PLATINUM2024

Special Olympics Illinois

Choose to Include

aka SO ILL   |   Normal, IL   |  www.soill.org

Mission

Provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Ruling year info

1977

President and CEO

Mr Peter Beale-DelVecchio

Main address

605 E Willow

Normal, IL 61761 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Illinois Special Olympics

EIN

36-2922811

NTEE code info

Human Service Organizations (P20)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2022, 2021 and 2020.
Register now

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Using sport as the vehicle, breakdown social barriers to build a more inclusive communities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Olympic-style Sports Training and Competition

Year-round sports training and competition opportunities in 18 different sports.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adults

The Family Network - support, services and information for those who have a family member with an intellectual disability.

Population(s) Served
Families

Athlete Leadership Programs prepare athletes to serve in meaningful leadership roles throughout the organization. Through ALPs, athletes are acting in leadership roles beyond the playing field or sports competition.

Opportunities for athletes through the ALPs program include: Board of Director member; Local/Regional Committee member; Games Management; Global Messenger; Input Council; Coaching; Volunteer; Donor.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adults

The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program offers health services and information to athletes in need. In the process, Special Olympics has become the largest global public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics Illinois currently offers 6 different health screening programs throughout the state: FUNFitness (physical therapy), TRAIN (Testing Recreational Activities and Improving Nutrition), Healthy Hearing (audiology), MedFest (sports physical exam), Opening Eyes (vision), and Special Smiles (dentistry).

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adults

The Young Athletes program is an innovative sports play program for children ages 2-7 with intellectual disabilities and their peers, designed to introduce them into the world of sports. This program will prove enormously beneficial on multiple levels for your child. First and foremost, these activities will help the children improve physically, cognitively and socially. It will also serve as an introduction to the world of Special Olympics while showing resources and support available within Special Olympics Illinois.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools (UCS) is an all ages education based program that is supported through the Federal Department of Education. There are many moving parts to UCS, though they all share one driving force: the goal of activating young people and giving them the tools, skills, dispositions, and opportunities to build change and to motivate their schools to have true cultures of inclusiveness.

Unified Champion Schools' diverse activities can be grouped into three major components: Inclusive Sports, Youth Leadership and Advocacy, and Whole School Engagement. Each is a vital and required element of a Special Olympics Unified Champion School.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Adolescents

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Better Business Bureau 2022

Better Business Bureau 2023

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of Children and Adults with and without intellectual disabilities served each year.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

People with disabilities

Related Program

Olympic-style Sports Training and Competition

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

As we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and expand our programming, this metric now accurates reflects all the direct recipients of our programming, athletes with & without intellectual disabilities.

Number of children with intellectual disabilities, ages 2 to 7, participating in a sports-play program for physical fitness and gross-motor skills development.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth, People with intellectual disabilities

Related Program

Young Athletes

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

This number has declined over the past few years as requirements for participation have increased to include opportunities for participation be available once they reach their 8th birthday and beyond.

Number of schools actively participating in unifying students with intellectual disabilities with their peers without intellectual disabilies in efforts to breakdown sterotypes and foster inclusion.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Children and youth

Related Program

Unified Champion Schools

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We have seen a great increase in participation as funding has allowed us to have dedicated staff in the city of Chicago expanding the program in Chicago Public Schools.

Number of community volunteers assisting at events throughout each year.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults

Related Program

Olympic-style Sports Training and Competition

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

As our participation declined, so did the need and availability of volunteers. As our events are slowly growing back to pre-pandemic levels, we are working hard to bring back the volunteer support.

Number of individuals with intellectual disabilities serving in leadership roles with the organization.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

People with intellectual disabilities

Related Program

Athlete Leadership program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

This includes the 3 individuals with intellectual disabilities that serve on our Board of Directors and the 18 that sit on our Athlete Input Council along with a new robust training corriculum.

Number of children and adults with intellectual disabilities receiving free Health Screenings and participating in free Health-based education events.

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

People with learning disabilities

Related Program

Healthy Athletes

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Screenings and impressions include sports physicals, vision, hearing, dental, foot and fitness screenings and sun safety and hydration education.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Special Olympics Illinois (SOILL) will be a global leader in shaping a culture where people with and without intellectual disabilities are fully integrated into the community by providing year round opportunities in competitive sports, health education, leadership and personal development.
Fundamental to its strategic plan and vision are two cornerstones. SOILL is a competitive sports organization and all programming and initiatives are rooted in this identity and it will strive to keep “Athletes First” in all its decision-making.
SOILL objectives and priorities fall under one or more key themes, Reach More Athletes, Raise More Resources and Improve the Athlete Experience.

