Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Analysis

Chicago Council on Global Affairs is a registered charity in United States, based in Chicago, IL. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in July 1938, 88 years ago. Its declared purposes cover international, foreign affairs and national security, which this site groups under overseas aid and international. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (gross receipts test) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, Chicago Council on Global Affairs reported income of $10.8m and spending of $16.7m, spending 155% of what it took in. Across the 6 years on record, from June 2019 to December 2023, income fell from $24.0m to $10.8m (-55%), an average of -15% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2019, when income dropped by 48%. Over the whole period it spent 103% of the income it received.

Among 10,317 United States charities whose main cause is overseas aid and international and that reported income, Chicago Council on Global Affairs sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 95th percentile, and in the 95th percentile within IL. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Alliance for Global Justice ($10.7m), Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Inc ($10.8m) and Natural Resource Governance Institute ($10.7m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 64% and program service revenue 5.2% of the total. Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees was $2.3m (14% of expenses). Other salaries and wages came to $4.6m. At year end it held assets of $30.1m against liabilities of $7.4m, net assets of $22.7m. It reported 87 employees.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.