Greater Chatham Initiative Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
GREATER CHATHAM INITIATIVE, INC. (GCI)IS A COLLABORATION AMONG LOCAL AND REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF ACTIVITIES AND ENTERPRISES TAILORED TO HELP SET THE CHICAGO SOUTH SIDE NEIGHBORHOODS OF AUBURN GRESHAM, AVALON PARK, CHATHAM, AND GREATER GRAND CROSSING ON A PATH TO LONG-TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH AND COMMUNITY VITALITY. SINCE ITS 2016 FOUNDING, GCI HAS WORKED TO REVERSE DECADES OF DISINVESTMENT BY BUILDING AN INTEGRATED STRATEGY ACROSS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT, CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND GREEN INITIATIVES, AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
- Income
- $2.3 million
- Spending
- $2.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 76%
- Employees
- 20
- Volunteers
- 123
- Highest pay
- $130,500, executive dir.
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: 65 out of 100.
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 30% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 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 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 (6)
- $833,607 spent. CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENTMahalias MileGCI LEADS THE REVITALIZATION OF MAHALIAS MILE, A ONE-MILE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR ALONG 79TH STREET IN CHATHAM DESIGNATED BY THE STATE OF ILLINOIS AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT. IN 2025, THE CITY OF CHICAGOS DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SELECTED GCIS APPLICATION FOR THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR STOREFRONT ACTIVATION GRANT FOR 79TH STREET, WHICH WILL INVEST A TOTAL OF $2.5 MILLION ALONG THE CORRIDOR OVER THREE YEARS. GCI COMPLETED SIGNIFICANT BEAUTIFICATION WORK ALONG MAHALIAS MILE IN 2025, INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF 3 NEW MURALS ON 79TH STREET PLUS AN ADDITIONAL MURAL ON 75TH STREET, 40 NEW CORRIDOR PLANTERS, AND 40 REFRESHED LIGHT POLE BANNERS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHOOSE CHICAGO, GCI INSTALLED NEIGHBORHOOD WAYFINDING SIGNS AT FOUR LOCATIONS ACROSS GREATER CHATHAM IN DECEMBER 2025, INCLUDING MAHALIAS MILE, THE WHITNEY M. YOUNG JR. LIBRARY, 75TH STREET RESTAURANT ROW, AND WEST CHATHAM. A NEW KEY MAHALIAS MILE ANCHOR, SOUTHSIDE MARKET, A CO-OP MICRO-GROCERY STORE AND CAF, HAD ITS GRAND OPENIN IN 2025. THE MAHALIA JACKSON MICRO-PLAZA AND MONUMENT PROJECT RECEIVED CONSTRUCTION BIDS AND INITIAL FUNDING IN 2025 AND IS TARGETED FOR CONSTRUCTION IN 2027.
