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Non-profit

Interfaith Youth Core

Website:

ifyc.org
Location:

CHICAGO, IL
Tax ID:

30-0212534
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $7,464,691
Expenses: $6,458,253
Assets: $18,598,808
Executive Director:

Eboo Patel
Formation:

2002
Type:

Non-Profit Social Activism

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Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) is a left-of-center nonprofit organization that focuses on creating interreligious dialogue that has shifted its focus to promoting left-of-center ideals on race. The group operates on college campuses around the world by hosting webinars, maintaining campus chapters, and creating online training modules that focus on religious toleration. IFYC also provides grant funding for individuals and organizations that have participated in its programs. 1

On December 23, 2020, IFYC announced that it would begin utilizing leaders of faith communities to promote vaccination against COVID-19 by harnessing community trust in religious institutions to allay all health concerns about the vaccine and to help in its distribution. 2 In July 2020, IFYC received a $6 million donation from left-of-center donor MacKenzie Scott and vowed to use the donation to shift the organization’s focus from interfaith activities to left-progressive “racial and economic justice.” 3

Education Initiatives

Interfaith Youth Core hosts online trainings, in-person events, and research projects to promote interfaith dialogue. IFYC currently hosts the Building Regular Interfaith Dialogue through Generous Engagement (BRIDGE) program, a publicly accessible series of free internet teaching modules that can be tailored to different audiences through 90-minute workshops. 4

In 2020, IFYC shifted its online programming focus to promote a left-of-center narrative around social justice and race relations. IFYC launched “We Are Each Other’s,” a series of online learning modules that provide training in interreligious dialogue, but also encourage young people to engage in left-of-center activism projects, claiming that 2020 revealed the “brokenness of American democracy.” 5 The program is co-sponsored by Weaving Community, the center-left Aspen Institute, and the Inclusive America Project. 6

IFYC also hosts in-person events on college campuses. IFYC hosts the annual Interfaith Leadership Institute, a three-day conference designed to encourage students and college professors to become leaders in the field of interfaith dialogue. 7 IFYC also hosts Better Together Days on college campuses, which bring students together for four days of volunteer work and curriculum on religious toleration. 8

Aside from its conference programs and online modules, IFYC coordinates research studies on religious tolerance. In 2014, IFYC launched the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) research project to track changes in student perceptions of religion and over the course of their college careers, an initiative that continues today. 9 Funding for the IDEALS project is provided in part by left-of-center organizations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Julian Graces Foundation, and the Fetzer Institute. 10 11

Grant Distribution

In addition to its core programming, IFYC provides small grants to individuals who participate in its programs. IFYC currently provides $500 grants to individuals who have completed its online curriculum modules and to educators who use IFYC curriculum in developing courses. 12 IFYC also provides $1,000 grants to college professors who are willing to revise or develop a course in interfaith studies and offers $5,000 grants for colleges and universities to develop an “interfaith studies course sequence” for students wishing to major or minor in interfaith disciplines. 13

Through the We Are Each Other’s initiative, IFYC plans to award a series of $1,000 grants called the Racial Equity and Interfaith Cooperation Awards. Grants may be used by recipients to fund programs based on the modules or merely accepted as “individual compensation for time and energy.” 14

Funding

Interfaith Youth Core has received funding from prominent left-of-center organizations. Based in Chicago and founded by Muslim sociologist and author Eboo Patel, IFYC received its initial funding in the form of a $35,000 grant from the Ford Foundation in 2002. In 2007, IFYC received a $50,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation. 15

On July 28, 2020, IFYC was named as one of MacKenzie Bezos-Scott’s “116 Organizations Driving Change” and received a  $6 million grant which, according to Patel, will be used to shift the organization’s focus to “racial and economic justice.” 16  In 2019, IFYC reported assets in excess of $15 million. 17

