Arts, Culture & Humanities (A82Z) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

FRIENDS OF THE CHICAGO RIVER

EIN: 36-3559764 · CHICAGO, IL 60601-1781 · United States · FY 2025 Data

4 out of 5 77 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 76/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 94/100

Impact (25%) 80/100

Financial data: FY 2025 · Scored 9/13/2026

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Mission Statement

The mission of Friends of the Chicago River is to protect and restore the Chicago-Calumet River systems for all people, water, and wildlife. Our visionis that the Chicago-Calumet River system is a healthy, biodiverse, climate resilient ecosystem with equitable, open access for all.

Financial Overview — FY 2025

$2.5M

Total Revenue

$2.5M

Total Expenses

N/A

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio N/A

Fundraising Efficiency 24.4%

Operating Reserve N/A

Liability-to-Asset 40.5%

Revenue Diversification N/A

Executive Compensation $247K

Compared with Peers

FY 2025

Compared with 1,930 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2025.

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

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Fundraising efficiency Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income · lower is better	24.4%	302.5%	P10P90	Top quarter
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	40.5%	11.4%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	25.7%	7.9%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	10.9%	5.4%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	1.6%	0.9%	P10P90

Impact

1 program

Outcome / Program	People Served	Cost / Service	# Completed	Duration
Contributions to a healthier Chicago-Calumet River system	47,267	$10.96	—	Per Year

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2025	$2.5M	$2.5M	N/A	—	19
2024	$2.0M	$2.3M	N/A	—	19
2023	$2.2M	$2.2M	$1.9M	84.0%	22
2022	$1.8M	$2.1M	$1.9M	83.5%	17
2021	$1.6M	$1.7M	N/A	—	17

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Organization Details

EIN: 36-3559764
State: IL
City: CHICAGO
ZIP: 60601-1781
Classification: A82Z
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 4★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1979
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

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

A pillar with no data counts as zero. Without impact metrics the score is capped at 59 (three stars): only the charity can supply that data.
The coverage grade (A to D) says how much filing data the score rests on; NONE means there is not enough to rate.
An organization that is not in good standing with its registry (for example a revoked tax exemption) is shown as Not rated.
"Compared with peers" places the charity's key ratios against organizations of the same country, sector and size.

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