The Chicago Community Trust

Analysis

The Chicago Community Trust is a registered charity in United States, based in Chicago, IL. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in June 1951, 75 years ago. Its declared purposes cover philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending September 2023, The Chicago Community Trust reported income of $1.54bn and spending of $1.61bn, spending 105% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from September 2019 to September 2023, income grew from $564.2m to $1.54bn (+172%), an average of +28% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to September 2021, when income rose by 133%. Over the whole period it spent 80% of the income it received.

Among 19,413 United States charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The Chicago Community Trust sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile, and in the 100th percentile within IL. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc ($1.46bn), Silicon Valley Community Foundation ($1.60bn) and American Endowment Foundation ($1.32bn).

On its Form 990 for the period ending September 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 90% of the total. Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees was $1.5m (0.1% of expenses). Other salaries and wages came to $9.8m. At year end it held assets of $4.53bn against liabilities of $43.2m, net assets of $4.49bn. It reported 153 employees.