America SCORES Chicago

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
364386992
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3126660496
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,152,996
Expenses
$1,208,856
Assets
$228,850
Liabilities
$258,194

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Kimberly Townsend (Frmr Exec Dir): $82,581 total reported compensation
  • Jessica Mater (Managing Dir.): $57,756 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To empower students in urban communities using soccer, writing, creative expression and service-learning while inspiring the youth to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged students, and become agents of change in their communities.

What it reported doing in 2024

1) K - 2: Junior SCORES - The Junior SCORES program is designed to meet the physical and academic development needs of poet-athletes grades K - 2. Junior SCORES takes place twice a week from January to March; each program day has a writing practice and a soccer practice.2) 3 - 5: Core Programs - The Core Program is designed to meet the physical, social, and academic development needs of elementary poet-athletes grades 3-5. Core Programming takes place five days a week. There are two days of writing practice, two days of soccer practice, and one Friday Game Day per week during the season.3) 6 - 8: Middle Programs - The Middle School Program is designed to meet the physical, social, and academic development needs of poet-athletes grades 6 -8. Middle Programming takes place three days a week. There is one day of writing practice, one day of soccer practice, and one Friday Game Day per week during the season.4) Passport to High School Success - The Passport to High School Success program gives students a framework to explore their talents, interests, and the careers which intersect the two; helps them understand the educational options and expectations those aspirations entail; and provides the tools and support to start squarely on the path to achieving those goals.5) Summer Camps - The summer camp program is open to both poet-athletes and thosejoining from partnering school sites. The Organization offers summer camp for grades K through 8. This programs goal is to keep youth active even when main programming at school sites ends for the season. Summer camp combines a low camper to coach ratio and inter-grade and grade specific activities to create an environment of enriching social and sport engagement.6) Program Events - Comprises of various events including a poetry slam, jamboree and fall frenzy, all of which further the mission of the Organization.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 64% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 18
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.8%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 70.4%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: -4.8%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.19; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.13; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.6%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.8% of revenue deployed · 70.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $851K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $83K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 32/100.