Crain Maling Foundation
Crain Maling Foundation experiences volatile revenue and declining assets while maintaining consistent expenses.
EIN: 204310219 · Lake Forest, IL · NTEE: T22 · Updated: 2026-03-28
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Crain Maling Foundation is mapped to EIN 204310219.
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| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Revenue | $19.5M |
| Total Expenses | $2.8M |
| Program Spending | 85% |
| Net Assets | $32.6M |
| Transparency Score | 70/100 |
Search Intent Cockpit
Crain Maling Foundation Form 990, Revenue, CEO Pay, and IRS Filing Signals
Crain Maling Foundation is surfaced here as a decision-ready nonprofit financial profile, not just a charity listing. The page consolidates IRS Form 990 revenue, expenses, assets, tax-exempt classification, executive compensation, mission score, red flags, and year-by-year filing history so donors, researchers, journalists, and grant teams can answer the common search questions around Crain Maling Foundation in one place.
Form 990 Filing Summary
10 filing years are available, with latest revenue of $-3,628,283 and expenses of $2.8M.
Revenue and Expenses
Revenue, expense, and surplus data is shown where available from IRS 990 records.
Executive Compensation
Officer, director, trustee, and key employee pay is reviewed from IRS 990 compensation disclosures when present.
Charity Score and Red Flags
70/100 mission score, 4 red flags, and 3 strengths are shown from structured and AI review.
Is Crain Maling Foundation Legit?
Some Concerns
Assessment based on IRS 990 filings, spending patterns, and AI analysis. Not a guarantee of legitimacy. Full charity check →
IRS 990 Data Cockpit
Where the Money Comes From and Where It Goes
Revenue Source Mix
Revenue-source line items are not available on the stored filing yet. Future ingestion now preserves contribution, program-revenue, and investment-income fields when ProPublica provides them.
Expense Deployment
| Program services | $2.4M (85%) |
Across stored filings, Crain Maling Foundation shows contribution history pending. Next enrichment targets: revenue-source fields, IRS BMF classification.
Decision Cockpit
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| Decision Lens | Signal | What to Inspect Next |
|---|---|---|
| Legitimacy | Some Concerns | Good filing record; 4 red flags identified |
| Mission spend | 85% to programs | Excellent |
| Financial durability | Grade B | 10 stored filing years |
| Peer context | Compare with Shorefront | Illinois and Philanthropy context |
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Crain Maling Foundation directs 85% of its spending to programs. This exceeds the industry benchmark of 65%, indicating strong mission focus.
About Crain Maling Foundation
Crain Maling Foundation (EIN: 204310219) is a nonprofit organization based in Lake Forest, IL, classified under NTEE code T22. The organization reported total revenue of $19.5M and total assets of $32.7M according to its most recent IRS 990 filing. This transparency report provides an AI-powered analysis of Crain Maling Foundation's financial health, spending patterns, executive compensation, and overall mission effectiveness based on publicly available IRS data.
Organization Overview
Crain Maling Foundation is a large nonprofit that has been operating for 20 years, with 10 years of IRS 990 filings on record (2011–2023).
Financial Trends
| Year | Revenue Change | Expense Change | Asset Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | -355.2% | +4.0% | -16.2% |
| 2022 | -44.3% | +6.2% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | -164.6% | -13.0% | -8.9% |
| 2019 | -49.2% | +17.9% | +0.6% |
IRS Tax-Exempt Classification
| IRS Classification Codes | 1000 |
| IRS Ruling Date | 2006 |
Classification data from ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Additional BMF data may be available after enrichment.
AI Transparency Report
Mission Effectiveness Score
NonprofitSpending's AI analysis rates Crain Maling Foundation with a Mission Score of 70 out of 100 (Good). This score reflects the organization's overall financial transparency, program spending efficiency, and governance indicators derived from IRS 990 public filings.
Spending Breakdown
- admin: 10%
- programs: 85%
- fundraising: 5%
According to IRS 990 filings, Crain Maling Foundation allocates its expenses as follows: admin: 10%, programs: 85%, fundraising: 5%. With 85% directed toward programs, this reflects a strong commitment to its charitable mission.
