The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
853906899
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3123836681
Rating
61
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$19,646,175
Expenses
$2,882,933
Assets
$28,664,750
Liabilities
$2,364,753

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ELIZABETH THOMPSON (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TIFFANY THOMPSON (CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER): $220,107 total reported compensation
  • JENNIFER WANDER (CFO): $219,059 total reported compensation
  • LINDSAY BOOKER (CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER): $188,115 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 cafe group remains steadfast in its mission to transform philanthropy and advance educational equity through love-centered, systemic change. Through signature initiatives like the 1954 project and the lead internship program, we cultivate transformative leaders, unlock new resources for community-driven solutions, and champion equity-centered practices that create lasting impact.

What it reported doing in 2024

Through catalytic funding, deep leadership development, and cross-sector connection, we support people and organizations transforming education and philanthropy from the inside out.the 1954 project - we provide catalytic capital and deep support to leaders reimagining education, from classrooms to communities. The 1954 project shifts who gets funded and how.lead internship program - through lead, we connect college students with paid internships and a dynamic summer curriculum, offering transformative experiences in philanthropy and social impact.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 94% 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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 30
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 8.9%; rating input score 9
  • Program expense ratio: 50.4%; rating input score 50
  • Fundraising efficiency: $51.59 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th 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: NotApplicable
    • 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: 85.3%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.94; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26.2%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -55.7% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 67.1% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 50.9% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 8.9% of revenue deployed · 50.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $220K · 10 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $104K reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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 9/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 50/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.