Lighthouse Foundation of Chicagoland

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
863730708
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2021
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
7737170661
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,598,779
Expenses
$1,155,415
Assets
$862,487
Liabilities
$82,696

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • JAMIE FRAZIER (Executive Dir.): $118,594 total reported compensation
  • ALLEN WOMBLE (Director): $102,800 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Lighthouse Foundation is a black, LGBTQ+-led, multiracial social justice organization that advances justice for black LGBTQ+ people through empowerment, education, and entertainment.

What it reported doing in 2024

Lighthouse foundation of chicagoland (lf) is a black lgbtq+-led multiracial social justice organization that advances justice for black lgbtq+ people across chicagoland through empowerment, education, and entertainment.in 2024, we engaged 1,987 people through 36 community events as part of the following programs: the black queer equity index (bqei) is a black lgbtq+ community led participatory action research project to address health inequities through improving nonprofit workplaces.life groups are peer-to-peer groups that met regularly to foster community for two marginalized sub communities (20-30 year olds and 50+).our coalition of accomplices for racial equity (care) is made up of 16 churches and community organizations. Care helped to organize a fundraiser, brunch, and revival to mobilize accomplices in support of the bqei. Self-care recharge: where we facilitated for bipoc lgbtq+ chicagoans having the opportunity to access culturally-responsive renewal services with black lgbtq+ vendors. We decided to spread black queer pride (bqp) over several events the year as celebration of black lgbtq+ culture and a way to pay gig workers who were hard hit by the covid-19 pandemic. This included our skate party. Our black queer caucus met monthly to plan events. From lgbtq family play date, to bi/pan social and accessible sex for all bodies, these events fostered empowerment, spiritual wholeness, and community as a determinant of health.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 78% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 90% 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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 60
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 52.2%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 72.2%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $16.73 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.9%; rating input score 99; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Limited
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 27.7%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.75; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.2%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 38.7% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 57.3% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 77.2% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 52.2% of revenue deployed · 72.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 6 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $834K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $119K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 4 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 16/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.