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Youth Guidance

EIN 36-2167032 · Chicago, IL

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair60 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

A leader in social and emotional development, community engagement, and positive youth development, Youth Guidance has strategically created programs to address community needs across four delivery areas: Community & Afterschool Programs (CAP), Counseling & Prevention, and Career Readiness & Success (CRS), and EVOLVE.

Income
$44.3 million
Spending
$54.7 million
Spent on programs
82%
Reserves
4.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 65%
Employees
759
Volunteers
202
Highest pay
$402,805, chief executive officer

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: 60 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 12% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 24% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 11% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    82% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    40 of 40 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (3)
  1. $4.3 million spent. Community & After-School Programs (CAP): CAP offers services and support to meet students' academic, health, and family needs. CAP integrates the Community School philosophy of student support and systemic change into school-based opportunities for students. Our holistic approach improves school climate and engages parents and/or guardians, teachers, and the community to develop critical skills and strategies to help students.
  2. $4.2 million spent. Career Readiness & Success (CRS): CRS focuses on supporting young adults in honing the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st-century workforce. Through a range of programs, including @Work, Project Prepare, Project Prepare Blue, Alumni Engagement, and The Fellowship Initiative, CRS provides a curriculum that leverages clinical expertise in social and emotional development to guide participants through the practice and internalization of durable 21st-century skills that are necessary for success in the workplace.
  3. $36.1 million spent. Counseling and prevention is core to all Youth Guidance programs. Our school-based mental health programs work with students who are at higher risk of school withdrawal and antisocial behaviors, to gain the skills and resources necessary to improve school engagement and thrive in and beyond school.Our flagship group counseling programs are Becoming a Man (BAM) and Working on Womanhood (WOW). BAM and WOW are in-school strength-based, trauma-informed group counseling and clinical mentoring programs that seek to change the life trajectories of boys and young men of color and girls and young women of color in grades 6-12, who have been exposed to cycles of intergenerational poverty, violence, and trauma.We also implement STRIVE, which is specific to youth ages 14-21 who are in Illinois' foster care system, Community Connections, a case management and resource provision program designed to connect Youth Guidance students and families to resources to meet immediate needs, and in-school Counseling programs, which includes both 1:1 and group counseling models. Our newest offering within the Counseling & Prevention program is the EVOLVE program. Drawing on core content and processes from our evidence-based Becoming a Man (BAM) and Working on Womanhood (WOW) programs, EVOLVE's innovative capacity-building approach is designed to dramatically increase the number of schools and students who have access to group-based social and emotional support. The EVOLVE program provides professional development for school staff on the principles of adolescent development, trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches, and practices for supporting students' healthy learning and development.The primary mechanism of EVOLVE is the group circles, with a structured curriculum providing opportunities for learning, practicing, and internalizing social and emotional skills, to improve students' self-awareness, healthy relationships, school engagement, and goal attainment.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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 September 30, 2026.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 2003.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.