Chicago Advertising Federation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
360899605
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Park Ridge, IL, USA
Phone
8476477500
Rating confidence
Limited

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$422,326
Expenses
$471,927
Assets
$428,578
Liabilities
$184,400

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

Leadership & pay

28 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARK ROWLAND (PRESIDENT)
  • KRISTIAN MAY STEWART (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • VERONICA APPLETON (PRESIDENT ELECT)
  • LORI CLAPS (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • RICHARD ROCHE (DIRECTOR)
  • KERRY MYSLIWIEC (TREASURER)
  • DAN BONERT (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

Same as mission statement on 990 page 1, part 1, line 1 and continuing on schedule o

What it reported doing in 2024

Caf holds several events throughout the year to create growth opportunities for businesses and individuals involved in the chicago advertising community. These events include: career day, which is a one day event for college and university students, counselors, and professors to attend and learn about the world of advertising. The day includes several keynote speakers, panel discussion sessions and a networking lunch. Silver medal awards, which is an annual event that honors a distinguished member of the chicago advertising community for his/her contributions and accomplishments to the advertising field. Advertising woman of the year (awoy) -- each year a distinguished female in the chicago advertising community is selected by a vote of the board of directors, after consideration of nominees, as the advertising woman of the year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

- The available evidence is not sufficient to produce an overall rating for this filing. This is not a warning sign.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: NotEnoughData
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: Limited
  • Program expense ratio: Limited
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.7%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.91; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.43; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 13.6% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.8% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Governance: 28 of 28 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 28 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $279K reported
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 1 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 12/100.