References

  1. IFYC. “Curriculum Development Grants.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.ifyc.org/curriculum-development-grants
  2. Patel, Eboo and Raushenbush, Paul. “How to Motivate Millions of Americans to Get Vaccinated? Let Faith Help.” IFYC.org Website. December 23, 2020. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://ifyc.org/article/how-motivate-millions-americans-get-vaccinated-let-faith-help
  3. Smietana, Bob. “Eboo Patel Says $6 million Gift to IFYC Will Jumpstart ‘Interfaith America.’” Religion News.com Website. August 7, 2020. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://religionnews.com/2020/08/07/eboo-patel-says-6-million-gift-to-ifyc-will-jumpstart-interfaith-america/
  4. IFYC. “BRIDGE Curriculum.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://ifyc.org/bridge
  5. IFYC. “We Are Each Other’s.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021.https://ifyc.org/we-are-each-others
  6. IFYC. “We Are Each Other’s.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021.https://ifyc.org/we-are-each-others
  7. IFYC. “ILI Experience.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021.  https://ifyc.org/ili_experience
  8. Better Together Days. “Better Days Impact.” Better Together Days.com Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021.   https://www.bettertogetherdays.com/
  9. Guidestar. “Interfaith Youth Core.” Guidestar.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/30-0212534
  10. Guidestar. “Interfaith Youth Core.” Guidestar.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/30-0212534
  11. IFYC. “IDEALS.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.ifyc.org/ideals
  12. IFYC. “We Are Each Other’s Fund: Curriculum Grants.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.ifyc.org/we-are-each-others-fund-campaign-curriculum-awards
  13. IFYC. “Curriculum Development Grants.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.ifyc.org/curriculum-development-grants
  14. IFYC. “We Are Each Other’s Fund: Racial Equity and Interfaith Cooperation Awards.” IFYC.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.ifyc.org/we-are-each-others-fund-racial-equity-interfaith-cooperation-awards
  15. Carnegie Corporation of New York. “Interfaith Youth Core.” Carnegie.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://www.carnegie.org/grants/grants-database/grantee/interfaith-youth-core/#!/grants/grants-database/grant/31251.0/ 
  16. Smietana, Bob. “Eboo Patel Says $6 million Gift to IFYC Will Jumpstart ‘Interfaith America.’” Religion News.com Website. August 7, 2020. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://religionnews.com/2020/08/07/eboo-patel-says-6-million-gift-to-ifyc-will-jumpstart-interfaith-america/
  17. Pro Publica. “Interfaith Youth Core.” Propublica.org Website. Undated. Accessed January 4, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/300212534/08_2020_prefixes_27-34%2F300212534_201907_990_2020081417236643
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: July - June
  • Tax Exemption Received: April 1, 2004

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 Jul Form 990 $7,464,691 $6,458,253 $18,598,808 $684,812 N $6,784,330 $659,924 $8,802 $501,504 PDF
    2016 Jul Form 990 $6,562,294 $6,478,688 $17,127,980 $223,254 N $5,951,392 $610,553 $5,770 $474,897
    2015 Jul Form 990 $12,773,463 $4,537,327 $17,016,721 $195,729 N $12,278,547 $490,751 $1,491 $400,108 PDF
    2014 Jul Form 990 $4,579,695 $4,643,724 $9,148,394 $563,538 N $3,944,241 $630,893 $1,925 $365,614 PDF
    2013 Jul Form 990 $9,865,202 $3,617,267 $8,888,185 $239,300 N $9,206,924 $650,879 $1,781 $485,194 PDF
    2012 Jul Form 990 $3,393,132 $3,773,451 $2,629,632 $228,682 N $2,744,699 $644,797 $210 $312,597 PDF
    2011 Jul Form 990 $3,164,665 $3,710,711 $3,015,068 $233,799 N $2,415,877 $739,359 $947 $653,337 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Interfaith Youth Core

    141 W JACKSON BLVD STE 3200
    CHICAGO, IL 60604-3208