Female Strong

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
464996043
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
7732739458
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Women's Service Clubs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$330,099
Expenses
$305,861
Assets
$281,632
Liabilities
$27,125

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • EMILY SMITH (BOARD PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • EMILY SMITH (BOARD PRESIDENT)
  • CARRIE PROVENZALE (EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER)
  • NICHOLAS ECONOMOS (TREASURER)

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

Female strong is a 501c3 non-profit organization and a community of committed individuals that offer hands-on programs, mentorship, and experiences that build confidence in middle and high school girls. We support the inclusion of all girl, trans, gender-fluid and non-binary youth as we help propel them to become future leaders. By empowering young women with the skills they need early in life, we are equipping them to realize their potential, and preempt the inequities that exist for women in the workplace today.

What it reported doing in 2024

Yea! Program - building the skills and confidence for girls to thrive in business and life. This program teaches students how to select, research, vet, develop, and market a business. From idea generation to pitching their businesses for startup investment funds, this course is truly transformative. Female strong camp offers local chicago girls ages 8 to 12 a transformative day of career exploration and confidence building. During camp, students take part in activities focused on self discovery, curiosity, and courage while participating in hands on activities, lively group discussions, and conversations with our guest speakers. Business blast provides graduates of the yea! Program looking to take their business to the next level with mentorship and guidance in a small group setting alongside other yea! Founders. Graduates of the yea! Program are invited to become student ambassadors, where they not only get to talk about their experience with female strong, but also make connections and create opportunities for both themselves and their business.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 71% 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

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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 63%; rating input score 63
  • Program expense ratio: 68%; rating input score 68
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.02 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 30; 30th 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: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 7.3%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.92; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.4% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 12.2% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 43% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 63% of revenue deployed · 68% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $208K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 21 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 30/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 26/100.