City Club of Cleveland
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND'S MISSION IS TO CREATE CONVERSATIONS OF CONSEQUENCE THAT HELP DEMOCRACY THRIVE. WE DO THIS IN PURSUIT OF OUR VISION OF STRONG, INFORMED INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES THAT PRIZE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND CIVIL, CIVIC DIALOGUE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)
- Income
- $2.7 million
- Spending
- $2.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 1.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 64%
- Employees
- 14
- Volunteers
- 240
- Highest pay
- $292,226, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.3 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 39% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 40% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 21 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2533 of 33 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 (2)
- $2.0 million spent. TO FULFILL OUR MISSION, THE CITY CLUB PRODUCES FORUMS ON A RANGE OF TOPICS FOR A VARIETY OF AUDIENCES. THE BACKBONE OF OUR PROGRAMMING IS THE FRIDAY FORUM, A LUNCHTIME PROGRAM DEVOTED TO SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL AND REGIONAL CONCERNS. WE ALSO HAVE FORUMS ON OTHER DAYS, AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND VENUES (WHEN IN-PERSON), INCLUDING NEIGHBORHOOD BARS AND PUBLIC SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND AND VIRTUALLY FOR LIVESTREAMING AUDIENCES. IN TODAY'S POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, OUR WORK HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY CRITICAL BECAUSE COMMUNITIES NEED A FORUM FOR UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCES OF VARIOUS ISSUES AND REFORMS IN RELATION TO THE WAY WE LIVE OUR LIVES. SOME OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL FORUMS ARE (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) DEVELOPED BY MEMBER-LED TEAMS AND STUDENTS. EVERY ELECTION SEASON, YOU CAN COUNT ON THE CITY CLUB TO CONVENE CANDIDATE AND ISSUE DEBATES. ALL TOLD, WE PRODUCE ABOUT 100 PROGRAMS EVERY YEAR, FROM SMALL, DEEP DIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH EMERGING COMMUNITY VOICES TO LARGE SCALE EVENTS, SUCH AS THE STATE OF THE CITY.OUR ORGANIZATION PROMOTES AND ENCOURAGES DIVERSITY BY WELCOMING SPEAKERS, MEMBERS, GUESTS OF VARIOUS RACE, CULTURE, AND ORIENTATION. WE ARE PROUD TO REPORT THAT IN RECENT YEARS, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO MEET AMBITIOUS TARGETS FOR SPEAKER DIVERSITY. OUR SPEAKERS TELL US THAT SPEAKING AT A CITY CLUB FORUM CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN CONTRIBUTING TO PUBLIC DIALOGUE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.THE CITY CLUB'S PRIMARY MEDIA PARTNER IS IDEASTREAM PUBLIC MEDIA. IDEASTREAM PROVIDES PRODUCTION SUPPORT TO CAPTURE THE CONTENT OF NEARLY ALL OF OUR FORUMS, AND PROVIDES A WEEKLY BROADCAST ACROSS THE REGION AND STATE ON MULTIPLE CHANNELS. THEY ALSO HELP US PROVIDE A FREE DIGITAL ARCHIVE AND LIVE STREAM OF ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS.
- $224,279 spent. A GROWING NATIONAL DIVIDE IS REFLECTED IN THE FRACTURES WE SEE IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT NORTHEAST OHIO. WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, THE BARRIERS THAT DIVIDE OUR COMMUNITY ARE PARTICULARLY DESTRUCTIVE. THE CITY CLUB AIMS TO BRIDGE THIS DIVIDE THROUGH FOUR DISTINCT PROGRAMS THAT SERVES STUDENTS AND THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY: CITY CLUB YOUTH FORUMS, STUDENT PARTICIPATION, THE FREE SPEECH ESSAY CONTEST, AND THE ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1997, MORE THAN 14,000 STUDENTS HAVE ATTENDED CITY CLUB YOUTH FORUMS. STUDENTS TAKE CHARGE OF EVERYTHING IN THE FORUM, FROM TOPIC SELECTION TO PANEL MODERATION AND DELIVERING INTRODUCTIONS. THESE FORUMS ARE EXECUTED BY A (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) PLANNING COUNCIL OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO COME FROM AREA HIGH SCHOOLS (BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE) TO MEET MONTHLY TO SELECT TOPICS AND INVITE THE SPEAKERS FOR AS MANY AS FIVE FORUMS EACH YEAR. YOUTH FORUMS PROVIDE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR PARTICIPANTS TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS BY HOLDING GROUP DISCUSSIONS ON CURRENT EVENTS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT FORUMS, DEVELOP ANALYTICAL THINKING ABILITIES BY DEBATING THE TOPIC AND POINTS OF VIEW REFLECTED BY THE FORUM SPEAKER, AND ENCOURAGING POSITIVE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT BY PROVIDING A DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH ENGAGED DIALOGUE-THE VERY FIBER OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.EVERY YEAR THE HOPE AND STANLEY ADELSTEIN FREE SPEECH ESSAY CONTEST CHALLENGES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO EXAMINE THE ROLE OF FREE SPEECH IN THE 21ST CENTURY. THIS ESSAY CONTEST WAS ESTABLISHED WITH A GENEROUS GIFT FROM THE ADELSTEINS TO HONOR THEIR DEEP COMMITMENT TO THE CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND. NORTHEAST OHIO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE AND CITY CLUB MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS SERVE AS GUEST JUDGES SCORING THE ESSAYS ON THEIR CLARITY, CONTENT, ORIGINALITY, AND SIGNIFICANCE. WINNING ESSAYS ARE POSTED ON THE CITY CLUB WEBSITE AND THE TOP WINNERS ARE INVITED TO READ THEIR ESSAYS AT THE CITY CLUB. WINNERS RECEIVE A TOTAL OVER MORE THAN $4,000 IN PRIZES, INCLUDING $1,000 TO THE TOP WINNING ESSAY.FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, THE CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND HAS HOSTED THE ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP. EVERY YEAR, THE TOP TWO AREA HIGH SCHOOL DEBATERS SQUARE OFF IN A CLASSIC "LINCOLN-DOUGLAS" STYLE DEBATE AT A FRIDAY FORUM. THIS GIVES THE DEBATERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE, NOT ONLY FOR THE JUDGES AND THE AUDIENCE IN THE ROOM, BUT ALSO FOR OUR RADIO, TELEVISION, AND LIVESTREAM AUDIENCES. DEBATE TEAMS FROM ACROSS NORTHEAST OHIO ATTEND THIS ANNUAL SPRING TRADITION AND THE FORUM IS CONSISTENTLY AMONG OUR MOST WATCHED YOUTUBE VIDEOS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1996.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.
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