Key Financial Metrics (2023)
From the most recent IRS 990 filing on record:
- Debt-to-asset ratio: 1.6%.
Executive Compensation Analysis
The Crain Maling Foundation consistently reports 0% officer compensation across all available filings, suggesting either a fully volunteer-led executive team or that executive compensation is not categorized under 'Officer Comp' in the provided summary, which warrants further investigation for complete transparency.
Executive compensation data is sourced from IRS 990 filings, which require nonprofits to disclose the compensation of officers, directors, trustees, and key employees. NonprofitSpending analyzes this data relative to the organization's total revenue and sector benchmarks to assess whether executive pay is reasonable.
Red Flags
The following concerns were identified during AI analysis of Crain Maling Foundation's IRS 990 filings:
- Significant revenue volatility, including negative revenue in multiple years (e.g., -$3,628,283 in 2023), indicating reliance on unpredictable investment returns.
- Declining asset base from $44.6 million in 2019 to $33.1 million in 2023, potentially impacting future grantmaking capacity.
- Lack of detailed expense breakdown (program, admin, fundraising) in the provided data, hindering a full assessment of spending efficiency.
- Consistent 0% officer compensation reported, which, while potentially positive, could also indicate a lack of transparency if executive compensation is simply reported elsewhere or not fully disclosed.
Strengths
The following positive indicators were identified for Crain Maling Foundation:
- Consistent level of expenses maintained despite revenue fluctuations, suggesting stable operational or grantmaking commitments.
- Substantial asset base (over $32 million in 2023) provides a strong financial foundation for its mission.
- Low liabilities in most years, indicating good financial management of debt.
Frequently Asked Questions about Crain Maling Foundation
Is Crain Maling Foundation a legitimate charity?
Crain Maling Foundation (EIN: 204310219) is a registered tax-exempt nonprofit based in Illinois. Our AI analysis gives it a Mission Score of 70/100. It has 10 years of IRS 990 filings on record. Total revenue: $19.5M. 4 red flags identified. 3 strengths noted. Financial health grade: B.
How does Crain Maling Foundation spend its money?
Crain Maling Foundation directs 85% of its spending to programs and services. Fundraising costs 5%. This exceeds the 65% industry benchmark.
Are donations to Crain Maling Foundation tax-deductible?
Crain Maling Foundation is registered as a tax-exempt nonprofit (EIN: 204310219). Donations to most 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
What percentage of Crain Maling Foundation's spending goes to programs?
Crain Maling Foundation directs 85% to programs, 5% to fundraising. This exceeds the 65% industry benchmark for efficient nonprofits.
How does Crain Maling Foundation compare to similar nonprofits?
With a transparency score of 70/100 (Good), Crain Maling Foundation is above average for NTEE category T22 nonprofits. The score reflects financial transparency, program spending efficiency, and governance quality based on IRS 990 data.
Where is Crain Maling Foundation located?
Crain Maling Foundation is headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois and files with the IRS under EIN 204310219. It is classified under NTEE code T22.
How many years of IRS 990 filings does Crain Maling Foundation have?
Crain Maling Foundation has 10 years of IRS 990 filings on record at NonprofitSpending. This extensive filing history provides a strong basis for evaluating long-term financial trends. The most recent filing shows $19.5M in total revenue.
What is the primary source of the Crain Maling Foundation's revenue, given the significant negative figures in some years?
The negative revenue figures (e.g., -$3,628,283 in 2023) strongly suggest that a substantial portion of the foundation's income is derived from investments, and these negative figures likely represent investment losses rather than operational deficits.
How does the Crain Maling Foundation allocate its expenses between grants (programs), administrative costs, and fundraising?
The provided data does not offer a detailed breakdown of expenses into program, administrative, and fundraising categories. This information is crucial for assessing spending efficiency and program focus.
Why is officer compensation consistently reported as 0% across all filings?
