Transparencies
As a dance service organization, we strive to be accountable to our communities and stakeholders.
2025 Chicago Performance Community Survey
In Fall 2025, Chicago Dancemakers Forum and High Concept Labs—two organizations committed to supporting experimental performance and artistic practice—gathered anonymous information from local artists in Chicago’s performance communities for research, collective advocacy, and program planning purposes. This was a quick check-in of local artists in response to recent and ongoing shifts and losses within Chicago’s performance ecosystem. The Chicago Performance Community Survey Report is a summary of the data and commentary collected from 93 artists, all anonymous.
INVESTMENTS
AUDITS
BUDGET LABS
Since 2020, Chicago Dancemakers Forum has been a Working Artists for the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E).-Certified Organization. This national program operated by W.A.G.E. publicly recognizes nonprofit institutions demonstrating a history of, and commitment to, voluntarily paying artist fairly — to establish a sector-wide standards for compensation, as well as a clear set of guidelines for the conditions under which artistic labor is contracted. While the following rates are imperfectly aligned with the particulars of dance work in our ecosystem, they provide a framework for fair pay benchmarks.
CURRENT MINIMUM PAY RATES FOR CONTRACTED ARTISTS
CONTRACTING
All individuals contracting with Chicago Dancemakers Forum (artists, paid interns, independent contractors, vendors, etc) are provided a window of time to review and edit agreements prior to signing. Staff offer to meet with artists to talk through and explain their agreement.
Policy Against Harassment and Sexual Harassment
Every business in Chicago, including nonprofits, must have a Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy provided to its employees. CDF worked with law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP through a program of Lawyers for the Creative Arts in order to develop this policy.
Bylaws
The purpose of bylaws is to guide a nonprofit board's actions and decisions, as well as the organization's operating rules. Chicago Dancemakers Forum's bylaws were updated in 2021.
2023 General Survey
In March 2023, Chicago Dancemakers Forum issued a short online survey gathering anonymous information from local dancemakers for research, needs assessment, collective advocacy, and program planning purposes.
Strategic Plan
The current plan (2020-2025) is focused on securing the organization’s legacy as a catalyst for innovative dancemaking in Chicago and enabling it to effectively and relevantly support creators and Chicago dance. The plan and planning process were rooted in its history, assessed its internal and external environments, embraced the involvement of its key stakeholders – Board, staff, artists, Consortium, partners, funders, and arts/cultural leaders, and looks toward shared aspirations and goals to lead it forward. We are grateful to Arts Work Fund for its financial support for this process.