It’s up to us, the Owners, friends, and supporters of the Co-op, to provide a portion of funding for our store. Donations at any size make an impact — they ripple through our community once we open, providing jobs, community support, healthy local food, and more. 

There are two ways to donate to Chicago Market:
(and there's a recurring option for both)

1. Donate directly (not tax-deductible)	2. Donate through our fiscal sponsor (tax-deductible)
Or you may mail a check to: Chicago Market P.O. Box 408560 Chicago, IL 60640 Please note that contributions made to Chicago Market directly are NOT tax-deductible.	Checks should be made out to Cooperative Development Fund of CDS and mailed to: Chicago Market P.O. Box 408560 Chicago, IL 60640 Donations made to CDS Fund are tax-deductible. (see below)

Would you like to donate to provide Ownerships to others?

Learn more and donate to our
Ownership Grant Program.

• Tax-deductible donations to Chicago Market can be made through our fiscal sponsor, The Cooperative Development Fund of CDS (Cooperative Development Services). The mission of the fund is to support the wise use of cooperative approaches through education and development. The organization meets the requirements for a charitable and educational institution as described in Chapter 501(c)3 of the federal tax code, and demonstrates compliance by filing annual financial statements (Form 990) with the IRS.
  
  
• There is no minimum donation amount.
• The Fund is registered to receive charitable donations from our supporters in all states that require registration, but not in Washington, DC. 
• Charitable donations of $250 and above will be recognized in writing by the Fund. Donors will need such letters for their records should they seek to deduct their gift on their tax returns. Donors of less than $250 have other options for supporting their claim of deductibility and do not require a written letter of acknowledgement from the Fund.
• Donation of Stock
  Working with the Cooperative Development Fund of CDS as our fiscal sponsor also allows us to accept donations of publicly traded stock. Please contact us first so we can ensure a smooth process; we will likely need to involve your stock brokerage and use specific forms to direct the transfer of your stock, which will be sold after transfer, with the proceeds used to support our Co-op.
• Contribution from Donor Advised Funds
  If you have contributed to a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), you are able to request your DAF to make a contribution to the Cooperative Development Fund of CDS. Our fiscal sponsor may already be registered with your DAF as an eligible recipient, but if not, we can assist. Contact us if you need information.
• Contributions from a Retirement Account/Required Minimum Distribution
  You may also make a direct contribution as part of a Required Minimum Distribution from a retirement account. Always consult your investment advisor for more information about your specific situation. In general, individuals can make a charitable contribution of up to $100,000 as a means of satisfying requirements for an annual Required Minimum Distribution.
• Administrative fees: The Fund will deduct administrative fees on all donations. Administrative fees are used to cover expenses such as staff time to review the project and create an MOU; staff time to research, develop, file, and maintain state registrations; accounting, audit expenses, and check fees, among others. Fee levels may change in the future based on actual costs incurred for program administration. Our current fee schedule is:
  • For charitable contributions, an administrative fee will be assessed at the rate of 10% of the first $75,000 in contributions; a marginal rate of 8% for contributions in excess of $75,000 but less than $125,000; a marginal rate of 6% on all contributions in excess of an aggregated $125,000. This amount may be revised annually to reflect actual costs of program operation and regulatory compliance.
  • For each foundation grant where the Fund serves as fiscal agent, an administrative fee of 10% of the first $5000 of grant funds plus 5% of funds awarded in excess of $5000. This amount may be revised annually to reflect actual costs of program operation and regulatory compliance.
  • For fiscal sponsorship of federal, state or local government grants, the management fee will be negotiated with the co-op client during the pre-submission discussions but will not exceed the standard de minimis indirect cost recovery rate permitted by the program. (For most federal and state grants, this is currently about 10%). This is because each government program has unique requirements placed on grant recipients, including but not limited to grant payment/reimbursement structure, reporting requirements, legal or accounting requirements, and other conditions of the public grant.
    
    
• Our full Memorandum of Understanding with CDS Fund can be read here (pdf).