Greater Fort Wayne Metro Chamber Alliance Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
350315995
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Fort Wayne, IN, USA
Phone
2604206945
Rating
49
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,709,383
Expenses
$3,648,631
Assets
$3,347,653
Liabilities
$1,697,113

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

Leadership & pay

61 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN URBAHNS (CEO & PRESID)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOHN URBAHNS (CEO & PRESID): $344,438 total reported compensation
  • BRENDA GERBER VINCENT (CHEIF IMPACT): $210,564 total reported compensation
  • SUSAN WESNER (CFO): $202,938 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Greater fort wayne (gfw) inc. Is the chamber of commerce and economic development organization for fort wayne & allen county, Indiana. At gfw inc., we focus on supporting local business, attracting new business, and improving our community's quality of place to grow jobs, wages, and the economy. We are building a nationally recognized economy.

What it reported doing in 2025

For its member/investor businesses and individuals, gfw inc. Provides networking, educational, and promotional opportunities through a variety of events and programs. At the end of 2025, gfw inc. Had 1400 members/investors. Gfw inc.'s signature programs include leadership fort wayne, onboard fort wayne, madebyme, women's network, and inter-city visits. Gfw inc. Advocates for business at all levels of government on behalf of its members/investors. Gfw inc. Also provides professional services to the fort wayne -allen county airport authority in implementing the economic development plan for smith field airport and the fort wayne international airport. Fort wayne-allen county is a community on the rise. Our economic development team assists with businesses that are expanding and/or locating in our area. Results for 2025 include: 17 projects, 550+ new jobs, 44 million in new annual payroll, and 120.3 billion in private investment. We are building a nationally recognized economy, thanks to our business-friendly environment, collaborative leadership, and undeniable momentum.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 88% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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

MIXED - 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: 0
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 99
  • Sustainability: 27
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Program expense ratio: 0%; rating input score 0
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 98.2%; rating input score 98; 27th 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: 1.6%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.92; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.51; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 28.6%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.3% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 0% of revenue deployed · 0% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 55 of 56 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment
  • Leadership: top reported pay $344K · 61 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 14 of 15 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Functional expense sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 16/100.