Nonprofit · EIN 51-0248353
HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO
Also known as OF ILLINOIS INC
Tax-exempt · WILMETTE, IL 60091
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | 990 | $4,033,798 | $2,725,982 | $1,307,816 | $13,013,709 | $161,669 | $12,852,040 |
| June 30, 2024 | 990 | $4,923,491 | $2,437,819 | $2,485,672 | $11,307,721 | $179,611 | $11,128,110 |
| June 30, 2023 | 990 | $2,210,344 | $2,294,473 | -$84,129 | $8,535,633 | $163,411 | $8,372,222 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $3,287,800
- Program service revenue
- $324,955
- Investment income
- $321,887
- Other revenue
- $99,156
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $154,981
- Other salaries and wages
- $916,536
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $1,311,845
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Accounting fees
- $31,000
- Occupancy
- $220,094
- Travel
- $32,665
- Depreciation
- $139,500
- Program services (functional)
- $1,968,643
- Management and general (functional)
- $193,766
- Fundraising (functional)
- $563,573
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $11,307,721
- Total assets, end of year
- $13,013,709
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $161,669
- Net assets, end of year
- $12,852,040
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $3,471,366
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $8,832,653
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $4,019,387
- Gross receipts
- $4,033,798
- Employees
- 26
- Volunteers
- 72
- Year formed
- 1977
- State of legal domicile
- MO
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Croteau | Executive Director Trustee or director | 40 | $152,848 |
| Michael Leahy | Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Jamie Baisley | Executive Committee Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Mike Halkitis | Executive Committee Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| John Lafferty | Executive Committee Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Amy Ward | Executive Committee Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Jim Bertler | Treasurer and Finance Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Daniel Baker | Executive Committee Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Christine Hjorth | Events Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Jeff Lundal | Executive Committee Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| John Zumski | Secretary and Service Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| David Gibson | Nominations Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Michael Kailus | Housing Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Christopher Tarzon | Executive Committee Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| David Blocker | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
22 more people on this return
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucien Cater | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Chris Crawshaw | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Donald Doan | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Mary Beth Fahrney | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Rochelle Foster | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Kathleen Gallagher | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Krista Gallagher | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| John Hughes | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Martha Idler | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Peter Lee | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Kelly Lomas | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Robert Martin | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Thomas McBreen | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Corinne McClintic | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Cyrus Oelerich | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Christopher Penna | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Timothy Reynolds | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| George Sargent | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Andrew Shackelford | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Matt Singh | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Jamar Slade | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Rudolph Trebels | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2024: 34 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Croteau | Executive Director Trustee or director | 40 | $149,875 |
| Jeff Lundal | Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Dave Bryla | Vice Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Christopher Crawshaw | Secretary Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Jamie Baisley | Board Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Daniel Baker | Board Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| David Gibson | Nominations Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Mike Halkitis | Board Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Christine Hjorth | Events Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Michael Kailus | Housing Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| John Lafferty | Board Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Connor McCarthy | Development Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Michael McCarthy | Service Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Christopher Tarzon | Board Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Amy Ward | Board Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Lucien Carter | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Corinne McClintic | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Elizabeth Schuster | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Donald Doan | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| John Hughes | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Martha Idler | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Michael Leahy | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Peter Lee | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Kelly Lomas | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Cyrus Oelerich | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Christopher Penna | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Timothy Reynolds | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| George Sargent | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Andrew Shackelford | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Matt Singh | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Jamar Slade | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Rudolph Trebels | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Jennifer Wolfe | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| John Zumski | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2023: 40 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Croutea | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $143,015 | $6,860 |
| Jamie Baisley | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Daniel Baker | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| David Bryla | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Lucien Carter | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Christopher Crawshaw | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Donald Doan | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Michalle Fain | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| David Gibson | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jaquan Grier | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Christine Hjorth | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| John Hughes | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Martha Idler | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Michael Kailus | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| John Lafferty | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Michael Leahy | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Peter Lee | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kelly Lomas | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Michael McCarthy | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Connor McCarthy | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Corinne McClintic | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mark McNabola | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Cyrus Oelerich | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kristin Ostby | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Timothy Reynolds | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Garrett Ryan | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| George Sargent | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Elizabeth Schuster | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Andrew Shackelford | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Matt Singh | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jamar Slade | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Rudolph Trebels | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Christopher Penna | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Amy Ward | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| James Wilson | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jennifer Wolfe | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| John Zumski | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mike Halkitis | Treasurer Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Jeff Lundal | Vice chair Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| Christopher Tarzon | Chair Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 1100 LARAMIE AVE, WILMETTE, IL 60091-1021
- In care of
- % LOYOLA ACADEMY
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- Karen Croteau, 1100 N Laramie Ave, Wilmette, IL 60091
- Signed the 990
- Karen Croteau, President
- Phone
- (847) 920-2783
- Website
- https://chicagobhgh.org/
Mission
Boys Hope Girls Hope nurtures and guides motivated young people in need to become well-educated, career-ready men and women for others through its holistic, long-term residential and academy programming. The organization provides direct program support and college scholarships.
Program accomplishments
- BHGH of Illinois is a privately funded, DCFS-licensed, residential scholarship program. We provide family-like group homes, college-prep education, and support through college graduation to motivated students from impoverished families, mostly from Chicago's South and West sides. We have a 40-year track record in Evanston with hundreds of successful outcomes. For our 24 high school Scholars, ages 12-18, we break down barriers to achievement by providing everything a fortunate family might offer: a safe, structured home and excellent schools, nightly meals around a family table, medical care and social-emotional support, tutoring, ACT prep, college application guidance, community service, and extracurricular activities. For our 24 Collegians, we provide financial aid navigation, a scholarship, dorm setup, and computer, internship access, career readiness, and ongoing support when they stumble. BHGH offers motivated kids an opportunity to see the world beyond their neighborhoods and build a future for themselves and their families through grit, hard work, and high-quality education. Our program works: 100% of our Scholars graduate high school and matriculate to college. 75% of our Scholars graduate with a college degree!Expenses $1,968,643
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 30, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | June 30, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | June 30, 2024 | November 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 51-0248353
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Exempt since
- 1979
- Accounting year ends
- June
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Group exemption
- 3143: HOPE IGNITES
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $13,013,709
- Income (IRS master file)
- $4,033,798
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | June 2025 | $4,033,798 | $2,725,982 | $13,013,709 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2024 | $4,923,491 | $2,437,819 | $11,307,721 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2023 | $2,210,344 | $2,294,473 | $8,535,633 | XML |
| 990 | June 2022 | $3,217,355 | $1,936,916 | $7,760,886 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 51-0248353).
Questions about HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO
- What is the EIN of HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO is 51-0248353.
- Is HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1979.
- Which annual return does HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names Karen Croteau.
- Who are the officers and directors of HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 37 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $152,848 (Karen Croteau, Executive Director).
- How much revenue does HOPE IGNITES CHICAGO have?
- On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $4,033,798, expenses of $2,725,982 and total assets of $13,013,709 at year end.
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