Circle Urban Ministries 
The information in this column was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 8/23/2021. To update the information in this column, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
Summary
Circle Urban Ministries' campus hosts programs to address poverty, housing, hunger, education, drug/alcohol dependency, medical and legal issues. Circle Urban Ministries is working to make the Austin community a better place to live, learn, grow and succeed. We take a four-pronged, asset-based approach to community development:
Inspire Children
Engage Partners
Empower Communities
Equip Families
Contact information
Mailing address:
Circle Urban Ministries
118 N Central Ave.
Chicago, IL 60644-3199
Website: www.circleurban.org
Phone: (773) 921-1446
Email: info@circleurban.org
Organization details
EIN: 363136997
CEO/President: James Borishade
Chairman: Kevin Viravec
Board size: 7
Founder:
Year founded: 1983
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 06/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 1989
Purpose
Circle Urban Ministries, Inc. ("CRCL") is an Illinois based organization that was incorporated in 1981. Its stated purpose is to provide quality professional services in a Christian environment by developing and fostering Christian service programs committed to assisting low income individuals and families primarily on the West side of Chicago.
CRCL operates primarily on contributions and grants. The programs currently offered by CRCL include providing food, clothing, shelter and emergency care; counseling and job training for the unemployed; youth leadership development, education and evangelism, economic development, and a small elementary preparatory school for kindergarten through fourth grade.
CRCL includes Circle Christian Development Corporation ("CCDC") and its wholly owned subsidiary, Austin Real Estate and Investment Corporation ("AREIC"), and Circle Automotive Industries, Inc. ("CAI"). CCDC, a nonprofit corporation, is the owner, general partner and manager of certain inner city ministry-related properties through AREIC. CCDC's purpose is to develop rental properties for low and moderate-income tenants. CAI provides job training assistance to Chicago's Austin community residents.
Mission statement
Statement of faith
Transparency grade
C
To understand our transparency grade, click here.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Community Development
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 741 of 941 | 47 of 59 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 905 of 943 | 57 of 59 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 943 of 943 | 59 of 59 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 58 of 941 | 5 of 59 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Sector median | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 10% | 34% | 35% | 18% | 30% | 32% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 17% | 9% | 6% | 11% | 12% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 77% | 49% | 26% | 35% | 37% | 38% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 7% | 11% | 12% | 6% | 10% | 11% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 23% | 51% | 74% | 65% | 63% | 62% |
| Operating ratios | Sector median | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 81% | 29% | 57% | 37% | 76% | 75% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 95% | 158% | 74% | 109% | 112% | 111% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 76% | 45% | 42% | 40% | 85% | 83% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 5% | -58% | 26% | -9% | -12% | -11% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 5% | -126% | 52% | -23% | -28% | -21% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 12% | 61% | 31% | 58% | 14% | 14% |
| Investing ratios | Sector median | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 0.86 | 1.69 | 1.22 | 1.96 | 1.59 | 1.33 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.72 | 6.12 | 1.64 | 4.33 | 8.79 | 5.34 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 1.75 | 10.34 | 2.01 | 8.48 | 13.98 | 7.10 |
| Liquidity ratios | Sector median | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 7.29 | 0.56 | 5.04 | 1.21 | 0.33 | 0.51 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.13 | 1.78 | 0.20 | 0.83 | 3.01 | 1.96 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.82 | -0.90 | 4.80 | 0.25 | -1.73 | -1.63 |
| Solvency ratios | Sector median | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 14% | 51% | 18% | 33% | 39% | 37% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 3% | 22% | 6% | 10% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 85% | 29% | 67% | 34% | 38% | 48% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Cash | $89,244 | $335,518 | $102,208 | $85,721 | $149,843 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $34,040 | $345,084 | $51,429 | $24,421 | $74,040 |