- $290,810 spent. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FoodLab ChicagoBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF GCIS CORE ACTIVITIES. IN 2019, GCI LAUNCHED FOODLAB CHICAGO, A PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS FOOD-BASED ENTREPRENEURS IN GREATER CHATHAM AND SURROUNDING SOUTH SIDE COMMUNITIES THROUGH INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC COHORT-BASED PROGRAMMING, PEER LEARNING, AND ONE-ON-ONE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. IN 2025, THE FOODLAB CHICAGO PROGRAM REACHED A MILESTONE OF SERVING 105 ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS SIX COHORTS, HELPING THE SECURE $8.2 MILLION IN CAPITAL AND CREATE OR SUSTAIN NEARLY 500 JOBS, WITH 67% OF ALUMNI REPORTING IMPROVED PROFITABILITY.IN MAY 2025, 21 BUSINESSES, INCLUDING RESTAURANTS, CATERERS, BAKERS, AND A FOOD TRUCK OPERATOR, GRADUATED FROM FOODLAB CHICAGOS 6.0 COHORT. THE 2025 COHORT PROGRAMMING INCLUDED EXPANDED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND FEATURED THREE LARGE PUBLIC WORKSHOPS: A MENU ENGINEERING WORKSHOP IN JANUARY WITH 121 ATTENDEES (90 VIRTUAL), STORYTELLING AND MENUS WORKSHOP IN APRIL WITH 285 ATTENDEES (258 VIRTUAL), AND AN ACCESS TO CAPITAL WORKSHOP IN MAY WITH 211 ATTENDEES (167 VIRTUAL).IN 2025, FOODLAB CHICAGO EXPANDED ITS ALUMNI PROGRAMMING THROUGH A SIX-SESSION AI AND AUTOMATIONS ACCELERATOR (AUGUST TO SEPTEMBER 2025) AND A FOUR-SESSION FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ACCELERATOR (OCTOBER 2025), BOTH DESIGNED TO DEEPEN BUSINESS SKILLS AND FOSTER ONGOING ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT. IN OCTOBER 2025, FOODLAB CHICAGO RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION THROUGH A JOINT REPORT WITH THE ASSOCIATION FOR ENTERPRISE OPPORTUNITY (AEO), PLATE BY PLATE: HOW FOODLAB CHICAGO BUILDS STRONGER BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES, DEMONSTRATING THE PROGRAMS ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL IMPACT AND DOCUMENTING THAT THE NUMBER OF FOOD-BASED BUSINESSES IN GREATER CHATHAM INCREASED UP TO 24% BETWEEN 2018 AND 2023, SIGNIFICANTLY OUTPACING COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES. Access to CapitalGCI PROVIDES ACCESS-TO-CAPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, HELPING BUSINESSES APPLY FOR FUNDING INCLUDING THE CITY OF CHICAGOS NEIGHBORHOOD OPPORTUNITY FUND (NOF), SMALL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT FUND (SBIF), AND RELATED GRANT PROGRAMS AND BUSINESS LOANS. GCI ASSISTS SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ALONG GCIS COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS IMPROVE THEIR PHYSICAL SPACES AND GROW THEIR OPERATIONS. GCIS ACCESS TO CAPITAL EFFORTS REACHED A KEY MILESTONE IN 2025: GCI HAS ASSISTED 85 BUSINESSES IN SECURING OVER $10.7 MILLION IN GRANTS AND LOANS (OUT OF 176 APPLICATIONS FOR A TOTAL OF $35.2 MILLION IN FUNDING REQUESTED). IN 2025 ALONE, GCI PROVIDED 1,015 HOURS OF ACCESS-TO-CAPITAL COACHING TO 133 UNIQUE BUSINESSES. DURING 2025, THREE SBIF PROJECTS FOR WHICH GCI PROVIDED APPLICATION ASSISTANCE RECEIVED CONDITIONAL COMMITMENT LETTERS TOTALING $450,000 IN GRANT COMMITMENTS, WITH 11 ADDITIONAL GCI-ASSISTED SBIF PROJECTS CONTINUING TO ADVANCE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
