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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: February 2025 Expires: April 2027

After School Matters

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
Accreditation seal
(312) 742-4182
66 East Randolph Street
Chicago, IL, 60601
https://afterschoolmatters.org/
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

After School Matters meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
After School Matters' mission is to provide Chicago public high school teens with opportunities to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills for college, careers, and beyond.

Year, State Incorporated:
2000, IL

After School Matters (ASM) offers after school and summer programming in the Arts, Communications & Leadership, Sports, and STEM. Last year, ASM served 17,404 unique teens through 1,609 programs
located across 68 of Chicago's 77 community areas. Of the teens that participated in ASM programs in 2024 95% of teens identified as youth of color and 72% resided in high-poverty community areas.

ASM works to support teens – specifically youth residing in high-poverty communities and youth of color – by fostering their access to protective factors including safe, supportive, and teen-dedicated spaces; financial resources (ASM teen pay); caring adult mentors; structured projects; opportunities to develop skills and build confidence, self-esteem, and identity; opportunities to build relationships with peers; and opportunities to be involved in developing and implementing solutions to issues in their community.

Currently, ASM offers programming at three owned and operated sites, Gallery37 in the downtown Loop neighborhood, the Lutz Center in Belmont-Cragin, and After School Matters at Gately Park in the Pullman neighborhood. In April of 2024, ASM officially purchased a fourth programming location, the Orleans Teen Center in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood, which will serve an additional 1,500 teens annually, starting in the fall of 2025. Each year, ASM partners with more than 100 community-based organizations, Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Library and more, to invigorate community assets and offer out-of-school time programming at sites across Chicago. This broad network of partners and city-wide reach seeks to ensure that all Chicago teens have access to high-quality out-of-school time learning opportunities.


For the year ended June 30, 2024, After School Matters's program expenses were:

Program services $36,859,293
Total Program Expenses $36,859,293

Chief Executive
Mary Ellen Caron, Chief Executive Officer

Chair of the Board
Ms. Mellody Hobson, Board Chairperson

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Ariel Investments, LLC

Board Size
25

Paid Staff Size
118

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Appeals via Social Media (Facebook, etc.)

% of Related Contributions on Fundraising: 5.88%

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on After School Matters's audited financial statements - consolidated for the year ended June 30, 2024.

Source of Funds
Government grants and support $30,057,359
In-kind donations $4,846,176
Contributions and foundation grants $4,356,620
Special event revenue - annual gala $2,761,090
Gain on New Markets Tax Credit transaction $1,787,000
Interest income $721,698
Investment income - net of investment expenses $307,677
Miscellaneous income $138,643
Gallery 37 retail sales $23,316
Loss on disposal of property and equipment $-171,719
Total Income $44,827,860

Programs: 82% Fundraising: 5% Administrative: 13%

Total Income $44,827,860
Total expenses: $45,191,207
  Program expenses $36,859,293
  Fundraising expenses $2,472,797
  Administrative expenses $5,859,117
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-363,347
Beginning Net Assets $63,630,078
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $63,266,731
Total Liabilities $4,739,495
Total Assets $68,006,226

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

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Report completed by:
BBB of Chicago & Northern Illinois