| Short-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $123,284 | $680,602 | $153,637 | $110,142 | $223,883 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $366,678 | $402,466 | $451,466 | $857,432 | $971,169 |
| Other long-term assets | $264,488 | $32,866 | $60,260 | $500 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $631,166 | $435,332 | $511,726 | $857,932 | $971,169 |
| Total assets | $754,450 | $1,115,934 | $665,363 | $968,074 | $1,195,052 |
| Liabilities | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $219,394 | $135,070 | $126,780 | $161,165 | $183,439 |
| Other current liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $170,712 | $256,068 |
| Total current liabilities | $219,394 | $135,070 | $126,780 | $331,877 | $439,507 |
| Debt | $166,350 | $69,340 | $66,772 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $23,926 | $45,873 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $166,350 | $69,340 | $90,698 | $45,873 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $385,744 | $204,410 | $217,478 | $377,750 | $439,507 |
| Net assets | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Without donor restrictions | $368,706 | $911,524 | $447,885 | $590,324 | $743,545 |
| With donor restrictions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $12,000 |
| Net assets | $368,706 | $911,524 | $447,885 | $590,324 | $755,545 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Total contributions | $392,275 | $486,869 | $422,342 | $513,401 | $549,593 |
| Program service revenue | $403,723 | $584,602 | $741,426 | $854,399 | $870,726 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $0 | $745,908 | $73 | $387 | $571 |
| Other revenue | $12,484 | $24,436 | $34,977 | $6,118 | $9,677 |
| Total other revenue | $416,207 | $1,354,946 | $776,476 | $860,904 | $880,974 |
| Total revenue | $808,482 | $1,841,815 | $1,198,818 | $1,374,305 | $1,430,567 |
| Expenses | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Program services | $365,864 | $773,079 | $477,026 | $1,169,799 | $1,188,288 |
| Management and general | $774,153 | $421,349 | $750,362 | $215,517 | $222,875 |
| Fundraising | $134,391 | $170,296 | $75,875 | $154,210 | $178,044 |
| Total expenses | $1,274,408 | $1,364,724 | $1,303,263 | $1,539,526 | $1,589,207 |
| Change in net assets | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($465,926) | $477,091 | ($104,445) | ($165,221) | ($158,640) |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($465,926) | $477,091 | ($104,445) | ($165,221) | ($158,640) |
Compensation
| Name | Title | Compensation |
| George Wilson | Executive Di | $80,673 |
Compensation data as of: 6/30/2015
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 8/23/2021. To update the information below, please email: info@ministrywatch.com
History
In the early 1970's the Austin community on Chicago's far west side was in the midst of major transition. The neighborhood's white residents were fleeing the area as African-Americans moved further west into Austin. Real estate values were plummeting, community services were disappearing, drugs and prostitution were becoming commonplace.
At the same time a group of twenty-something's from a racially diverse urban church were hearing the Lord call them to take some radical action. Called to live out their faith in a new way, they formed an intentional Christian community called the Austin Community Fellowship, shared resources, and a shared vision to impact a declining community with God's love. Circle Urban Ministries (originally Circle Community Center) was born after about a year after their arrival in Austin as an outreach arm of Circle Church Free Church (Pastor Clarence Mains). Glen Kehrein was hired to head up the operations at the Circle Community Center.
We began in 1974 in a storefront with a drop-in youth center. Soon joining Glen were professionals from the Austin Community Fellowship who started other arms of the ministry. A social worker opened a counseling center. A lawyer started a legal clinic. A doctor started a medical clinic. In 1975 Circle Church purchased a former Catholic rectory so that the fledgling ministry could have space to grow.
The ministry took a major step in 1983 when we joined in a faith-and-works partnership with newly planted Rock of our Salvation Evangelical Free Church.
Today, more than 40 years later, Circle has had a strong and widely felt impact on Austin for good and for God. With programs to address family needs, poverty, housing, hunger, education, drug/alcohol dependency, medical, and legal issues, we have seen God's love working through our hands and hearts impact thousands of lives.
The story of Circle Urban Ministries continues to be written...In addition to the programs and staff, our volunteer friends and partners have played a major role in Circle's impact on our community.