110,231
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $141,363 · Management $31,449 · Fundraising $31,449$204,261
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $7,047 · Management $881 · Fundraising $881$8,809
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $17,969 · Management $2,246 · Fundraising $2,246$22,461
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $15,855 · Management $4,530 · Fundraising $2,265$22,650
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $792$792
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $19,174$19,174
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $93,222 · Management $4,506$97,728
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $1,463$1,463
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,792 · Management $436$2,228
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $14,760 · Management $5,875$20,635
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $19,296$19,296
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,785$1,785
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $5,403$5,403
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,457 · Management $432 · Fundraising $432$4,321
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $12,028 · Management $1,433 · Fundraising $583$14,044
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $444,208 · Management $71,754 · Fundraising $39,319$555,281
Part X · Balance sheet $632,278 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $367,883$585,020
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $0$30,000
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $0$17,258
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $367,883$632,278
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $10,051$24,457
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $0$68,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $10,051$92,457
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $357,832$259,821
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$280,000
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $357,832$539,821
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $367,883$632,278
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $539,821 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$737,270
XI-2 Total expenses$555,281
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$181,989
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$357,832
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$539,821

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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