Arts, Culture & Humanities (A540) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY

EIN: 36-2167004 · CHICAGO, IL 60614-6038 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 52 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 76/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 73/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

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

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

CHM’s mission—to serve as the primary destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement to connect people to Chicago’s history and each other—is the foundation of the Museum’s programs and events, exhibitions, educational initiatives, publications, and collecting activities that touch the lives of all Chicagoans.

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$15.7M

Total Revenue

$17.0M

Total Expenses

$67.1M

Net Assets

244

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 64.0%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 47.42x

Liability-to-Asset 46.8%

Revenue Diversification 57.9%

Executive Compensation $1.1M

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 656 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $10M–$100M 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	64.0%	79.6%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	30.7%	13.1%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	5.3%	5.9%	P10P90	Above median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	47.4 mo	28.1 mo	P10P90	Above median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	46.8%	13.5%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	57.9%	72.1%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	4.7%	-2.2%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	13.1%	12.7%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-7.8%	0.3%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2023	$15.7M	$17.0M	$67.1M	64.0%	244
2022	$15.0M	$15.0M	$64.9M	61.6%	245
2021	$16.8M	$14.9M	N/A	—	193

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Organization Details

EIN: 36-2167004
State: IL
City: CHICAGO
ZIP: 60614-6038
Classification: A540
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1856
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

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