Easter Seals Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
362171729
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3127266200
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$47,513,200
Expenses
$47,701,528
Assets
$43,851,300
Liabilities
$10,384,100

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

32 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KENDRA DAVENPORT (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • KENDRA DAVENPORT (PRESIDENT & CEO): $559,769 total reported compensation
  • GLENDA OAKLEY (CFO & HUMAN RESOURCES): $266,234 total reported compensation
  • THEODORE THOMPSON (SVP, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS): $265,343 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Easterseals empowers people so they can thrive. We make a lasting difference in the lives of 1.5 million people each year by providing essential services to children and adults with disabilities, older adults, veterans, and their families. Our national network of affiliates is trusted to provide programs customized to meet the needs of each community we serve from coast to coast - trust earned for more than 100 years. We address the evolving needs of more than one in four americans with disabilities through public education, policy and advocacy. That's our impact in thousands of communities across america. To learn more, visit easterseals.com or follow our socials.

What it reported doing in 2025

Program development: funding, leadership, and assistance to provide services for children and adults with autism and other disabilities. Primary services are medical rehabilitation, job training and employment, inclusive childcare, adult day services, and camping and recreation. Building from easterseals' expertise, easterseals is focusing on three service areas of critical importance: early intervention, workforce development and adult services. (see schedule o for additional program information)

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 51% for direct work, and 49% for grants.
  • 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: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.4%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 68.7%; rating input score 69
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.11 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.6%; rating input score 100; 45th 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; 64th 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: -0.4%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.92; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.24; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.4%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.7% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.7% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.2% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.4% of revenue deployed · 68.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $32.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $560K · 32 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $12.3M reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 41 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 66 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 54 filed related-organization links
  • 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 10/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 27/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.