The City Club Forum Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

A growing national divide is reflected in the fractures we see in communities throughout northeast Ohio. When it comes to education, the barriers that divide our community are particularly destructive. The city club aims to bridge this divide through four distinct programs that serves students and the educational community: city club youth forums, student participation, the free speech essay contest, and the annual high school debate championship. Since its inception in 1997, more than 14,000 students have attended city club youth forums. Students take charge of everything in the forum, from topic selection to panel moderation and delivering introductions. These forums are executed by a (continued on schedule o) planning council of high school students who come from area high schools (both public and private) to meet monthly to select topics and invite the speakers for as many as five forums each year. Youth forums provide a unique opportunity for participants to develop effective communication skills by holding group discussions on current events and public affairs at forums, develop analytical thinking abilities by debating the topic and points of view reflected by the forum speaker, and encouraging positive community involvement by providing a direct experience with engaged dialogue-the very fiber of american democracy.every year the hope and stanley adelstein free speech essay contest challenges high school students to examine the role of free speech in the 21st century. This essay contest was established with a generous gift from the adelsteins to honor their deep commitment to the city club of cleveland. Northeast Ohio high school students are eligible to compete and city club members and community partners serve as guest judges scoring the essays on their clarity, content, originality, and significance. Winning essays are posted on the city club website and the top winners are invited to read their essays at the city club. Winners receive a total over more than $4,000 in prizes, including $1,000 to the top winning essay.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 14.3%; rating input score 14
• Program expense ratio: 49.9%; rating input score 50
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • 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; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 40%; rating input score 40; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • 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: 71.3%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 22.28; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.4%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 10.5% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 18.3% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 15.1% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings