Chicago City Wire

Chicago Parks Foundation, a tax-exempt nonprofit that receives significant public funding to perform services also offered by the state, was approved to receive four grants totaling $1,016,000 in FY2024 for costs associated with capital improvements for Lincoln Park redevelopment, costs associated with landscape improvements, storm water management improvements and sidewalk improvements at Kelly Park, and costs associated with capital improvements to AIDS Garden, according to passed legislation data extracted from the Illinois General Assembly’s FY2024 budget (Public Act 103-0006).

The listed appropriations included grants of $500,000 and $416,000, along with two additional grants totaling $100,001, 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 2012, Chicago Parks Foundation states that its mission is: “Our mission is to build a stronger community dedicated to supporting and conserving our city’s parks.”

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 $4,315,550 in total revenue. Of that, $205,000 came from government grants including federal, state, or local sources, making up 4.8% of total revenue.

The nonprofit listed $3,565,350 in contributions overall. It also reported $3,360,350 categorized under other contributions, which may include restricted donations, pledges, or bequests.

At the beginning of 2024, Chicago Parks Foundation had $8,109,580 in assets. By the end of 2024, that figure had changed to $10,010,300, indicating a 23.4% growth in overall holdings.

According to its filing, public funding to Chicago Parks Foundation declined in the last year, falling from $814,422 in 2023 to $205,000 in 2024—a decrease of 74.8% 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.

Chicago Parks Foundation 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	4	$1,016,001

Term	Name	Title
2024-2024	Bryan Traubert	Board Member
2024-2024	Karen Sheenah	Secretary
2024-2024	Katherine A Mackenzie	Board Member
2024-2024	Mark R Mitten	Board Member
2024-2024	Mark-Hans Richer	Board Member
2024-2024	Matthew Roling	Board Member
2024-2024	Matthew P Jacobson	Board Member
2024-2024	Michael Smith	Board Chair
2024-2024	Michael Lee Erwin	Board Member
2024-2024	Stephen R Quazzo	Vice Chair
2024-2024	Willard L. Lang	Executive Director

Year	Name	Title	Compensation
2017	Sara Beth Kalish		-