Chicago Collections Consortium Inc NFP
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CHICAGO COLLECTIONS CONSORTIUM (CCC) IS A COLLABORATION AMONG LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS, AND ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER TO COLLECT, PRESERVE, AND SHARE FREELY,OPENLY, AND EQUITABLY THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF CHICAGO WITH THE WORLD. CHICAGO COLLECTIONS ENVISIONS A WORLD WHERE THE HISTORY OF CHICAGO IS MADE ACCESSIBLE TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO FOSTER UNDERSTANDING, INSPIRATION, AND KNOWLEDGE CREATION THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH PRIMARY SOURCES.
- Income
- $226,152
- Spending
- $219,015
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 16.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 100
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
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 84% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 16.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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
Good: 81 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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.
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 (1)
- $186,518 spent. PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH THE PORTAL, KNOWN AS EXPLORE CHICAGO COLLECTIONS (HTTPS://EXPLORE.CHICAGOCOLLECTIONS.ORG/), IS THE ORGANIZATION'S CORNERSTONE INITIATIVE THAT WAS MADE PUBLIC IN OCTOBER 2015. THE PORTAL SERVES AS A FREE, CENTRALIZED, WEB-BASED SEARCH ENGINE AND RECORD-FINDING TOOL THAT ALLOWS RESEARCHERS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO LOCATE OR ACCESS OVER 100,000 MAPS, PHOTOS, LETTERS, AND OTHER ARCHIVAL MATERIALS HELD AT CCC'S MEMBER INSTITUTIONS. THIS LAST YEAR HAD THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF NEW USERS TO EXPLORE, AVERAGING 90% FIRST TIME USERS. THESE USERS CAME FROM 167 COUNTRIES, THOUGH 30% STILL ORIGINATED FROM THE CHICAGOLAND AREA. OUR VISITORS ALSO EXPLORED EXPLORE EVEN MORE THIS YEAR, WITH A BIG JUMP IN OUR INDIVIDUAL SITE VIEWS, UP 37%. SIXTEEN FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON. PROGRAMS WERE RECORDED AND RESHARED ON CCC'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL ATTRACTING AN EVEN WIDER AUDIENCE. 2024-25 PROGRAMS INCLUDED A DISCUSSION WITH CHICAGO COVENANTS, MAPPING INDIGENOUS CHICAGO, DEAR RHODA-A PLAY IN TWO ACTS, BY DONNA RUSSELL AND DAVID RANNEY, CREATING AND PRESERVING DISORDER: ROYKO, DALEY, AND THE 1968 DNC, POLITICAL COLLECTIONS IN THE ARCHIVES OF CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY, A DISCUSSION WITH CHICAGO'S NEW DIRECTORS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THE CHICAGO PORTAGE, CAIT COKER ON "WE ARE EACH OTHER'S HARVEST": GWENDOLYN BROOKS AND THE FORMATION OF THE BLACK LITERARY CANON, A DISCUSSION WITH THE CURATORS OF CCC'S LATEST DIGITAL EXHIBIT A SNAPSHOT OF CHICAGO ART FAIRS: 1948-2004, THE IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF CHICAGO'S ART FAIRS AND FESTIVALS: A DISCUSSION WITH CHICAGO ARTISTS, CONVERSATIONS WITH CHICAGO COLLECTIONS: WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP ARCHIVES LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO, A DISCUSSION WITH AUTHOR DR. NICOLE M. BROWN, FROM THE ARCHIVES: CHICAGO HISTORY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS, FROM THE ARCHIVES: PRESERVING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY, CONVERSATIONS WITH CHICAGO COLLECTIONS NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION LIBRARY. PARTNERSHIPS CCC WAS PROUD TO CONTINUE ITS PARTNERSHIPS WITH ART DESIGN CHICAGO, CAXTON CLUB, CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL, AND THE BLACK METROPOLIS RESEARCH CONSORTIUM. MEMBERSHIP AT THIS TIME, CHICAGO COLLECTIONS HAS 64 UNIQUE MEMBERS ALL POSSESSING DIVERSE ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS. THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW PARTICIPATING MEMBERS, THE LEATHER ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM AS WELL AS ROSALIND FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY TO CCC'S COMMUNITY IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS BOUND TOGETHER FOR THE