Reach More Athletes - growth strategy and execution plans developed with non-participating, current and lapsed participating agencies that results in continual growth in the number of athletes served. This will be achieved by Educating Communities, Outreach Strategies, Diversity and Inclusion objectives and developing sports programming for all.

Raise More Resources - strategic plans to raise more revenue to support, sustain and foster growth in program participants and opportunities. This will be achieved through Fiscal Accountability, Deepening our Partnerships and Diversifying our Revenue.

Improve Athlete Experience - continual evaluation and improvement of programs to match constituents' needs and resources available. This will be achieved thorough Healthy Lifestyles programming, Training and Education, Utilizing Technology and Athlete and Family Leadership.

A robust 5-year Strategic Plan has been developed with the input and thought leadership of the Special Olympics Illinois (SOILL) Board of Directors, Team Members and Constituents. A year-long survey and statewide town hall meetings lead to the creation of a new vision statement that will excite and engage its constituents through 11 strategic priorities.
These priorities, their key performance indicators and tactics for success will be outlined and assigned a timeline within the next 5 years. Detailed milestones will be established within the KPI to measure success and progress through metrics.
Monthly updates to the SOILL Team will keep members abreast of the progress of each and allow for planning, review and adjustments as needed to achieve the goals.
SOILL will also make its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan available on its website, www.soill.org, for public viewing and to provide opportunities for deepening partnerships through shared goals with its supporters.

Reach More Athletes - we have sustained 20+ years of continual growth, adding approximately 1 - 2% annually.

Raise More Resources - Revenues have continued to increase with new and fresh marketing strategies for events and a focus on acquiring expense-relieving in-kind and employer matching gifts.

Improve Athlete Experience - all staff are working in a single database for games management allowing the team to collaborate on events and provide accurate eligibility information to the field in real time. Additional success has been had in live streaming events and results providing a more professional presentation of the Games.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • 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, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is hard to come up with good questions to ask people

Financials

Special Olympics Illinois
lock

Unlock financial insights by subscribing to our monthly plan.

Subscribe

Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more about GuideStar Pro.

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Special Olympics Illinois

Board of directors
as of 02/28/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mrs. Brook Klawitter

USG Corporation

Term: 2021 - 2024

Jim Corrigan

Ausdal Financial Partners

Tom Murray

Retired - Sargent & Lundy, retired

Jim Pieper

TransUnion

Karen Atwood

Retired - Health Care Service Corporation

Tom Cox

McCarthy, Duffy LLP

Brook Klawitter

USG

Scott Paddock

Chicagoland Speedway & Route 66 Raceway

Chad Rollins

William BeDell ARC

Angelo Russo

McGuire Woods LLP

Kathy Schniedwind

Illinois State University, retired

Tom Thompson

Citizens Financial Group

Bill Asbury

Roland Machinery

Rob Johnson

Rob Johnson Communications

Kristin Achterof

Katten Muchin Rosenman

Wheeler Coleman

Executive Consultants United, LLC

Colleen Costello

Athlete Leader

Dan Freed

Oakland Athletics

Adam Garrett

Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7

Steve Hamman

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

Jill Mehrberg

Robert Reiter

Chicago Federation of Labor

Zack Reynolds

Diversified Search

Randy Schaab

Retired - State Farm

Jenny Sepulveda

Guaranteed Rate

Eileen Sethna

Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC

Terry Wheat

Retired - The Joint Commission

Karen Wilson

Retired - MAKE Corporation

William Doerfler

Retired - Knights of Columbus

Alexander Huegen

Athlete Leader

Scott Morgan

Health Care Services Corporation

Lorelie Parolin

McDonald's Corporation

Daniel Romero

Evertree

Tim Ryan

Laborer's Health and Safety Fund of North America

Eric Smith

Retired - Sherman Police Department

Michael Smyth

Wintrust Wealth Management

Bernita Thigpen

KPMG

Heidi Weber

Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund

Deanna West

John Deere

Nancy Wiora

Retired - Naperville Community Unit School District 203

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/28/2024
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 07/14/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • 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 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.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • 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.