How Nonprofits Spend Money in Illinois

Nonprofit spending analysis for Illinois: 84% goes to programs, 11% to administration, 5% to fundraising. Based on 566 organizations.

9,987Total Nonprofits
566Report Spending
84%Avg Programs
11%Avg Admin
5%Avg Fundraising
$303.4BTotal Revenue
84% Programs
11% Admin
5% Fund

Spending Analysis

Among 9,987 nonprofits in Illinois, 566 report detailed spending breakdowns. On average, 84% of expenses go directly to charitable programs, 11% to administrative costs, and 5% to fundraising activities.

Illinois nonprofits demonstrate strong program efficiency, with the average organization directing 84% of spending to programs — above the widely-cited 75% benchmark used by charity watchdog organizations.

The 566 organizations collectively manage $303.4B in revenue and $480.4B in assets, making spending efficiency a critical metric for the charitable sector in Illinois.

Most Efficient Nonprofits in Illinois

#OrganizationProgram %RevenueScore
1The Raymond Frankel Foundation100%$16.0M95/100
2Black Hawk College Health Benefit Plan Tr100%$7.2M95/100
3Ed Uihlein Family Foundation100%$7.7M95/100
4Dana Non Union Retiree Veba Trust100%$14.7M85/100
5Land Of Lincoln Community Law Centers Nfp100%$392K95/100
6Illinois Association Of Free And Charitable Clinics99%$9.3M95/100
7Bristol Myers Squibb Company Long Term Disability Income Plan & Tr95%$18.3M90/100
8Booth Ferris Foundation95%$44.1M90/100
9Rosalind P Walter Foundation95%$16.7M90/100
10R L Zuhlke Charitable Tr P6032400495%$8.9M95/100
11Renate Hans And Maria Hofmann Trust95%$11.6M95/100
12T Kendall Hunt Family Foundation Inc95%$5.8M90/100
13James And Brenda Grusecki Family Foundation95%$34.6M90/100
14Sauk Valley Foodbank95%$4.5M92/100
15Avrum Gray Family Fund95%$774K90/100
16Apostolic Christian Home Foundation95%$700K92/100
17George M Van Cleave Family Foundation95%$5.0M90/100
18Barbara Ann Steel Charitable Foundation95%$1.5M90/100
19Beryl O And Wilma Sime Roundycharitable Foundation95%$4.9M92/100
20The Amy Falls And Hartley Rogers Foundation95%$9.7M90/100
21Winnetka Parent Teacher Organization95%$495K92/100
22Taxman Family Foundation95%$5.8M90/100
23Ehlert Family Foundation95%$2.0M90/100
24Richard L Gray Perpetual Charitable Tr95%$923K90/100
25Martha Hursh Yowell Charitable Tr95%$1.4M90/100
26Palmer And Jane D Davenport Foundation95%$1.3M92/100
27Hendrickson Family Foundation95%$3.9M90/100
28Clinton Community Educationalfoundation95%$553K98/100
29Montessori Connection Nfp94%$1.8M95/100
30American Friends Of Tomer Devorah Inc92%$2.7M90/100
31Jcpe Investments N F P90%$5.1M95/100
32Asian Human Services Family Health Center Inc90%$16.4M92/100
33Chicago Tap Theatre Nfp90%$391K92/100
34First Defense Legal Aid90%$853K92/100
35Aurora Area African American Men Of Unity90%$1.3M95/100
36Tmg Foundation90%$941K95/100
37Douglas Center90%$2.3M92/100
38Polaris Charter Academy90%$6.1M85/100
39Chicago Community Land Trust90%$1.0M92/100
40Corporate Leadership Center90%$5.5M92/100
41Academy For Global Citizenship Charter School90%$16.3M95/100
42Elks National Veterans Service Commission90%$8.1M85/100
43Ludhiana Christian Medical College Board U S A Inc90%$2.2M90/100
44World Medical Association Inc90%$4.6M92/100
45Arthur K Watson Charitable Tr Uw90%$2.6M75/100
46T 7291 Howard Young Medical Center Trust90%$12.0M85/100
47Irving A Hansen Memorial Foundation90%$2.2M90/100
48Dz Liebmann Fund 742801890%$11.1M85/100
49Dorothy And Lillian Gish Prize Tr90%$1.6M85/100
50Arias Us Inc90%$1.2M90/100

Least Efficient Nonprofits in Illinois

#OrganizationProgram %Revenue
1American Osteopathic Academy Of Addiction Medicine40%$689K
2Franklin Square Foundation70%$603K
3The Kwame Nkrumah Academy Inc70%$2.0M
4Muscular Dystrophy Association70%$87.5M
5American Society Of Home Inspectors70%$2.8M
6Cedar Hill Foundation70%$4.2M
7Phelps Trust Fbo Tuttle Fund70%$6.0M
8Mary Caroline Phelps Tr For Aging In America70%$2.9M
9Lohengrin Foundation Inc70%$5.8M
10Association For Corporate Growth Inc70%$27.3M
11Charles Busch Cemetary Trust 0735660 Uw Fbo70%$8.3M
12Schmidt Family Foundation70%$5.4M
13The Hajim Family Foundation70%$4.0M
14Tensor Foundation70%$815K
15Fred & Harriett Taylor Foundation70%$2.8M
16Hopebound Ministries Inc70%$596K
17Urban Prep Academies70%$6.5M
18American Property Casualty Insurance Association70%$82.0M
19The First Spoke Foundation70%$4.5M
20Holiness Homes Of Vision70%$1.0M

Related Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Illinois nonprofits spend their money?

On average, Illinois nonprofits spend 84% on programs, 11% on administration, and 5% on fundraising. This is based on IRS 990 data from 566 organizations.

What is a good program expense ratio?

Most charity evaluators consider 75% or higher to be a strong program expense ratio. In Illinois, the average is 84%.

How can I find the most efficient nonprofits?

The table above ranks Illinois nonprofits by program spending percentage. You can also use our Rankings page to find the most efficient organizations nationally or by state.