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Near North Montessori School

EIN 36-2535895 · Chicago, IL

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood70 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

NEAR NORTH MONTESSORI PREPARES STUDENTS FOR LIFE IN AN EVER CHANGING AND COMPLEX WORLD INSPIRING THEM TO REACH THEIR INHERENT POTENTIAL THROUGH MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY AND WITH A STRONG PARENT-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP.

Income
$17.0 million
Spending
$17.8 million
Spent on programs
75%
Reserves
3.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 90%
Employees
188
Volunteers
750
Highest pay
$387,015, head of school

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 27% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 7% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    75% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 34 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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

    20 of 21 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 July 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 (1)
  1. $13.5 million spent. NEAR NORTH MONTESSORI IS THE PLACE WHERE CHILDREN CAN SOAR. OUR SCHOOL DEVELOPS CURIOUS, MOTIVATED, AND ACCOMPLISHED LIFELONG LEARNERS FROM PRE-SCHOOL THROUGH 8TH GRADE VIA AN ENVIRONMENT AND MONTESSORI APPROACH UNIQUE TO OUR SCHOOL. LOCATED IN THE WICKER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD OF CHICAGO, OUR FAMILIES DRAW FROM OVER 40 NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS CHICAGO AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.HERE YOU WILL NOT FIND THE TRADITIONAL LINEUP OF DESKS IN ROWS, TEXTBOOKS AND MIND-NUMBING ROTE MEMORIZATION. WHAT YOU WILL FIND ARE DYNAMIC LEARNING LABORATORIES - A SCHOOL ALIVE WITH STUDENTS EXPLORING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM. CLASSROOMS ARE VIBRANT COMMUNITIES, EACH ORGANIZED BY AGE LEVELS, WHERE STUDENTS SPEND THREE YEARS LEARNING AND GROWING TOGETHER. TEACHERS CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATE THE STUDENTS' JOURNEY, WITH THE TRAJECTORY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT FINE-TUNED PRIOR TO LAUNCH. TEACHERS QUESTION, CHALLENGE, AND INSPIRE STUDENTS. THEY LOOK FOR WAYS TO SPARK CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION. THEY CULTIVATE THE THREE RS: RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY AND RESILIENCE. ALL CLASSROOM TEACHERS ARE TRAINED IN THE MONTESSORI METHOD, AND EACH LEAD TEACHER HOLDS A CREDENTIAL FROM ASSOCIATION MONTESSORI INTERNATIONALE (AMI), THE AMERICAN MONTESSORI SOCIETY (AMS), OR NORTH AMERICAN MONTESSORI TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (NAMTA).IN THE CLASSROOM AND AS A COMMUNITY, WE TAKE A PURPOSEFUL, FEARLESS LOOK AT OURSELVES, OUR DIFFERENCES, AND OUR CONNECTIONS. HERE, DIVERSITY OF OUR APPROXIMATELY 550 STUDENTS AND 140 FACULTY AND STAFF CAN BE RACE, ETHNICITY, RELIGION, GENDER, ECONOMIC STATUS OR LEARNING DIFFERENCES. OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY PROMOTES AN ENVIRONMENT OF RESPECT BASED ON EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN WHICH STUDENTS BECOME ALLIES FOR EACH OTHER WHILE DEVELOPING AWARENESS OF SOCIAL AND GLOBAL JUSTICE ISSUES.OUR PROGRAM EXTENDS BEYOND THE SCHOOL DAY WITH MORNING AND AFTERNOON CARE ALONG WITH A VARIETY OF SPECIALIZED AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES. DURING THE SUMMER, STUDENTS CAN PARTAKE IN AN ARRAY OF GENERAL AND SPECIALIZED CAMPS TO SUIT THE CHILD'S INTEREST, EACH APPROACHED WITH OUR MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY.NEAR NORTH MONTESSORI IS A POWERFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE, DRAWING ITS ENERGY AND INSPIRATION FROM THE STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND TEACHERS WHO CALL THIS SCHOOL HOME. TOGETHER, WE WORK TO CREATE A WARM, WELCOMING COMMUNITY WHERE YOUNG HEARTS AND MINDS TAKEFLIGHT.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending July 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since April 1965.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.