Roxanne Smith, Board President at Communities United | communitiesunited.org
Roxanne Smith, Board President at Communities United | communitiesunited.org
The listed appropriations included two grants of $500,000, plus an additional grant of $250,000, all designated for programs or services funded by the State of Illinois.
These appropriations represent state-level funding authorized by lawmakers, reflecting what was approved in the budget, not necessarily disbursed. The funds cover only State of Illinois support and exclude federal, local, or other public sources.
Founded in 2000 by Committed group of community residents, Communities United states that its mission is: “Communities United (CU) is a survivor-led, intergenerational racial justice organization in Chicago. At the heart of CU’s organizing is the development of grassroots leadership to build collective power to achieve racial justice and transformative social change. With this approach, CU focuses on advancing affordable housing, health equity, education justice, youth investment, immigrant rights, and shifting resources from the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems into restorative justice alternatives.”
You can learn more about the organization at its website.
In its most recent IRS Form 990 filing filing for tax year 2024, the organization reported $2,616,990 in total revenue. Of that, $654,876 came from government grants including federal, state, or local sources, making up 25% of total revenue.
The nonprofit listed $2,549,840 in contributions overall. It also reported $1,894,970 categorized under other contributions, which may include restricted donations, pledges, or bequests.
At the beginning of 2024, Communities United had $10,466,100 in assets. By the end of 2024, that figure had changed to $11,590,700, indicating a 10.7% growth in overall holdings.
According to its filing, public funding to Communities United increased in the last year. The group received $485,826 in government grants in 2023, compared to $654,876 in 2024—an increase of 34.8% year-over-year.
However, a Chicago City Wire analysis found that IRS filings frequently contain discrepancies when compared with publicly disclosed government grant reports and budgets.
Communities United is one of hundreds of nonprofits across Illinois that receive substantial support from state taxpayers while also fundraising privately.
In 2025, Illinois lawmakers introduced House Bill 1266, also known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Act. The proposal would create a new oversight body within the Office of the Auditor General tasked with identifying cost-saving measures, reviewing agency performance, and advising on audit priorities. If passed, DOGE could bring additional scrutiny and performance evaluation to taxpayer-funded organizations.
According to ProPublica, Illinois has more than 78,000 active tax-exempt organizations, including nearly 60,000 classified as charitable nonprofits. In their most recent IRS filings, these groups reported a combined revenue exceeding $156 billion.
| Fiscal Year | Total Grants/Contracts | Total Taxpayer $$ |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| Term | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2024 | Deshawn Smith | Board Member |
| 2024-2024 | Diane Limas | Vice President |
| 2024-2024 | Jennifer F Arwade | Co Executive Director |
| 2024-2024 | Michael Brown | Treasurer |
| 2024-2024 | Raul Botello | Co Executive Director |
| 2024-2024 | Richard Khong | Secretary |
| 2024-2024 | Rosa Reyes | Board Memer |
| 2024-2024 | Roxanne Smith | President |
| 2024-2024 | Seneca Oaddams | Board Member (Thru Dec 2023) |
| 2024-2024 | Syed N Mahmood | Board Member |
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