Arts, Culture & Humanities (A6E0) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC INC

EIN: 36-2373635 · CHICAGO, IL 60625-2103 · United States · FY 2024 Data

3 out of 5 56 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 76/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 88/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2024 · Scored 9/13/2026

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Mission Statement

The Old Town School of Folk Music teaches and celebrates music and cultural expressions rooted in the traditions of diverse American and global communities.

Financial Overview — FY 2024

$14.0M

Total Revenue

$15.0M

Total Expenses

$24.2M

Net Assets

391

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 75.5%

Fundraising Efficiency 1378.0%

Operating Reserve 19.27x

Liability-to-Asset 9.4%

Revenue Diversification 67.9%

Executive Compensation $710K

Compared with Peers

FY 2024

Compared with 433 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $10M–$100M in expenses), FY 2024.

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	75.5%	79.7%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	17.5%	13.2%	P10P90	Below median
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	7.1%	5.9%	P10P90	Below median
Fundraising efficiency Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income · lower is better	1378.0%	812.3%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	19.3 mo	29.3 mo	P10P90	Below median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	9.4%	12.3%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	67.9%	67.9%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-0.4%	7.9%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	7.2%	7.2%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-7.7%	2.0%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2024	$14.0M	$15.0M	$24.2M	75.5%	391
2023	$14.0M	$14.0M	$24.8M	77.1%	371
2022	$14.4M	$12.1M	$24.5M	76.1%	355
2021	$13.6M	$10.3M	N/A	—	344

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Organization Details

EIN: 36-2373635
State: IL
City: CHICAGO
ZIP: 60625-2103
Classification: A6E0
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year
Foundation Code: 11
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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