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Institute for Local Innovations Inc

EIN 45-5538768 · New Orleans, LA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceGood89 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

ILI fosters equitable community-centered solutions to social economic environmental and public health challenges through innovation collaboration storytelling and capacity building. ILI empowers local leaders community-based organizations practitioners and residents by providing tools technical assistance structured inquiry methods strategic facilitation and implementation support that strengthen community-driven problem solving and long-term resilience. ILI facilitates collaboration among nonprofits philanthropy public agencies businesses academic institutions and community stakeholders through research training media-enhanced storytelling fiscal sponsorship technology-supported knowledge sharing and practitioner-informed frameworks that advance sustainable community development civic engagement environmental justice and systems change.

Income
$624,704
Spending
$611,110
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
0 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 95%
Employees
0
Volunteers
0

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

Financial health

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 35% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

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

Governance

Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    4 of 4 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.

  • Independent check of accounts

    12 of 15

    Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 (4)
  1. $320,000 spent. The Institute for Local Innovations ILI has made remarkable strides in empowering women-led not-for-profit organizations through its robust capacity-building initiatives and sponsorship support. ILI has consistently supported these organizations by providing comprehensive training programs mentoring and resources tailored to their needs. By enhancing their strategic planning project management fundraising and leadership skills ILI has effectively enabled these women leaders to address social and community challenges. Through its commitment to fostering gender equality and inclusive development ILI has created a supportive ecosystem for women leaders fostering collaboration networking and knowledge sharing. As a result women-led not-for-profit organizations have significantly impacted lives and created sustainable change in their communities.
  2. $30,000 spent. ILI contributed its expertise in strategic facilitation and community-centered planning to support visioning and engagement efforts in Africatown Mobile AL in collaboration with the Eastern Research Group ERG. Through a series of stakeholder sessions listening tours and capacity-building dialogues ILI helped elevate resident voices and align community priorities with environmental justice and redevelopment goals. This work included designing and leading culturally competent engagement strategies identifying local assets and barriers and co-developing actionable pathways to support environmental restoration and economic revitalization. By fostering trust and transparency between residents public agencies and technical partners ILI helped advance a shared vision for Africatowns future that honors its history centers its people and builds a foundation for long-term resilience.
  3. $40,000 spent. ILI utilized its Mi Rialiti platform to capture and preserve the lived experiences of senior residents-primarily those aged 70 and older-in Atlantas historic Pittsburgh neighborhood in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation Civic Site. This initiative focused on documenting the stories of long-time community members who have lived in the neighborhood for over 50 years using place-based and media-enhanced storytelling tools to archive their memories insights and reflections. By serving as a digital container of the neighborhoods history while it remains in living memory Mi Rialiti allowed residents to share their voices in their own words and images fostering intergenerational dialogue and cultural continuity. The project not only honored the elders contributions but also informed future planning and development efforts by grounding them in authentic community-rooted narratives.
  4. $116,615 spent. ILI advanced practitioner-led innovation collaboration storytelling and implementation-focused initiatives designed to foster equitable community-centered solutions to social economic environmental and public health challenges. Through its Ideation Studios STEM storytelling initiatives and the continued development of COMPENDIUM ILI strengthened community-driven problem solving knowledge sharing civic engagement and leadership development across multiple sectors and communities. ILI empowered local leaders community-based organizations practitioners entrepreneurs students and residents through structured inquiry methods strategic facilitation technology-supported knowledge sharing media-enhanced storytelling and implementation-oriented engagement designed to strengthen long-term resilience and community capacity. Through the University of Chicago Leadership Society Initiative LSI ILI expanded its Communities of Practice model connecting practitioners mission-driven organizations community stakeholders and emerging leaders through collaborative learning practitioner-informed frameworks and implementation-focused engagement. ILIs work aligned innovation entrepreneurship environmental justice sustainability public health and civic problem solving with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals SDGs emphasizing inclusive innovation equitable access to technology and community-centered impact. The organization also continued implementation of a multi-year STEM storytelling initiative designed to help bridge the digital skills divide by providing students and emerging leaders access to iPads digital storytelling tools structured inquiry methods and hands-on narrative communication training.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 December 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 August 2014.

    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.