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Chicago IL | IRS ruling year: 1995 | EIN: 36-4024533
Organization Mission
At Girls in the Game every girl finds her voice, discovers her strength and leads with confidence through fun and active sports, health and leadership programs. Girl ... (More)
At Girls in the Game every girl finds her voice, discovers her strength and leads with confidence through fun and active sports, health and leadership programs. Girls in the Game empowers all girls to be gamechangers. Girls in the Game knows that girls are strong and ready to lead. And that given the opportunity they're capable of changing their lives and their communities. Unfortunately, girls lack enrichment opportunities. So in 1995, our founders set out to level the playing field for all girls. Girls in the Game has empowered over 50,000 girls ages 7 to 18 in and beyond Chicago through sports, health, and leadership programming proven to increase physical activity, self-confidence, and leadership skills. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 92%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 4/1/2021 | 2019 | 81.31 |  |
| 3/1/2021 | 2019 | 80.68 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 12/1/2020 | 2019 | 79.95 |  |
| 9/3/2019 | 2018 | 87.11 | |
| 7/1/2018 | 2017 | 84.42 | |
| 3/1/2018 | 2016 | 76.71 | |
Score
Most Recent Fiscal Year:
FY 2022
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
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Full Credit
Partial Credit
No CreditMajority Independent Board Members - 100% independent members8 out of 8 points Majority Independent Board Members - 100% independent members8 out of 8 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. We check to see if at least 50% of board members are indentified as independent on their tax form.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Board Size - 24 independent members7 out of 7 points Independent Board Size - 24 independent members7 out of 7 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. For most organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least three board members. For large, donor-funded organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least five independent board members
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Yes15 out of 15 points Independent Audit or Financial Review - Yes15 out of 15 points
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
| $2 million or higher and 40% or higher donor support | Expected to complete an audit and have an audit oversight committee |
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Material Diversion of Assets - None10 out of 10 points Material Diversion of Assets - None10 out of 10 points
A diversion of assets — any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft — also can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We review the charity's most recent IRS Form 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditWebsite Listed on Tax Form - Listed2 out of 2 points Website Listed on Tax Form - Listed2 out of 2 points
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points Whistleblower Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed4 out of 4 points Document Retention and Destruction - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes2 out of 2 points Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes2 out of 2 points
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the IRS Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditTax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website - Listed4 out of 4 points Tax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website - Listed4 out of 4 points
For almost all charities, we check the charity's IRS Form 990 to see if it discloses that the Form 990 is available on the charity's website. As with the audited financial statement, donors need easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditLiabilities to Assets: Ratio - 14.63%15 out of 15 points Liabilities to Assets: Ratio - 14.63%15 out of 15 points
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent IRS Form 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization's solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense: Ratio - 64.12%18 out of 25 points Program Expense: Ratio - 64.12%18 out of 25 points
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three IRS Forms 990). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
No Data Available
Salary data is coming soon.
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Girls in the Game) or EIN (364024533) in the 'Search Term' field.
Not Currently Scored
Girls in the Game cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Score
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
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Score
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
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Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditMission 10/10 points Mission 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Note: The organization did not respond to this question.
Vision 10/10 points Vision 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Girls in the Game empowers all girls to be gamechangers.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals 20/20 points Goals 20/20 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Increase opportunities and deepen impact so more girls can grow with Girls in the Game: Provide age-appropriate programs for girls ages 7-18 so they stay engaged from elementary through high school.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Listen and respond to the evolving needs of girls we serve: Build strong relationships with our partners to provide vital and informed programming for a diverse community of girls.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Leadership Development 15/15 points Leadership Development 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
All full-time staff are required to complete 25 hours of professional development in consultation with their supervisor. All coaches get receive training in our trauma-informed, strengths-based Best Practices. The organization also leverages partnerships to provide additional training for staff. In December 2019, Girls in the Game hosted a training on trauma and the healing potential of sport conducted by Megan Bartlett, founder of We Coach, which trains coaches in how to utilize sport and sports-based youth development programs in trauma-informed ways based in neuroscience that help youth heal. We have an upcoming training for staff and coaches on responding to and leading curriculum on emotional and mental health.
Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
We fill a unique space in the sports-based youth development field because of our emphasis on girls and our comprehensive approach to programming, which includes health and leadership curricula alongside sport. Our leadership use their external roles to elevate the voices and needs of girls. Our Executive Director, Meghan Morgan, is a co-chair of the Laureus Sport for Good Chicago’s Leadership Council. Meghan was a member of Sport for Good Chicago’s Inaugural Leadership Council, and in that role, she helped to launch Sport for Good Chicago in June 2018. She and Programs Director, Beth Tumiel, sit on the steering committee for Chicago Coalition on Urban Girls (CUUG). The coalition brings together girl-serving organizations to increase capacity and better serve girls. Girls in the Game is currently conducting a needs assessment project focused on the needs of girls in five Chicago neighborhoods; we're convening focus groups, bringing together community residents and institutions.
Adaptability Story 30/30 points Adaptability Story 30/30 points
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
We made the difficult but necessary decision to cease all in-person programming on March 13. Less than a month later, we began offering our first-ever virtual programming. We now offer weekly virtual After School sessions that are open to any interested girl. We’ve also reestablished virtual site-specific After School at twenty-seven different sites due to our diligent, earnest communication with site contacts. For teens, we hold weekly Teen Hangouts, Q&As with health professionals, and virtual Leader to Leader Interviews. Teens also receive a weekly Enewsletter with additional opportunities for engagement and resources (such as college scholarship opportunities, etc.). We host Teen Club at six sites through a mix of virtual and in-person engagement. Site contacts have appreciated our ability to adapt during the pandemic. We run programs for the number of weeks schools request as opposed to our established 10-week-long After School season. We’ve also adjusted the length of sessions and program content. For example, we are working with consultants to create lesson plans on mental and emotional health to be needs-responsive to girls. We’re hosting in-person clinics and one-time Game Days this summer, but we’re also continuing to provide virtual programming. We are building out a virtual engagement option for our Teen Squad for next year because we learned that virtual opportunities removed access barriers for participants. In order to bring the benefits of programming to girls, we assembled and distributed 878 Fitness Packs with health and wellness materials and equipment to girls and teens. Receiving a Fitness Pack, which includes a letter from a coach, is the type of “short burst of positive connection” that can “calm the stress response down” (Megan Bartlett, “Creating Healing-Centered Summer Programs” webinar, May 2021). Girls are reminded that they’re part of the Girls in the Game team. We plan to continue this project in the coming program year.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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