Environment (C30) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

CUB CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCHFUND

EIN: 20-4904719 · CHICAGO, IL 60606-3223 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 47 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 64/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 68/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2023 · Scored 9/13/2026

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Mission Statement

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is Illinois' leading nonprofit utility watchdog. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, it has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping block rate hikes, secure refunds and fight for clean, low-cost energy. For more information, call CUB's Consumer Hotline, 1-800-669-5556, or visit its website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$1.7M

Total Revenue

$2.5M

Total Expenses

$393K

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 90.4%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 1.91x

Liability-to-Asset 21.8%

Revenue Diversification 99.2%

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 1,816 similar organizations (United States, Environment, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2023.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	90.4%	81.5%	P10P90	Top quarter
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	9.6%	12.4%	P10P90	Above median
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	0.0%	3.9%	P10P90	Top quarter
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	1.9 mo	14.4 mo	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	21.8%	8.2%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	99.2%	91.5%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-43.9%	12.3%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	-10.1%	16.1%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-43.2%	4.9%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %
2023	$1.7M	$2.5M	$393K	90.4%
2022	$3.1M	$2.7M	$1.1M	88.4%
2021	$2.2M	$2.7M	N/A	—

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Organization Details

EIN: 20-4904719
State: IL
City: CHICAGO
ZIP: 60606-3223
Classification: C30
Category: Environment
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1984
Foundation Code: 15
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

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