Center for Conflict Resolution

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
362997680
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3129226464
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Dispute Resolution, Mediation Services

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,432,058
Expenses
$2,568,761
Assets
$2,134,390
Liabilities
$1,447,958

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

Leadership & pay

24 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KENNETH GUNN (PRESIDENT)
  • JENNIFER DRESSLER (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ELIZABETH HERMANN SMITH (PRESIDENT ELECT)
  • CASSANDRA LIVELY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • WHITNEY TRUMBLE (DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • CASSANDRA LIVELY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $134,529 total reported compensation
  • WHITNEY TRUMBLE (DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $132,178 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of the organization (ccr) shall be to work with individuals, communities, courts, and other institutions to manage and resolve conflict.

What it reported doing in 2024

Ccr provides free mediation services in over 2,400 cases for issues of community concern, helping over 15,000 people annually. Mediation services are provided in the following areas: landlord/tenant, neighborhood, public health, housing, foreclosure, consumer, juvenile and adult misdemeanor and discrimination. Ccr mediates cases on zoom and in other locations throughout cook county every week. Ccr responds to over 2,700 telephone inquiries per year to assist people in conflict.the early resolution program, funded by the chicago bar foundation, helps address eviction and consumer debt issues in the wake of covid-19. Since its inception in 2020/2021, erp has served more than 50,000 individuals through its case management and mediation services.ccr also focused resources on stalking no contact cases with the domestic violence division of the circuit court of cook county. Ccr has partnered with communities in schools to provide conflict resolution workshops to students in chicago public schools.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 77% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 95.8%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 90.7%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $35.1 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.6%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.83; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.68; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.4%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 95.8% of revenue deployed · 90.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 22 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $2.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $135K · 24 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 14/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.