- $246,418 spent. HOUSINGSmall Building Owners ExchangeGCIS HOUSING WORK FOCUSES ON HELPING EXISTING RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND ATTRACTING NEW HOMEOWNERS TO PURCHASE AND/OR REHAB PROPERTIES. THE SMALL BUILDING OWNERS EXCHANGE (SBOE) IS A MEMBER-BASED NETWORK LAUNCHED BY GCI IN 2024 FOR OWNERS OF 2- TO 4-UNIT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES IN THE GREATER CHATHAM COMMUNITY. THE SBOE CONNECTS LOCAL PROPERTY OWNERS TO TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, GRANTS AND FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES, AND LEGAL AND UTILITY RESOURCES TO HELP THEM MANAGE AND RETAIN OWNERSHIP OF THEIR PROPERTIES. IN 2025, THE SBOE CONTINUED BUILDING ITS MEMBERSHIP AND DELIVERING MONTHLY MEETINGS THROUGH AUGUST 2025. MEETINGS COVERED TOPICS INCLUDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES, PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS, AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TRAINING, AND INCLUDED REFERRALS TO LEGAL AID AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE RESOURCES.Chicago Neighborhood Recovery ProgramFROM 2017 TO 2025, GCI SERVED AS THE CITY OF CHICAGOS COMMUNITY PARTNER IN CHATHAM FOR THE CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD RECOVERY PROGRAM (CNRP), FOCUSED ON ENHANCING HOUSING STABILITY AND SUPPORTING NEW AND EXISTING HOMEOWNERS. OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, GCI HELPED FACILITATE THE REOCCUPATION OF 163 VACANT PROPERTIES. IN 2025, GCI CONTINUED CNRP ACTIVITIES THROUGH AUGUST, INCLUDING MONITORING THE TARGET AREA FOR REOCCUPATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY, TROUBLESHOOTING TROUBLED BUILDING ISSUES, HOSTING TWO PROPERTY TAX WORKSHOPS, REFERRING 48 RESIDENTS TO RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND CO-HOSTING TWO COMMUNITY PLANTING DAYS WITH BLOCK CLUBS IN THE TARGET AREA. GCI CONTINUES TO SEEK NEW FUNDING SOURCES TO OFFER PROPERTY INTEREST, TAXES, INSURANCE, AND ENERGY (PITIE) COUNSELING AND ESTATE PLANNING PROGRAMMING TO GREATER CHATHAM HOMEOWNERS.
- $173,064 spent. URBAN GREENING AND CLIMATE RESILIENCETree Equity & Climate ResilienceGCI IS COMMITTED TO CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY AS INTEGRAL COMPONENTS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN GREATER CHATHAM. 2025 MARKED A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF GCIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMING WITH A FOCUS ON FLOOD MITIGATION.GCI CONTINUED ITS PARTICATION IN THE TREE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, WHICH ENGAGED COMMUNITY RESIDENTS IN TREE PLANTING, MAINTENANCE, AND STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES. AS PART OF THE TREE EQUITY PROGRAM, GCI IDENTIFIED SITES AND PLANTED 40 TREES ACROSS GREATER CHATHAM DURING THE FALL 2025 PLANTING SEASON, WITH COORDINATION UNDERWAY WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS FOR A LARGE-SCALE SPRING 2026 PLANTING TARGETING 100 OR MORE TREES. IN 2024 AND 2025, GCI HAS PLANTED 635 TREES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. IN SEPTEMBER 2025, GCI HOSTED TREE-A-PALOOZA, A COMMUNITY TREE STEWARDSHIP AND CELEBRATION EVENT AT MAHALIA JACKSON COURT WITH 114 ATTENDEES.AS PART OF GCIS EXPANDED FLOOD MITIGATION WORK IN 2025, GCI ENGAGED RESIDENTS TO IDENTIFY PROPERTIES FOR DOWNSPOUT DISCONNECTIONS TO REDIRECT STORMWATER INTO RAIN GARDENS AND RAIN CISTERNS, WITH APPROXIMATELY 45 SITES IDENTIFIED IN 2025 TOWARD A GOAL OF 45 INSTALLATIONS IN SUMMER 2026. IN JUNE 2025, GCI HOSTED ITS RAIN CAMPAIGN REPORT-BACK EVENT WITH 31 ATTENDEES, FEATURING A PRESENTATION BY HYFI REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF 50 FLOOD SENSORS IN CHICAGO. GCI ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A VERIZON FLOOD SENSOR LAUNCH EVENT IN AUGUST 2025 AND BEGAN DEVELOPING A FLOOD CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN THROUGH A HUD SECTION 4 GRANT.
