Charities United States Education Literacy Chicago
Literacy Chicago logo

Literacy Chicago

To help empower individuals to achieve greater self-sufficiency through language and literacy instruction

Education Chicago, IL EIN 362663174 · IRS Sign up to see website
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86
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
86/100 · methodology

About Literacy Chicago

COMPASSION DRIVES EVERY ACTION Together for Change Chicago’s Oldest Literacy Organization Nearly 1 in 4 Chicago adults struggle with basic reading, writing, or English skills. We’re changing that! EMPOWERING LIVES, BUILDING FUTURES OUR IMPACT Empowering Adult Chicagoans through Education & Work Skills Since 1968 Literacy Chicago’s mission is to support and empower adult learners to […]

Founded
Headquarters
Chicago, IL
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
B92
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
small

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2024

Mission

To help empower individuals to achieve greater self-sufficiency through language and literacy instruction

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
📚 Education · NTEE B92
Cause tags

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar education in United States
Program spending This charity: 0%
Peer average: 95%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 12.07%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 86
Peer average: 93

Red flags

· 1 item
High Executive Pay
Top executive compensation is 15.3% of total expenses ($108,317 of $705,684).

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Literacy Chicago is a registered education nonprofit based in Chicago, IL, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1992 and has been operating for 34 years. Its EIN is 362663174. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100 (Strong transparency), indicating well-documented governance, financials, and contact details. The organization reports $897K in annual revenue. 29 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.

Literacy Chicago has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100. 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 86 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for education charities in United States is 93/100.

Literacy Chicago is located in Chicago, IL, United States. The organization was established in 1992 and has been active for 34 years.

Based on official tax filings, Literacy Chicago has $897K in annual revenue. Its revenue is below the peer average of $7M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Literacy Chicago is classified as a Education organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a small organization. It has $897K in annual revenue. The organization has 29 disclosed officers and directors.

GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for Literacy Chicago. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.

Literacy Chicago has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100 (Strong transparency), which suggests it is a well-documented organization. It is regulated by the IRS. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research purposes and does not endorse any organization. Always do your own due diligence.

COMPASSION DRIVES EVERY ACTION Together for Change Chicago’s Oldest Literacy Organization Nearly 1 in 4 Chicago adults struggle with basic reading, writing, or English skills. We’re changing that! EMPOWERING LIVES, BUILDING FUTURES OUR IMPACT Empowering Adult Chicagoans through Education & Work Skills Since 1968 Literacy Chicago’s mission is to support and empower adult learners to […] Literacy Chicago is classified as a education organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1992.

Among education charities registered in United States: Literacy Chicago's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100 is in line with the peer average of 93/100. Its annual revenue of $897K is below the peer average of $7M.

Yes, donations to Literacy Chicago are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Literacy Chicago is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 362663174, 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.

Verified against 4 official sources, last refreshed .

Annual revenue
$100K-$1M
0% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2025) why this matters
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Filing history

4 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2025, FY2024, FY2022, FY2021.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Leadership

MA
Marilyn Peterson
President

Officers & trustees (9)

Source: Public filings

BI
Bill F••••••
Secretary
BR
Bridget R•••
Director
DA
David A••••••••
Director
DE
Deborah G•••
Director
DI
Diane F••••••••••••
Treasurer
MA
Marilyn P•••••••
President
RI
Richard D••••••••
Executive. Director
SH
Shirley E••••••••••••
Director
ST
Steven G••••••••
Vice-Pres
Full names, contact details & compensation

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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

Form filed
$0.9M revenue
FY2025
IRS_990
Form filed
$0.6M revenue
FY2024
IRS_990
Form filed
$0.5M revenue
FY2022
IRS_990
Form filed
$0.4M revenue
FY2021
IRS_990

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Peer charities

Other education in United States, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Literacy Chicago This page 86 $897,204 -
Engaging Opportunities Foundation 93 $154,246 92%
Bluebonnet Home Scholars Collaborative 93 $496,564 97%
New England Preparatory School Athletic Council 93 $797,579 96%
Insight Colearning Center 93 $599,391 95%
Vphs Baseball Boosters 93 $154,642 97%
Fieldguides Incorporated 93 $435,724 89%
Coal Pit Ministry Inc 93 $208,306 91%
Dream Out Loud Center Inc 93 $218,479 100%

Sources and verification

Refreshed

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 29 disclosed in the public registry.
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
May 27, 2026
Profile completeness
90%

What we don't know

Honest gaps - our score reflects transparency, not impact

Programs & projects
No named programs listed by the charity
Operating reach
Countries where programs run not specified

Methodology

GiveRadar combines public registry filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and news archives into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Quick facts about Literacy Chicago

What is Literacy Chicago?
Literacy Chicago is a education publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Chicago, United States. COMPASSION DRIVES EVERY ACTION Together for Change Chicago’s Oldest Literacy Organization Nearly 1 in 4 Chicago adults struggle with basic reading, writing, or English skills. We’re changing that! EMPOWERING LIVES, BUILDING FUTURES OUR IMPACT Empowering Adult Chicagoans through Education & Work Skills Since 1968 Literacy Chicago’s mission is to support and empower adult learners to […]
When was Literacy Chicago founded?
Literacy Chicago was founded in 1992.
Who leads Literacy Chicago?
Marilyn Peterson serves as President.
Where is Literacy Chicago located?
Headquartered in Chicago, United States.
What is Literacy Chicago's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $100K-$1M. 0% of expenses go to program services.
Is Literacy Chicago trustworthy?
Literacy Chicago has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86 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 Literacy Chicago's registration number?
IRS EIN: 362663174.
What is Literacy Chicago's website?
http://www.literacychicago.org