Experimental Station
The mission of the experimental station is to build independent cultural infrastructure on the south side of chicago. We do this by fostering a dynamic ecology of innovative …
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Strengthening Chicago’s South Side by expanding food access, empowering youth through bike education, supporting artists, and developing a resilient, equitable statewide food system.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
The mission of the experimental station is to build independent cultural infrastructure on the south side of chicago. We do this by fostering a dynamic ecology of innovative educational and cultural programs, small business enterprises and community initiatives. Since 2006, we have both built our own programming to address a variety of identified local needs and have fostered, hosted, and sponsored numerous other initiatives.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar community development in United StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, Experimental Station has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.
- It is one of the better-documented community development charities in the United States GiveRadar currently tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
- It has more complete contact information than nearly all similar organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
- It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all similar organizations, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyExperimental Station is a registered community development nonprofit based in Chicago, IL, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2002 and has been operating for 24 years. Its EIN is 320017985. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 80/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $3M in annual revenue. 43 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Experimental Station's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 320017985. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
Experimental Station has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 80 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 83% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for community development charities in United States is 90/100.
Experimental Station is located in Chicago, IL, United States. The organization was established in 2002 and has been active for 24 years.
Based on official tax filings, Experimental Station has $3M in annual revenue. It allocates 83% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 87% for community development charities in United States. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Experimental Station is classified as a Community Development organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a medium organization. It has $3M in annual revenue. The organization has 43 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for Experimental Station. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.
According to GiveRadar's records, Experimental Station holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 83% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 87%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
Strengthening Chicago’s South Side by expanding food access, empowering youth through bike education, supporting artists, and developing a resilient, equitable statewide food system. Experimental Station is classified as a community development organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2002.
Among community development charities registered in United States: It allocates 83% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 87%. Its annual revenue of $3M is comparable to the peer average of $3M.
Yes, donations to Experimental Station are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Experimental Station is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 320017985, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Filing history
5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
EXPERIMENTAL STATION is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2024 filing
Officers & trustees (12)
Source: Public filings
12 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Financial filings
- IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 43 disclosed in the public registry.
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2024 on record
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Named leadership · 43 officers on file
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Executive pay · Disclosed
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 2002
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about Experimental Station
- What is Experimental Station?
- Experimental Station is a community development publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Chicago, United States. Strengthening Chicago’s South Side by expanding food access, empowering youth through bike education, supporting artists, and developing a resilient, equitable statewide food system.
- When was Experimental Station founded?
- Experimental Station was founded in 2002.
- Who leads Experimental Station?
- Connie Spreen serves as President.
- Where is Experimental Station located?
- Headquartered in Chicago, IL, United States.
- What is Experimental Station's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $1M-$10M. 83% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Experimental Station trustworthy?
- Experimental Station has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Experimental Station's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 320017985.
- What is Experimental Station's website?
- http://www.experimentalstation.org