Chicago Bird Alliance
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 237245647
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2018–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2017
- Location
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Phone
- 7735396793
- Rating
- 70
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Natural Resources Conservation and Protection
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $233,698
- Expenses
- $200,513
- Assets
- $921,359
- Liabilities
- $2,967
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
14 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JUDY POLLOCK (PRESIDENT)
- SUNSHINE SOLEDA DE VRIES (PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- ALAN ANDERSON (DIRECTOR)
- ROBERTA ASHER (DIRECTOR)
- LAURA JEAN BAILEY (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
Chicago bird alliance connects people with birds and nature through educational programming, field trips, advocacy, stewardship and research.
What it reported doing in 2024
Chicago bid alliance supports an expanding slate of educational programs, conservation and birdwalks that includes many parts of the region and diverse demographic groups. Programs targeting people with disabilities and people interested in local bird conservation have been added to our already large slate. A few of our key accomplishments include the following: hired an education intern stationed at montrose beach to educate beach goers about piping plovers and other shorebirds whose habitat needs monitoring and protection; supported new birders and birding groups by giving away spotting scopes and binoculars through the bird gear exchange program; organized the urban birding festival, which engaged over 400 participants in bird outings, presentations, and social gatherings; organized the chicago bird photography contest that celebrated birds in chicago with a photo exhibition; recruited volunteer bird monitors to save nesting grassland birds at techny basin conservation area in glenview, il; and led a task force to address the use of rodenticide in the city and research solutions to make urban environments safer for birds. Our ongoing programs include the environmental awards dinner, the Washington park hummingbird garden and the river park habitat restoration.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- 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.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 41
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 68
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 47.8%; rating input score 48
- Program expense ratio: 39.3%; rating input score 39
- Fundraising efficiency: $3 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
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: 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 14.2%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.6; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 21.3% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 47.8% of revenue deployed · 39.3% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $79K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
- Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 48/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 39/100.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 13/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.