Chicago Commons

What it reported doing in 2024

Early Childhood Development: Chicago Commons has four directly operated early education centers and partners with six external agencies to offer developmentally appropriate learning opportunities, high quality child care, and family centered supports to more than 1,700 children in 18 of Chicago's most disadvantaged communities. Chicago Commons was one of the first preschools in the U.S. to use the Reggio Emilia approach in educating young children and has garnered regional and national recognition for our approach, results, and adaptations of the method. The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy that views the early years as the most critical time of an individual's development. The program is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery, in a supportive and enriching space, guided by children's interests. Chicago Commons tailors the Reggio Emilia approach to promote development for all children including those with comprehensive care needs. In our use of the approach, we foster children's natural curiosity, self-confidence, and problem-solving skills to support a love for learning, leading to academic achievement in kindergarten and beyond. Our year-round early education centers provide quality Early Head Start, Head Start, Preschool For All, Prevention Initiative, and child care services for children from birth to 5 years. We also offer school age services for children 5-12 years of age.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 90.5%; rating input score 91
• Program expense ratio: 89.4%; rating input score 89
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.57 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • 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: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -1.3%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.42; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.5%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings