Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 363874655
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Phone
- 3122141200
- Rating
- 76
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Cancer Research
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,484,979
- Expenses
- $1,512,406
- Assets
- $2,378,698
- Liabilities
- $244,951
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
23 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- KATHLEEN CASEY (PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER)
- KATE TILLOTSON (CEO)
- COURTNEY KRUPA (VICE PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- KATHLEEN CASEY (PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER): $147,500 total reported compensation
- KATE TILLOTSON (CEO): $140,000 total reported compensation
- Michelle Hanfling (VP of Programs & Operations): $100,000 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Our mission is to eliminate pediatric cancer while providing hope and support to those who are touched by it. Our vision is a world without pediatric cancer.Forty-three children are diagnosed with cancer daily, and pediatric cancer remains the leading cause of death from disease among children. Even so, less than 4% of the total federal funding spent on cancer research is directed toward the treatment of children. These statistics are staggering. At Bear Necessities, we are dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer research to ultimately discover a cure, while continuing to help patients and their families today, bringing hope and joy to those in need. We couldn't continue this critical work without the unwavering support of our donors. Thank you for all you do.
What it reported doing in 2024
Bear Hugs: Bear Hugs are customized experiences or gifts to brighten the life of a child living with cancer. Bear Hugs are special moments in families' lives that offer a respite from the stressful and often frightening experiences that occur throughout a pediatric cancer journey. To make each Bear Hug special, we partner closely with families to design a Bear Hug that meets their unique needs and interests. In addition to bringing children joy, Bear Hugs often encourage play and physical activity, which can improve health outcomes according to many studies.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 67
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 96
- Sustainability: 37
- Growth: 0
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 73.9%; rating input score 74
- Program expense ratio: 71.5%; rating input score 71
- Fundraising efficiency: $5.12 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th 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: -1.8%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.57; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 32.2%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -4% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -1.7% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 73.9% of revenue deployed · 71.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 17 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.1M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $148K · 23 people listed
- Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
- Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
- 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.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 18/100.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 30/100.
- High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 57/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 42/100.