Columbia College Chicago
The organization's mission is to educate students for creative occupations in diverse fields of arts and media.
Columbia College Chicago at a glance
- Total assets
- $429,749,359
- -9.8% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $267,562,634
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $62,658,026
- +132.2% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $243,773,353
- -9.8% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
Who Columbia College Chicago funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
6 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 6 grants of 6 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How Columbia College Chicago gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2020 to 2023 (+7%). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $5K (2021) to $38K (2019). In 2023 it made 2 grants totaling $11K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Filter Photo NFP Chicago, IL | Festival Sponsorship | $5,750 |
| Grant Park Orchestral Association Chicago, IL | Festival contribution | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $429,749,359 | $267,562,634 | $243,773,353 | — | — | $62,658,026 |
| 2024 | $476,636,857 | $250,712,341 | $270,273,011 | — | — | $26,984,054 |
| 2023 | $525,230,384 | $239,170,569 | $267,151,138 | $10,750 | 2 | $8,624,234 |
| 2022 | $575,612,110 | $231,462,919 | $261,280,814 | $15,352 | 3 | $6,125,438 |
| 2021 | $667,072,943 | $221,332,415 | $248,370,433 | $5,000 | 1 | $7,762,507 |
| 2020 | $522,591,069 | $231,394,986 | $238,175,763 | $10,000 | 2 | $13,813,133 |
| 2019 | $524,601,747 | $226,170,577 | $224,770,968 | $37,500 | 5 | $11,083,469 |
About Columbia College Chicago
Based on IRS filings
Columbia College Chicago is a public charity focused on Education, based in Chicago, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $429.7M in total assets. Net investment income was $62.7M.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Columbia College Chicago is led by Kwang-Wu Kim, Former President, CEO, Former Trustee & Ex-Officio since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 14 of 37 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kwang-Wu Kim
Former President, CEO, Former Trustee & Ex-Officio
President, CEO, Trustee & Ex-Officio → President, CEO, Trustee & Ex-Officio - Partial Year, 2024
President, CEO, Trustee & Ex-Officio - Partial Year → Former President, CEO, Former Trustee & Ex-Officio, 2025
On filings since 2019
$527K (2019) → $991K (2025)
Shantay Bolton
President, CEO, Trustee & Ex-Officio-Partial Year
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John McLain Holmes
Chairman of the Board
Trustee → Chairman of the Board, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andreas Waldburg-Wolfegg
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Arlen Rubin
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Averill Leviton
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John R. Gehron
Trustee-Partial Year
Trustee → Trustee-Partial Year, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Len Amato
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Broucek
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Garnes
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert A. Wislow
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert J. Buford
Trustee
Vice Chair → Vice Chair - Partial Year & Trustee - Partial Year, 2023
Vice Chair - Partial Year & Trustee - Partial Year → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan V. Downing
Trustee-Partial Year
Trustee → Trustee-Partial Year, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Wolf
Trustee
Chair of the Board → Trustee - Partial Year, 2023
Trustee - Partial Year → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Poulton
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Staci R. Collins Jackson
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Imad I. Qasim
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Arjun Aggarwal
Trustee
Trustee - Partial Year → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Jones
Trustee & Ex-Officio
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Dalrymple
Trustee
Trustee - Partial Year → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter Pace Jr.
Trustee
Trustee - Partial Year → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rich Nanda
Trustee
Trustee - Partial Year → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerry Tarrer
Interim President-Partial Year & COO
Senior Vice President of Business Affairs & CFO → Interim President & CEO - Partial Year, 2024
Interim President & CEO - Partial Year → Interim President-Partial Year & COO, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$252K (2019) → $412K (2025)
Patricia Bergeson
Vice President of Legal Affairs & General Counsel-Partial Year
Vice President of Legal Affairs & General Counsel → Vice President of Legal Affairs & General Counsel-Partial Year, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$223K (2019) → $241K (2025)
Rosita Sands
Former Dean & Special Advisor Dei
Department Chair, Interim Dean of School of Fine & Performing Arts → Department Chair, Dean of School of Fine & Performing Arts, 2022
Department Chair, Dean of School of Fine & Performing Arts → Former Dean & Special Advisor Dei, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$186K (2019) → $225K (2025)
Sharon Wilson Taylor
Vice President of Student Affairs
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$207K (2019) → $228K (2025)
Steven Corey
Dean of Liberal Arts School
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$196K (2019) → $210K (2025)
Terence Smith
Special Counsel Labor Relations-Partial Year
Special Counsel Labor Relations → Special Counsel Labor Relations-Partial Year, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$209K (2019) → $239K (2025)
Kathie Koch
Assistant Vice President & Chief Information Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$250K (2020) → $273K (2025)
Marcella David
Senior Vice President & Provost-Partial Year
Senior Vice President & Provost → Senior Vice President & Provost-Partial Year, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$213K (2020) → $359K (2025)
Ann Kalayil
Assistant Vice President Facilities & Construction
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$219K (2021) → $234K (2025)
Laurent Pernot
Chief of Staff
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$210K (2021) → $248K (2025)
Suzanne McBride
Senior Vice President Interim Provost-Partial Year
Dean of Graduate Studies → Senior Vice President Interim Provost-Partial Year, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$194K (2023) → $200K (2025)
Derek Brinkley
Assistant Vice President & Enrollment Managment-Partial Year
