The Alliance Francaise French House of Chicago
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DE CHICAGO ("AF-CHICAGO") IS CHICAGO'S FRENCH CULTURAL AND LEARNING CENTER, DEDICATED TO THE STUDY OF FRENCH LANGUAGE, CULTURAL EXCHANGE, AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN AMERICANS AND FRENCH-SPEAKING PEOPLE.
- Income
- $2.4 million
- Spending
- $2.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 67%
- Reserves
- 2.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 65%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 0
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1567% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2531 of 31 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.
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 August 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 (3)
- $1.3 million spent. THE LEARNING CENTER AT AF-CHICAGO CONTINUED TO OFFER A BROAD RANGE OF COURSES AT ALL LEVELS OF FRENCH, FROM TODDLERS TO ADULT AUDIENCES. SUBJECTS INCLUDED FRENCH LANGUAGE, GRAMMAR, LITERATURE, BUSINESS FRENCH, COOKING, GASTRONOMY, CURRENT EVENTS, AND FILM. AF-CHICAGO CONTINUED WITH ONSITE AND ONLINE CLASSES, AS WELL AS OFFICIAL FRENCH LANGUAGE EXAMS. THE YOUTH SUMMER CAMP FOR CHILDREN FROM AGES 3 THROUGH 12 RAN ONSITE FOR NINE WEEKS IN JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST 2025. AF-CHICAGO ALSO OFFERED TWO ONE-WEEK IMMERSION TRIPS TO FRANCE FOR ADULTS IN FALL 2024 AND SUMMER 2025.
- $248,388 spent. PROGRAMS DURING THE YEAR ENDED AUGUST 31, 2025 INCLUDED CULTURAL EVENTS, SUCH AS TALKS AND ROUNDTABLES BY AUTHORS, FILM DIRECTORS, MUSICIANS, ART HISTORIANS, AND ACADEMICS, AS WELL AS FILMS AND CONVERSATION GROUPS. AF-CHICAGO HAD A MIX OF ONSITE AND ONLINE PROGRAMS, WITH ONE SERIES OF ONLINE LECTURES ON THE WORLD MONUMENTS IN PARIS. AF-CHICAGO'S ANNUAL MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION OF FRENCH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES, WITH REPRESENTATION OF ALL FRENCH-SPEAKING DELEGATIONS IN CHICAGO, TOOK PLACE IN MARCH 2025. IN SUMMER 2025, AF-CHICAGO HAD A SERIES OF OUTDOOR CONCERTS IN ITS COURTYARD, AS WELL AS AF-CHICAGO'S ANNUAL BASTILLE DAY CELEBRATION. AF-CHICAGO HELD ITS BIENNIAL GALA AS AN OFFSITE FUNDRAISING EVENT IN MAY 2025, AND AF-CHICAGO'S SPRING SERIES OF THREE LECTURES ON THE ARTS OF FRANCE TOOK PLACE ONSITE.
- $80,205 spent. THE LIBRARY AND MEDIATHEQUE MAINTAINED A CIRCULATION OF 2,900 VOLUMES PER ANNUM ON 14,000 TITLES FOR THE YEAR. BOOK TALKS WERE MOSTLY ONLINE, WHILE CONVERSATION GROUPS RESUMED ONSITE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 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 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 August 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 1935.
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.
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.