- $165,361 spent. PUBLIC SAFETYRestorative PracticesGCIS PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAMMING IN 2025 CENTERED ON RESTORATIVE PRACTICES, AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH THAT ADDRESSES THE ROOT CAUSES OF CONFLICT AND HARM BY FOSTERING ACCOUNTABILITY, HEALING, AND COMMUNITY TRUST. GCI DELIVERED RESTORATIVE PRACTICES PROGRAMMING THROUGH THE END OF THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR IN JUNE 2025, WORKING WITH YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACROSS THE FOUR GREATER CHATHAM NEIGHBORHOODS.IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2025, GCI REENGAGED RESTORATIVE PRACTICES PROGRAMMING BY ESTABLISHING NEW SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS AND LAUNCHING GCI LAUNCHED SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) GROUPS AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS AT PARTNER SCHOOLS IN EARLY OCTOBER 2025, REACHING 66 STUDENTS. GCI ALSO FACILITATED A PARENT WORKSHOP ON RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AT HOME IN SEPTEMBER 2025, COVERING ACTIVE LISTENING, DE-ESCALATION, AND STRENGTHENING FAMILY COMMUNICATION.
- $126,058 spent. SOCIAL ENTERPRISE & FOOD ACCESSSoul DeliveredIN 2021, GREATER CHATHAM INITIATIVE FORMED SOUL DELIVERED, AN L3C FOOD DELIVERY AND CATERING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE THAT SUPPORTS SOUTH SIDE FOOD ENTREPRENEURS BY PROVIDING AN AFFORDABLE, COMMUNITY-ROOTED DELIVERY MODEL. IN 2025, SOUL DELIVERED RE-LAUNCHED WITH AN EXPANDED SET OF SERVICES INCLUDING SINGLE RESTAURANT DELIVERIES, CORPORATE CATERING FOR MEETINGS AND EVENTS, AND CONCIERGE CATERING DELIVERY FOR PARTNER BUSINESSES. SOUL DELIVERED ALSO UPDATED ITS BRAND IDENTITY AND REDESIGNED ITS WEBSITE WITH MOBILE-FRIENDLY ORDERING.Mahalias Gift Shop & Retail IncubatorMAHALIAS GIFT SHOP, GCIS BRICK-AND-MORTAR AND ONLINE RETAIL STORE PROMOTING LOCAL ARTISTS, MAKERS, AND ENTREPRENEURS, OPERATED ITS REFRESHED FROM NOVEMBER 2024 THROUGH MARCH, 2025 AT 735 E. 79TH STREET AS PART OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO SMALL BUSINESS STOREFRONT ACTIVATION PROGRAM. DURING THIS NINE WEEK PHASE OF OPERATION, THE SHOP GENERATED OVER $14,000 IN SALES, SERVED 114 CUSTOMERS, HOSTED FIVE COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND PARTICIPATED IN AN OFF-SITE VENDOR SHOWCASE REACHING 600 ATTENDEES. MAHALIAS LAUNCHED A RETAIL INCUBATOR IN JANUARY 2025 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 25 VENDORS, PROVIDING PERSONALIZED ONE-ON-ONE COACHING IN PRICING, BRANDING, SOURCING, AND END-TO-END PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. Community Food AccessGCI IS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING FOOD ACCESS IN GREATER CHATHAM AS COMMUNITY RESIDENTS FACE SIGNIFICANT GROCERY GAPS AND FOOD INSECURITY. IN 2025, GCI DISTRIBUTED 36,000 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH MONTHLY PRODUCE GIVEAWAYS HELD FEBRUARY THROUGH OCTOBER. GCI PARTICIPATED IN A THANKSGIVING GIVEAWAY AND BLOCK PARTY IN NOVEMBER 2025 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DISCOVER AND CONSCIOUS ALLIANCE, WHICH DISTRIBUTED 22,000 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE AND REACHED APPROXIMATELY 650 FAMILIES AND 1,600 RESIDENTS. IN DECEMBER 2025, GCI LAUNCHED A HOT MEAL PROGRAM PROVIDING PREPARED MEALS TO SENIORS AND HOMEBOUND RESIDENTS.
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
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 December 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 January 2017.
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.