Chicago Urban League logo

Chicago Urban League

Public charity · Grantmaker Chicago, IL EIN: 36-2225483 Website

The Chicago Urban League works to foster economic empowerment, cultivate leadership, and dismantle systemic barriers in the effort to drive lasting equity and prosperity for Black Chicago.

Key facts about Chicago Urban League

EIN
36-2225483
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Total assets
$11,816,892

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$11.8M

-13.5% YoY

Revenue

$10.3M

+1.0% YoY

Net Investment Income

$292K

+6.6% YoY

Expenses

$11.3M

-8.2% YoY

About Chicago Urban League

Based on IRS filings

Chicago Urban League is a public charity focused on Employment, based in Chicago, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $11.8M in total assets. Net investment income was $292K.

Focus Areas

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

15states
+7 more states

Cities

ChicagoNapervilleBloomingtonHighland ParkJolietSchaumburgSpringfieldAuroraDes PlainesNilesWoodridgeBolingbrookCarbondaleCarol StreamDowners GroveNorth AuroraNorthbrookOak ParkPark RidgePeoria

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2M$4M$6M0 grants20190 grants2020314 grants202123 grants20228 grants20230 grants20240 grants2025

From 2021 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $69K (2023) to $4.6M (2021). In 2023 it made 8 grants totaling $69K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

345 grants across all recorded years

344<$50K$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 344 grants of 345 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for 2025.

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$5M$10M$15M$20M2019202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$11,816,892$13,661,299$13,681,038
Revenue$10,332,384$10,233,602$17,571,950
Expenses$11,266,810$12,278,046$11,272,750
Net Investment Income$292,490$274,462$104,611

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 9, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
  4. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Chicago Urban League is led by Karen Freeman-Wilson, President & CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 5 of 51 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Karen Freeman-Wilson

    President & CEO

    President & CEO → CEO, 2022

    CEO → President & CEO, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $184K (2020) → $240K (2025)

  • Suzet McKinney

    Board Chair

    Director → Chairman, 2023

    Chairman → Board Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrew C Barrett

    Life Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Anthony R McCain

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Barbara Bowles

    Life Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Brian W Duwe

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Craig Martin

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Daniel Anello

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Nichols

    Director

    Vice Chairman → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Donald E Wilbon

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Eric S Smith

    Director

    Chairman → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Frederick H Waddell

    Life Director

    Life Director → Director, 2023

    Director → Life Director, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Greorge Johnson

    Life Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • James P Sledge

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • John W. Rogers Jr.

    Director

    Life Director → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Joseph A Gregoire

    Director

    Life Director → Vice Chairman, 2023

    Vice Chairman → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lester H. McKeever Jr.

    Life Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Melvin C Hopson

    Director

    Life Director → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael J Sacks

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sheila Talton

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Steven J. Sherman

    Director

    Vice Chairman → Director, 2022

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Thomas M Patrick

    Director

    Life Director → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tyronne Stoudemire

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • William A Osborn

    Life Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bruce Taylor

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bryce A Fisher

    Director

    Director → Vice Chair, 2022

    Vice Chair → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Connie Lindsay

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Todd Lohr

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ajay Joshi

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jill Billhorn

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kimberley Evans

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Garth Walker

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gina Stuart

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Janice Jackson

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kimberlene Matthews

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mark Ishaug

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marty Castro

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Matthew Fischer

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sam Scott

    Director

    Life Director → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ahsil Nelson

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Keisha Parker

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Keith Sanders

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Merih Ocbazghi

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Calmetta Coleman

    Chief Operating Officer

    Senior Vice President Ext Affai → Chief Oper Officer, 2024

    Chief Oper Officer → Chief Operating Officer, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $147K (2019) → $220K (2025)

  • Andrew Wells

    Vice President Workforce Development

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $121K (2025)

  • Angela M Hamilton

    Vice President Youth & Family Services

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $125K (2025)

  • Kelly Evans

    Vice President of Entrepreneurship & Economic Development

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $121K (2025)

  • Andre P Hughes

    Treasurer

    Treasurer → Director, 2023

    Director → Treasurer, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Esther ET Franklin

    Secretary

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • James Reynolds

    Vice Chair

    Vice Chairman & Director → Vice Chairman, 2023

    Vice Chairman → Vice Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Maria C. Green

    Vice Chair

    Vice Chairmain → Vice Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (25)
  • Former: Eileen Mitchell (2020–2024) — Director
  • Former: Hope Bentley (2020–2024) — Director
  • Former: Carlos Cubia (2021–2024) — Director
  • Former: Dwight Blackman (2021–2024) — Director
  • Former: Lori Healey (2023–2024) — Director
  • Former: Jessica Harris (2024) — Chief Development Officer
  • Former: Charles Matthews (2019–2023) — Vice Chair
  • Former: James J. Oconnor Sr. (2019–2023) — Life Director
  • Former: James P. Kolar (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Samuel C. Scott III (2019–2023) — Life Director
  • Former: John Didrickson (2021–2023) — Director
  • Former: Karen Freeman Wilson (2021–2023) — Executive Director
  • Former: Aletha C. Noonan (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Alex E. Washington III (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Clive Christison (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Stacy Sharpe (2019–2022) — Vice Chairman
  • Former: Frank L. Bixby (2019–2020) — Life Director
  • Former: Larry D. Richman (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Oscar D. Johnson Jr. (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Ralph P. Hargrow (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Anne Pramaggiore (2019) — Director
  • Former: Barbara Lumpkin (2019) — President & CEO
  • Former: Mavis Laing (2019) — Vice President & Executive Director Impact
  • Former: Reginald C. Reed (2019) — Treasurer
  • Former: Shari Runner (2019) — Former President & CEO

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Karen Freeman-Wilson — President and CEO: $240KKaren Freeman-WilsonPresident and CEO$240KCalmetta Coleman — Chief Operating Officer: $220KCalmetta ColemanChief Operating Officer$220KAngela M Hamilton — VP Youth and Family Services: $125KAngela M HamiltonVP Youth and Family Services$125KKelly Evans — VP of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development: $121KKelly EvansVP of Entrepreneurship and…$121KAndrew Wells — VP Workforce Development: $121KAndrew WellsVP Workforce Development$121K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $240K, to Karen Freeman-Wilson (President and CEO). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Urban League

How large is Chicago Urban League?

Chicago Urban League reported $11.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $10.3M.

What is Chicago Urban League?

Chicago Urban League is a public charity focused on Employment, based in Chicago, IL. It holds $11.8M in total assets as of 2025.

Where does Chicago Urban League operate?

Chicago Urban League has awarded grants in California, District of Columbia, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah.

What is Chicago Urban League's EIN?

Chicago Urban League's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2225483. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

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