After School Matters

What it reported doing in 2024

This year, after school matters ran 1,645 high-quality programs that provided 24,000+ opportunities to 17,000+ teens across the city of chicago. These paid afterschool and summer opportunities provided chicago high school teens with a space to explore their passions and develop their talents in the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and stem. Through project-based programs led by industry experts, teens gained independence and essential life skills for work, college, and beyond. Programs take place during the critical hours after school and during the summer months when teens are otherwise most vulnerable. More than 96% of our teens identify as a person of color, and nearly three in four live in a high-poverty community. 92% of teens reported participating in asm made them more hopeful about their future. 97% of asm graduating seniors reported having plans for after graduation with 87% planning to attend college or a trade/vocational program. After school matters has become a vital part of chicago through our tens of thousands of impactful program opportunities at sites throughout the city including at chicago public schools, chicago park district and chicago public library locations, community-based organizations across chicago, and at our three asm facilities - the michael and karyn lutz family center for after school matters in belmont cragin, after school matters at gately park in roseland/pullman, and gallery 37 center for the arts in downtown chicago. We are also building an asm facility in the cabrini neighborhood - after school matters at orleans. We continue to realize our vision of providing teens with opportunities to discover their potential and find their future.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 70%; rating input score 70
• Program expense ratio: 82.3%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $21.96 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 96.2%; rating input score 96; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 15.5%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.9; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.6%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings