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3500 LACEY RD STE 100
Downers Grove IL 60515-5439
Downers Grove IL | IRS ruling year: 1999 | EIN: 36-4295421
CREATING IT FUTURES FOUNDATION HELPS POPULATIONS THAT ARE UNDER-REPRESENTED (SEE SCHEDULE O)
Needs Improvement
This charity's score is 65%, earning it a Two-Star rating.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 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.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Creating It Futures Foundation Inc. is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Creating It Futures Foundation Inc. has earned a 56% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2019, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 1/5 - 0/25 ptsBoard Composition - 1/5 - 0/25 pts
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 20/20 pts
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 |
|---|---|
| $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
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the 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
Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the 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
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the 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
Whistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the 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
Website - Listed - 3/3 ptsWebsite - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the 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
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 57.26% - 8/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 57.26% - 8/15 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
| Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Full Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
| 60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 65.52% - 13/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 65.52% - 13/25 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
| Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| 70% or higher | Full Credit |
| 60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
| Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
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.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
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
Activities:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
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 (Creating It Futures Foundation Inc.) or EIN (364295421) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Creating It Futures Foundation Inc. reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Grants Received
Balance Sheet
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Both CompTIA and Creating IT Futures streamlined expenses quite a bit in anticipation of revenue challenges. While we did see challenges with revenue, demand for certifications and other CompTIA products increased, which allowed us to resume operations at our normal levels of budgeting in 2021.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Prior to the pandemic, our programs were in-person. Once lockdown restrictions were in place, we shifted our all of our in-person programs to online very quickly. While >60% of our in-person workshops were converted to online, some of them couldn't be converted because they required in-person attendance.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
We continuously assessed how our shift was working, and asked program/workshop attendees for feedback.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
While we plan on moving back to in-person operations, we will definitely keep online programs as we move forward. Offering programs online has allowed us to expand our footprint to those who weren't in the geographic area of our physical in-person locations.
Not Currently Scored
Creating It Futures Foundation Inc. 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.
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Creating It Futures Foundation Inc. reported its largest program on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
CREATING IT FUTURES FOUNDATION PROGRAMS PUT PEOPLE ON A PATH TO A CAREER IN IT, WHETHER WE ARE WORKING WITH UNEMPLOYED ADULTS OR YOUTH. IN 2019 WE DIRECTLY WORKED TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF MORE THAN 250 ... (More)
CREATING IT FUTURES FOUNDATION PROGRAMS PUT PEOPLE ON A PATH TO A CAREER IN IT, WHETHER WE ARE WORKING WITH UNEMPLOYED ADULTS OR YOUTH. IN 2019 WE DIRECTLY WORKED TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF MORE THAN 250,000 PEOPLE. (Less)
Creating It Futures Foundation Inc. has earned a 100% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
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Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
We serve unemployed, underemployed, and underrepresented demographics in the IT industry.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.)
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
Our staff
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
By receiving feedback from those we serve, we've been able to modify our programs such as IT-Ready and TechGirlz to fit what our participants' needs.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Historically, our IT-Ready program has been 8 weeks long. Recently, we've created a second option based on feedback, which is 16 weeks long.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 100 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 13 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (7/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (6/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Creating It Futures Foundation Inc. has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
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.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Creating IT Futures develops on-ramps to IT Careers. We have proven programs that place adults into the tech workforce, and programs that ignite youth interest in tech careers. Join us in our mission to impact workforce development and STEM education.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Our vision is a tech landscape where demand is met by a robust, invested, and diverse workforce.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Expand our programs to new geographies.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Continue to innovate with bringing more underrepresented talent into the tech pipeline, which includes expanding the scope of programming to include multiple types of programmatic delivery.
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Goal Three: Expand programs to focus on/include new demographics.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Creating IT Futures reimburses employees for leadership training classes they're interested in pursuing, and also organizes LinkedIn Learning sessions to foster professional growth.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
As part of CompTIA, Creating IT Futures works with government organizations such as the Department of Labor and the Department of Education to continue to stay at the forefront of the tech pipeline. We're currently working with the Department of Labor on an extensive tech apprenticeships program.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
2021 marks the 10th anniversary of the Women in Tech Summit (WITS), the only technical conference series featuring all women speakers. To celebrate this momentous milestone – and Women’s History Month – producer Celine Dirkes recently connected with Gloria Bell, co-founder and operations director of WITS, on Creating IT Futures’ award-winning Technologist Talk podcast. Bell shared with Dirkes, who hosts the Technologist Tales companion program, how the WITS mission has evolved during the last 10 years, is evolving now, and will continue to evolve in the decade to come. Dirkes launched the conversation by asking Bell why the WITS mission to educate, inspire and connect women working with technology across the spectrum of industries is critical in the wake of the pandemic. Here’s an edited transcript of their discussion: Gloria Bell: The pandemic, with forcing us to be at home, being apart from each other, has allowed us to find new ways to connect. [But] it has also forced us to have to reconsider how we develop those deep connections. [WITS] was fortunate that we were able to take our in-person events that we run across the country and create a virtual event that we ran in 2020, and that we'll be doing again in 2021. And I think having this mission to educate and inspire and connect women becomes crucial at a time when it's easy for all of us to feel very siloed, to feel very heads down in the work that we're trying to accomplish for our jobs, that we're trying to accomplish in our homes, and with our families. Continue reading the story here: https://www.creatingitfutures.org/resources/blog/creating-it-futures/2021/03/31/how-the-pandemic-deepened-wits-mission-to-educate-inspire-connect-women-in-tech
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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