A consistent 0% officer compensation could indicate a volunteer board and executive leadership, or that compensation is reported under a different category not captured in the 'Officer Comp' metric provided. Further detail from the full 990 filing would be needed to clarify.
What is the long-term strategy for managing the declining asset base, which has decreased from over $44 million to $33.1 million?
The decline in assets suggests either significant investment losses or substantial distributions exceeding investment returns and new contributions. Understanding the foundation's strategy to maintain its endowment is important for its long-term sustainability.
Filing History
IRS 990 filing history for Crain Maling Foundation showing financial trends over 10 years of public records:
Over 10 years of IRS 990 filings (2011–2023), Crain Maling Foundation's revenue has declined by 272.5%, moving from $2.1M to $-3,628,283. Total assets decreased by 6.4% over the same period, from $35.5M to $33.2M. Total functional expenses rose by 36%, from $2.1M to $2.8M. The organization holds $541K in liabilities against $33.2M in assets (debt-to-asset ratio: 1.6%), resulting in net assets of $32.6M.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Liabilities | Officer Comp. % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $-3,628,283 | $2.8M | $33.2M | $541K | — | View 990 |
| 2022 | $1.4M | $2.7M | $39.6M | $520K | — | View 990 |
| 2021 | $2.6M | $2.5M | $40.7M | $530K | — | View 990 |
| 2020 | $-1,718,809 | $2.6M | $40.7M | $347K | — | — |
| 2019 | $2.7M | $3.0M | $44.7M | $562 | — | View 990 |
| 2015 | $5.2M | $2.6M | $44.4M | $0 | — | View 990 |
| 2014 | $3.3M | $1.4M | $41.7M | $0 | — | View 990 |
| 2013 | $3.3M | $1.6M | $39.8M | $0 | — | View 990 |
| 2012 | $4.3M | $1.4M | $38.1M | $0 | — | View 990 |
| 2011 | $2.1M | $2.1M | $35.5M | $6K | — | View 990 |
Year-by-Year Financial Summary
- 2023: Revenue of $-3,628,283, expenses of $2.8M, and assets of $33.2M (revenue -355.2% year-over-year).
- 2022: Revenue of $1.4M, expenses of $2.7M, and assets of $39.6M (revenue -44.3% year-over-year).
- 2021: Revenue of $2.6M, expenses of $2.5M, and assets of $40.7M.
- 2020: Revenue of $-1,718,809, expenses of $2.6M, and assets of $40.7M (revenue -164.6% year-over-year).
- 2019: Revenue of $2.7M, expenses of $3.0M, and assets of $44.7M (revenue -49.2% year-over-year).
- 2015: Revenue of $5.2M, expenses of $2.6M, and assets of $44.4M (revenue +57.0% year-over-year).
- 2014: Revenue of $3.3M, expenses of $1.4M, and assets of $41.7M (revenue +2.0% year-over-year).
- 2013: Revenue of $3.3M, expenses of $1.6M, and assets of $39.8M (revenue -24.8% year-over-year).
- 2012: Revenue of $4.3M, expenses of $1.4M, and assets of $38.1M (revenue +106.7% year-over-year).
- 2011: Revenue of $2.1M, expenses of $2.1M, and assets of $35.5M.
View Individual Filing Years
Explore detailed financial data from each IRS 990 filing year for Crain Maling Foundation:
Data Sources and Methodology
This transparency report for Crain Maling Foundation is generated by NonprofitSpending's AI analysis engine. The data is sourced from publicly available IRS 990 filings accessed through the ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer API and IRS electronic filing records. The Mission Score, spending breakdown, and other analytical insights are produced by artificial intelligence and should be used as one of multiple factors when evaluating a nonprofit organization.
IRS 990 forms are annual information returns that most tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS. These forms provide detailed financial information including revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and compensation of officers. NonprofitSpending processes this data to provide accessible transparency reports for donors, researchers, and the general public.
Disclaimer
AI-generated analysis based on IRS public records. Not financial or legal advice. Verify information directly with the organization.