PROMOTION OF AND SHARING OF CHICAGO'S RICH AND DIVERSE HISTORY. ORGANIZATIONAL AWARENESS CCC WAS REPRESENTED AT A VAST ASSORTMENT OF PROMOTIONAL EVENTS AND CONFERENCES. CCC SHARED ITS CONSORTIA MODEL AT 7 CONFERENCES NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. THE WORK OF CCC WAS PRESENTED AT OVER 7 CONFERENCES THIS YEAR. AS WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN MORE CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, OUR INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE HAS GROWN BY 10%. DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN ADDITION TO GENEROUS INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS, FUNDING FROM THE ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL AGENCY, GAYLORD AND DOROTHY DONNELLEY FOUNDATION, RICHARD H. DRIEHAUS FOUNDATION, TERRA FOUNDATION FOR AMERICAN ART, AND WINTRUST BANK HAS ALLOWED CHICAGO COLLECTIONS TO CONTINUE ITS WORK IN PROVIDING FREE AND OPEN ACCESS TO MEMBER ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS WHILE PROMOTING THESE MATERIALS THROUGH FREE VIRTUAL PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EVENTS. INTERNS CCC CONTINUED ITS OFFERING OF PAID INTERNSHIPS TO STUDENTS. THIS YEAR CCC EMPLOYED 2 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS FROM DEPAUL UNIVERSITY. THESE INTERNSHIPS SUPPORTED CCC'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH OUTREACH AND PROGRAM PROMOTIONS WHILE ALSO BRINGING AWARENESS OF CAREERS IN ARCHIVAL FIELDS. PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH THE PORTAL, KNOWN AS EXPLORE CHICAGO COLLECTIONS (HTTPS://EXPLORE.CHICAGOCOLLECTIONS.ORG/), IS THE ORGANIZATION'S CORNERSTONE INITIATIVE THAT WAS MADE PUBLIC IN OCTOBER 2015. THE PORTAL SERVES AS A FREE, CENTRALIZED, WEB-BASED SEARCH ENGINE AND RECORD-FINDING TOOL THAT ALLOWS RESEARCHERS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO LOCATE OR ACCESS OVER 100,000 MAPS, PHOTOS, LETTERS, AND OTHER ARCHIVAL MATERIALS HELD AT CCC'S MEMBER INSTITUTIONS. THIS LAST YEAR HAD THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF NEW USERS TO EXPLORE, AVERAGING 90% FIRST TIME USERS. THESE USERS CAME FROM 167 COUNTRIES, THOUGH 30% STILL ORIGINATED FROM THE CHICAGOLAND AREA. OUR VISITORS ALSO EXPLORED EXPLORE EVEN MORE THIS YEAR, WITH A BIG JUMP IN OUR INDIVIDUAL SITE VIEWS, UP 37%. SIXTEEN FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON. PROGRAMS WERE RECORDED AND RESHARED ON CCC'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL ATTRACTING AN EVEN WIDER AUDIENCE. 2024-25 PROGRAMS INCLUDED A DISCUSSION WITH CHICAGO COVENANTS, MAPPING INDIGENOUS CHICAGO, DEAR RHODA-A PLAY IN TWO ACTS, BY DONNA RUSSELL AND DAVID RANNEY, CREATING AND PRESERVING DISORDER: ROYKO, DALEY, AND THE 1968 DNC, POLITICAL COLLECTIONS IN THE ARCHIVES OF CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY, A DISCUSSION WITH CHICAGO'S NEW DIRECTORS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THE CHICAGO PORTAGE, CAIT COKER ON "WE ARE EACH OTHER'S HARVEST": GWENDOLYN BROOKS AND THE FORMATION OF THE BLACK LITERARY CANON, A DISCUSSION WITH THE CURATORS OF CCC'S LATEST DIGITAL EXHIBIT A SNAPSHOT OF CHICAGO ART FAIRS: 1948-2004, THE IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF CHICAGO'S ART FAIRS AND FESTIVALS: A DISCUSSION WITH CHICAGO ARTISTS, CONVERSATIONS WITH CHICAGO COLLECTIONS: WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP ARCHIVES LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO, A DISCUSSION WITH AUTHOR DR. NICOLE M. BROWN, FROM THE ARCHIVES: CHICAGO HISTORY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS, FROM THE ARCHIVES: PRESERVING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY, CONVERSATIONS WITH CHICAGO COLLECTIONS NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION LIBRARY. PARTNERSHIPS CCC WAS PROUD TO CONTINUE ITS PARTNERSHIPS WITH ART DESIGN CHICAGO, CAXTON CLUB, CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE BIENNIAL, AND THE BLACK METROPOLIS RESEARCH CONSORTIUM. MEMBERSHIP AT THIS TIME, CHICAGO COLLECTIONS HAS 64 UNIQUE MEMBERS ALL POSSESSING DIVERSE ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS. THE ADDITION OF TWO NEW PARTICIPATING MEMBERS, THE LEATHER ARCHIVES AND M
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.