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Center for Expanding Leadership and Opportunity Inc

EIN 92-2376770 · Chicago, IL

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceGood73 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO CREATE OPPORTUNITY ECOSYSTEMS OF EVIDENCE-BASED TOOLS, LEARNING EXPERIENCES, AND PRACTICES THAT EXPONENTIALLY INCREASE ACCESS, OPTIMIZE PROGRAM QUALITY, AND ACCELERATE IMPACT FOR EVERY YOUNG PERSON. OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING AND GROWTH ARE DISTRIBUTED AS EQUALLY AS THE ABUNDANCE OF TALENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY INTEGRATING THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING AND CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH WITH PROGRAM INNOVATION AND COMMUNITY CO-CREATION OF LEARNING SOLUTIONS.

Income
$5.3 million
Spending
$3.4 million
Spent on programs
99%
Reserves
4.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 93%
Employees
4
Volunteers
2
Highest pay
$226,727, chief research & development officer

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

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.1 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 35% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 80% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    99% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 73 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    2 of 3 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • 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 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)
  1. $1.4 million spent. CONVENINGS: CELO HOSTED SEVERAL CONVENINGS THROUGHOUT THE 2024-2025 FISCAL YEAR, INCLUDING THE YOUTH SERVICE CONVENING IN SEPTEMBER 2024 AND SXSW EDU COHORT IN MARCH 2025. THE CONVENINGS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER IN SUPPORT OF THE CELO MISSION.
  2. $777,470 spent. INDEX: THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INDEX IS A DIGITAL ASSESSMENT TOOL THAT MEASURES LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES TO ACCELERATE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH. GROUNDED IN 20 YEARS OF CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH, AND BENCHMARKED WITH 600,000 PARTICIPANTS ACROSS CAREER FIELDS, THE INDEX IS DESIGNED FOR IMPACT.
  3. $320,434 spent. RESEARCH: CELO IS THE OWNER AND OPERATOR OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND LONGEST-RUNNING RESEARCH PROGRAM ON THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT - IN OTHER WORDS, MEASURABLE STEPS TOWARD DEVELOPING COMPETENCIES, SUCH AS RESILIENCE, COLLABORATION, AND CREATIVE-PROBLEM SOLVING. OUR RESEARCH ENABLES US TO DEFINE, MEASURE, AND BENCHMARK 34 SOFT SKILLS AND HAS IDENTIFIED HIGH-IMPACT PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES THAT ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE SKILLS. IN ADDITION TO TRANSLATING OUR RESEARCH INTO EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO GUIDE IMPACT FOR THE FIELD OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE TRANSLATED OUR DATA INTO USER-FRIENDLY ASSESSMENT TOOLS TO GIVE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR LEADERS THE UNPARALLELED ABILITY TO MEASURE THEIR PERFORMANCE AT THE INDIVIDUAL, PROGRAMMATIC, AND/OR ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELS, INCLUDING OVER TIME, AND TO RECEIVE ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS.
  4. $942,508 spent. GENERAL PROGRAMS: OTHER GENERAL SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES.

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

  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 November 6, 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 June 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 March 2023.

    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 November 4, 2026.

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