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$198K (2025)
Patricia Olalde
Assistant Vice President & Human Resources
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$208K (2025)
Barry M. Sabloff
Secretary
Treasurer → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hugh C. Williams
Vice Chair
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (35)
- Former: Allison Grant Williams (2019–2024) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Cayla Weisberg (2019–2024) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Luis De La Parra (2019–2024) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Sona Wang (2019–2024) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Michael Joseph (2020–2024) — Vice President of Enrollment Management
- Former: Michael Goi (2021–2024) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Phil Alphonse (2022–2024) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Miriam Smith (2024) — Vice President of Development & Alumni Relations
- Former: Eric Freedman (2019–2023) — Dean of School of Media Arts
- Former: Federick C Lowinger (2019–2023) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: James E. Kopps Jr. (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Jay Leib (2019–2023) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Judith A. Gold (2019–2023) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Sharon Reese Dalenberg (2019–2023) — Secretary - Partial Year
- Former: Shawn Wax (2019–2023) — Vice President of Development & Alumni Relations - Partial Year
- Former: Terry Diamond (2019–2023) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Jeff Kinney (2020–2023) — Trustee & Ex-Officio
- Former: H John Gilbertson Jr. (2021–2023) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Devin A. Gross (2019–2022) — Trustee - Partial Year
- Former: Norma Dejesus (2022) — Associate Vice President Human Resources - Partial Year
- Former: Madeline Moore Burrell (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jeff Schiff (2020–2021) — Dean of Graduate Studies
- Former: Chester T. Kamin (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Marcelo Sabates (2019–2020) — Professor
- Former: Richard Dowsek (2019–2020) — Former Senior Vice President of Business Affairs, CFO & Special Advisor to the President
- Former: Robert Green (2019–2020) — Vice Provost for Digital Learning
- Former: Suzanne Blum Malley (2019–2020) — Senior Associate Provost
- Former: Asha Spencer (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Jeremy Efroymson (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Jimmy Chamberlain (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Matthew Shenoda (2019) — Former Dean of Academic Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Former: Michael Wojcik (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Nedra A. Kalish (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Onye Ozuzu (2019) — Former Dean School of Fine & Performing Arts
- Former: Stanley Wearden (2019) — Senior Vice President & Provost
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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $991K, to Kwang-Wu Kim (Former President/CEO, Former Trustee, Ex-Officio). 14 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Columbia College Chicago
How large is Columbia College Chicago?
Columbia College Chicago reported $429.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $267.6M.
What is Columbia College Chicago?
Columbia College Chicago is a public charity focused on Education, based in Chicago, IL. It holds $429.7M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Columbia College Chicago operate?
Columbia College Chicago has awarded grants in Illinois.
What is Columbia College Chicago's EIN?
Columbia College Chicago's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6112087. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 13, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 18, 2026)
Live grants for the work Columbia College Chicago funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Columbia College Chicago's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders with grantees in common
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Depaul University
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DePaul’s grants support mission-related work, often through subcontracts or general support to universities, schools, health institutions, and other organizations; its giving is concentrated in Illinois. In 2025, grants ranged from $6,800 to $639,044, with a median of $33,892. The profile does not state whether DePaul accepts unsolicited requests from outside organizations; its online discretionary grants are limited to people affiliated with the university.
Assets
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Zell Family Foundation
Chicago, IL
The Zell Family Foundation funds education, arts, health care, and other charitable organizations, with 88% of its 2024 grant dollars going to Illinois. Its 54 grants ranged from $5,000 to $25 million, with a median of about $156,000; it funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
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Total Given
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Aetna Foundation Inc
Hartford, CT
Aetna Foundation supported health and wellness, access to health care, and related community needs; its 2021 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1 million, with a median of $40,000, and went to organizations across multiple states, especially in D.C. and Connecticut. Its 2021 filing was marked final, so it appears to have ended or be winding down grantmaking; that filing said there were no restrictions on who could apply and pointed applicants to its website for application materials.
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—
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AbbVie Foundation
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The AbbVie Foundation funds health equity, access to care, cancer care, community health, and related community-led programs through partnerships and employee initiatives. Its 2025 grants ranged from $8,000 to $15 million, with a median of $25,000; it supports work worldwide, with the largest share of recent grants going to Illinois. It makes grants only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
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ChiArts Foundation
Chicago, IL
Support and promotion of arts education programs at chicago high school for the arts. The organization may also support other educational activities in furtherance of the arts.
Assets
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Grants
1
Total Given
$2.5M
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