Education (B99) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

LADDER UP

EIN: 36-4070692 · CHICAGO, IL 60654-1975 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 58 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 78/100

Reliability (20%) 70/100

Effectiveness (25%) 81/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

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

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Mission Statement

Ladder Up is committed to helping hardworking, low-income families and individuals access the financial resources and tools they need to move up the economic ladder. By linking clients with over 1,000 volunteers, many recruited from the Chicago area’s top companies and universities, Ladder Up empowers families and enriches communities with practical financial solutions. Whether it is helping clients get the tax refunds they deserve, secure the financial aid that makes higher education affordable, or gain the knowledge needed to make sound financial decisions, Ladder Up provides free programs to help families and students achieve financial stability.

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$2.9M

Total Revenue

$2.4M

Total Expenses

$4.5M

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 79.6%

Fundraising Efficiency 95.5%

Operating Reserve 23.05x

Liability-to-Asset 2.6%

Revenue Diversification 91.3%

Executive Compensation $313K

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 11,226 similar organizations (United States, Education, $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	79.6%	84.5%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	11.8%	13.0%	P10P90	Above median
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	8.6%	0.0%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Fundraising efficiency Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income · lower is better	95.5%	64.5%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	23.1 mo	8.6 mo	P10P90	Top quarter
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	2.6%	23.0%	P10P90	Top quarter
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	91.3%	90.7%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-1.3%	7.5%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	-2.2%	11.6%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	17.6%	3.2%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2023	$2.9M	$2.4M	$4.5M	79.6%	18
2022	$2.9M	$2.4M	$3.7M	77.9%	29

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Organization Details

EIN: 36-4070692
State: IL
City: CHICAGO
ZIP: 60654-1975
Classification: B99
Category: Education
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1994
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.
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"Compared with peers" places the charity's key ratios against organizations of the same country, sector and size.

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