Illinios Families for Hands & Voices
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Illinois Families for Hands & Voices provides unbiased support to families of children who are deaf/hard of hearing in the form of education, resources, and parent-to-parent support.
- Income
- $203,522
- Spending
- $202,523
- Spent on programs
- 100%
- Reserves
- 0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 91%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $56,252, guide by your side coordinator
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 66 out of 100. Higher than 43% of charities in its peer group (human services, under $250k).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 17% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 61 out of 100. Higher than 45% of charities in its peer group (human services, under $250k).
Independent board
5 of 250 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (5)
- $186,144 spent. The Guide By Your Side Program offers families of deaf and hard of hearing children support, networking, family events, and education on different communication modalities. One-on-one trained Parent Guides and DHH Guides are offered at no cost to families as they learn to support their children. We serve approximately 150 families per year.
- $6,945 spent. Illinois Families for Hands & Voices provides opportunities to educate and connect families of children who are deaf/hard of hearing. The annual "Moms Night Inn" event gives moms and female caregivers of children who are deaf/hard of hearing an opportunity to connect with one another and hear from speakers related to the deaf/hard of hearing experience. We also held a family library event and send a national newspaper to members on a quarterly basis.
- $1,949 spent. Illinois Families for Hands & Voices sends chapter officers (executive director and president) to state-level and national trainings, including the national Early Hearing Detection and Intervention conference and Hands & Voices Leadership conferences. These conference attendances serve to provide training for officers on the current issues in the field, as well as provide exposure and credibility to the organization when chapter officers give presentations.
- $7,485 spent. Other
- Other program expenses include advertising and marketing expenses (including tables at events, branded team gear, printing, sponsorships, and a website), operating expenses (including team milestone recognition, meal for yearly in-person board meeting, bank fees, printing, bookkeeping services, supplies, dues to headquarters, postage, and tax reporting fees), and accessibility services, including captioning and American Sign Language interpreting.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2024 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on May 15, 2024.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.