Chicago Foundation for Women
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
FOR FORTY YEARS, CFW HAS BEEN THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN THE REGION TO TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES AND NEEDS WOMEN AND GIRLS FACE THROUGH EVERY STAGE OF THEIR LIVES WITH A FOCUS ON IT'S FOUR IMPACT AREAS. CFW WORKS WITH A COMMUNITY OF SOCIALLY-MINDED INVESTORS WHO SHARE OUR PASSION FOR IMPROVING THE LIVES OF WOMEN, GIRLS, AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE PEOPLE AND ENSURES THAT EVERY DOLLAR THEY GIVE ACHIEVES MAXIMUM IMPACT. WE HOLD OURSELVES AND OUR GRANTEES TO A HIGH STANDARD: CONDUCTING RIGOROUS EVALUATION, CAREFUL MONITORING, AND ACHIEVING COMMUNITY-CENTERED RESULTS. CFW ALSO INVESTS IN THE FUTURE OF ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING SUSTAINABLE NONPROFIT INFRASTRUCTURE. AS A RESULT, TWO-THIRDS OF NONPROFITS FOR WHICH CFW WAS THE FIRST INSTITUTIONAL FUNDER ARE STILL THRIVING TEN YEARS AFTER RECEIVING THEIR FIRST CFW GRANT.
- Income
- $3.3 million
- Spending
- $6.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 9.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 20
- Volunteers
- 385
- Highest pay
- $140,874, director of programs
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: 63 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 99% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 52% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% 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.
Independent board
25 of 2525 of 25 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 (4)
- $3.3 million spent. GRANT MAKING: CFW REMAINS AT THE FOREFRONT OF IDENTIFYING THE NEXT CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN, GIRLS, AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS WITH DEEP ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, WORKING WITH NEARLY 2,500 DONORS AND LOCAL PARTNERS ON THE FRONT LINES, CFW INVESTED A TOTAL OF $3,075,590 THROUGH 214 GRANTS, SUPPORTING 150 ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ADVANCE HEALTH, ECONOMIC SECURITY AND SAFETY OF CHICAGO-AREA WOMEN, GIRLS, AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE INDIVIDUALS.CFW SUPPORTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE GREATER CHICAGO AREA, INCLUDING COOK, LAKE, DUPAGE, WILL, MCHENRY AND KANE COUNTIES. OVER THE PAST YEAR, CFW GRANTS SERVED 230,578 PEOPLE, OF WHICH 192,168 (83%) IDENTIFIED AS WOMEN OR GIRLS.
- $1.0 million spent. CAPACITY BUILDING: CFW INTENTIONALLY COUPLES ITS GRANT MAKING WITH A BROAD RANGE OF HIGH-QUALITY PROGRAMS RANGING FROM BOARD DEVELOPMENT, TO FUNDRAISING TO EXECUTIVE COACHING FOR EMERGING WOMEN LEADERS ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE GENDER EQUITY MOVEMENT. THROUGH THIS WORK, CFW BUILDS THE STRENGTH OF WOMEN-LED ORGANIZATIONS AND ENSURES THAT ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IS APPLIED WITH A GENDER LENS, PARTICULARLY WHEN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS ARE WORKING TO ADDRESS POVERTY AND INEQUITY.CFW'S GIVING COUNCILS AND CIRCLES REPRESENT GROUPS OF ENERGIZED AND DIVERSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TOGETHER AROUND SHARED INTERESTS TO RAISE MONEY AND AWARD GRANTS. CFW HOSTS TWO GIVING COUNCILS AND THREE GIVING CIRCLES.
- $332,886 spent. OUTREACH, ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATIONS: THANKS TO THE PAST, SUSTAINED SUPPORT OF THESE MOVEMENTS AND THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE, CFW AND OUR PARTNERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HARNESS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE PROGRESSIVE CHANGE. CFW'S INVESTMENT IN COALITIONS, ADVOCACY AND BUILDING THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OF ADVOCATES HAS CONTRIBUTED TO MANY PRO-WOMEN, GIRLS AND GENDER EXPANSIVE PEOPLE LEGISLATION. AS A RESULT, ILLINOIS IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING A BASTION FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS.
- $204,904 spent. STRATEGIC INITIATIVES: CFW IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO COORDINATE AND LEAD COLLECTIVE IMPACT WORK. FOR EXAMPLE, CFW HAS SUPPORTED A COHORT OF 30 GRANTEE PARTNERS AS PART OF THE ELEANOR NETWORK (EN). INDIVIDUALLY, THESE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WORK TO ADDRESS THE ECONOMIC SECURITY OF LOW- TO MODERATE-INCOME WOMEN AND FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. BEYOND GRANTS, CFW PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY-BUILDING TO EN MEMBERS, CONVENES THEM QUARTERLY TO SHARE RESOURCES AND BUILD TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS. IN 2017 CFW, BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF THE ELEANOR NETWORK, LAUNCHED THE ENGLEWOOD WOMEN'S INITIATIVE (EWI), A PLACE-BASED, COMMUNITY-CENTERED AND HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WOMEN'S ECONOMIC SECURITY. THESE INITIATIVES CONTRIBUTE TO THE LARGER BODY OF CFW'S EXPERTISE, DISCOVERY, AND PARTNERSHIPS.CFW IS HOST TO THE WILLIE'S WARRIORS LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE, A UNIQUE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM NAMED IN HONOR OF THE LATE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, REV. WILLIE T. BARROW. WILLIE'S WARRIORS, ESTABLISHED IN 2018, OFFERS SELECTED WOMEN A SPACE TO GAIN A DEEPER SENSE OF THEMSELVES AS LEADERS, STRENGTHENING THEIR PERSONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE AND BRINGING THEIR WHOLE SELVES TO THE TABLE. WARRIORS EXPLORE THE IDEA OF LEADERSHIP, PERSONAL GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION, AND HOW TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES WHILE MOVING OUR COMMUNITIES FORWARD. IN 2025, THE FOUNDATION WELCOMED THE SIXTH COHORT.
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 April 1985.
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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