Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
363783551
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3123327360
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public, Societal Benefit

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$56,337,333
Expenses
$54,051,049
Assets
$28,775,330
Liabilities
$20,476,687

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DULCE ORTIZ (PRESIDENT)
  • ELIZABETH CERVANTES (VICE PRESIDENT & TREASURER)
  • LAWRENCE BENITO (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • LAWRENCE BENITO (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $230,014 total reported compensation
  • BREANDAN MAGEE (SR. DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS): $202,460 total reported compensation
  • SANDRA HOYT (SR. DIRECTOR OF FINANCE): $201,880 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

ICIRR builds power to win policies that ensure a more equitable society rooted in dignity and respect for all. Created the New Americans Democracy Project (2004), which has registered over 250,000 new immigrant voters and engaged thousands of community volunteers in our democratic process. Successfully fought the opening of seven for-profit immigration prisons in Illinois and Indiana. Led efforts to create the Cook County Direct Access Program, which has expanded healthcare services to over 25,000 individuals since March of 2017 alone. Created the Immigrant Family Resource Project (1999), which connected more than 500,000 individuals and families to safety net services. Successfully fought the opening of...

What it reported doing in 2024

New americans initative program-nai fiscal year 2025 marked the 20th year of the new americans initiative (nai), a statewide partnership committed to advancing immigrant and refugee integration in Illinois. As part of the nai program, the 51 funded community organizations collectively reached 39,928 unduplicated individuals, providing services in more than 50 languages. In fy25, partners assisted 6,195 individuals with citizenship applications, helping thousands take concrete steps toward stability, opportunity, and full participation in civic life. During this fiscalyear, partners assisted clients with 3,395 daca renewal applications, enabling recipients to maintain work authorization and protections from deportation. In fy25, icirr partners conducted outreach to 21,545 nai-eligible participants in the state of Illinois. 52% of those contacted participated in education and/or application processing activities and application processing partners supported 10,291 individuals through the new americans initiative (nai), facilitating critical immigration-related services.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 89% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 70% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93.7%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 97.7%; rating input score 98
  • Fundraising efficiency: $120.31 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 50th 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: 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: 4.1%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.53; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.71; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.4%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 23.8% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.4% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.5% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 3 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 93.7% of revenue deployed · 97.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $52.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $230K · 16 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 91 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 84 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 — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 20/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 52/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.