Comfort Station Logan Square

What Comfort Station Logan Square does

Comfort Station Logan Square is a 501c3 nonprofit multidisciplinary arts organization that operates from a historic 1920s City of Chicago-owned building at 2579 N. Milwaukee Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood, originally constructed as a warming station for transit riders. Founded in 2011 as a grassroots initiative under Logan Square Preservation and incorporated as an independent nonprofit in 2016, the organization runs a year-round calendar of free public programming including monthly rotating art exhibitions, weekly Thursday Comfort Music concerts, weekly Wednesday Comfort Film screenings, public lectures, workshops, and special projects such as the annual VIVA LA VIDA Dia de Muertos celebration and the Force and Motion outdoor performance series staged on the SCAFFOLD modular outdoor platform.

The organization is community-led and historically volunteer-run; in 2022 it hired its first two part-time salaried employees — Executive Director Jordan Martins (involved since the 2011 founding) and Artistic Director Katie Rauth — with payroll representing 25% of the operating budget. All regular programming is free and open to the public under terms of the city lease, with voluntary donations split 60/40 between artists/show runners and the organization. Technology is limited to a Squarespace website, Instagram, Facebook, and email newsletter; no proprietary technology, AI, or software products are developed or licensed.

The revenue model is a nonprofit mix dominated by foundation grants (42.3% of FY2022 revenue) and fundraising events (31.1%), supplemented by government grants from DCASE (12.9%), individual donations (6.4%), corporate contributions (2.7%), and board giving (1.6%). FY2022 total revenue was $111,080 against expenses of $111,617, up from $80,165 in FY2021. Major funders include the MacArthur Foundation, Driehaus Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Builder's Initiative, and The ArtsWork Fund. In 2025 the organization publicly announced a transition, winding down 2025 programming for a planned building renovation with a leadership change slated for 2026.

Name

Comfort Station Logan Square

Legal name

Comfort Station NFP

Website

https://comfortstationlogansquare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Comfort Station Logan Square is a 501c3 nonprofit arts organization that runs free exhibitions, weekly music and film series, and community events from a historic 1920s city-owned building in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, funded primarily by foundation grants and benefit events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: 42.3% of 2022 revenue ($47,000+). Major funders include Driehaus Foundation, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Builder's Initiative, The ArtsWork Fund, and MacArthur Foundation International Connections Fund ($50,000 grant in 2018).
2. Fundraising Events: 31.1% of 2022 revenue. Includes annual Logan Square Chefs Dinner, Home Comforts auction (artist commissions and existing works), and Native Plant Sale. Home Comforts 2020 raised $32,000 with $20,000 going to artists.
3. Government Grants: 12.9% of 2022 revenue ($14,000+). Includes DCASE (Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events) grants supporting outdoor programming and SCAFFOLD structure.
4. Individual Donations: 6.4% of 2022 revenue. Includes event donations and monthly donor program launched in 2023. Monthly donors at $5+ receive limited edition risograph posters.
5. Corporate Contributions: 2.7% of 2022 revenue. Includes partnerships like Middle Brow Beer Company's Comfort Ale, where proceeds from each sale support programming.
6. Board Giving: 1.6% of 2022 revenue from board member contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Comfort Station is a nonprofit multidisciplinary arts organization that curates and presents free public programming — including monthly art exhibitions, weekly Comfort Music concerts (Thursdays), weekly Comfort Film screenings (Wednesdays), public lectures, workshops, and special community projects — from a historic 1920s City of Chicago-owned building in Logan Square. Programming is produced via open calls, volunteer programmers, and partnerships, with 34% of the operating budget going directly to artist fees and donations split 60/40 between artists/show runners and the organization.

Product overview

Comfort Station is a nonprofit multidisciplinary arts organization offering a single unified program of free public cultural events. The core offerings consist of art exhibitions (approximately 10 per year), Comfort Music (weekly Thursday concerts), and Comfort Film (weekly Wednesday screenings), supplemented by public lectures, special projects like Force and Motion and Dia de Muertos celebrations, fundraising initiatives including the annual Home Comforts auction and Native Plant Sale, and the SCAFFOLD outdoor structure for lawn activations. The organization operates as a volunteer-run collective with occasional paid staff positions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Comfort Film: Weekly film screening program featuring local, national, and international films, including debuts by independent filmmakers and experimental work.
• Comfort Music
• Artists to Watch

Products and services

• Art Exhibitions Free monthly rotating art exhibitions featuring emerging and established Chicago artists, displayed inside the historic Comfort Station building. Open to the public with no admission fee.
• Comfort Music Weekly Thursday concert series featuring local, national, and international musicians performing in the intimate indoor space. Free admission with voluntary donations split 60/40 between artists and the organization.
• Comfort Film Weekly Wednesday film screening series presenting local, independent, national, and international films, including debuts by independent filmmakers, niche titles from obscure archives, and experimental filmmaking.
• Native Plant Sale Annual spring plant sale offering pre-made kits for various garden conditions (Full Sun Pollinator, Partial Shade Pollinator, Rain Garden, Medicinal/Herbal Garden, Full Shade Garden), priced $65–$110 per kit (30-40 sq ft coverage). Proceeds benefit free public programming.
• Logan Square Chefs Dinner Annual benefit dinner hosted by Lula Café's Jason Hammel, priced at $200 per person including all food, drinks, tax, and tip. Largest single annual fundraising event supporting Comfort Station's free programming.
• Holiday Benefit Concert Intimate benefit concert during the holiday season with tickets priced at $50 each. Proceeds support Comfort Station's free public programming.
• Monthly Donor Program Recurring monthly donation subscription at $5/month minimum. Monthly donors receive a limited edition risograph poster. Goal of 25 new monthly donors in 2023.
• Home Comforts Auction Annual auction featuring commissioned works and existing pieces from Chicago artists. Proceeds split between artists and the organization; inaugural 2020 auction raised $32,000 with $20,000 going to artists.
• VIVA LA VIDA / Dia de Muertos Annual Dia de Muertos community celebration featuring ofrenda altar installations, live music, drag performances, and Aztec ceremonial dances, co-produced with Palenque LSNA.
• Force and Motion Month-long outdoor performance program utilizing the SCAFFOLD modular platform for active performances and installations rather than traditional gallery exhibitions.
• Artists to Watch Artist exhibition and recognition program highlighting featured Chicago artists through exhibitions and interviews.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% of operating budget allocated to artist fees and payments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Middle Brow Beer CompanycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2019Brewed Comfort Ale, a blended-yeast American wheat ale dry-hopped with loral and simcoe. Proceeds from every sale directly support Comfort Station programming. Beer available at Logan Square restaurants and bars.
• Projeto AtivacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2018International exchange partner based in Salvador, Brazil for the Perto de Lá / Close to There two-way artist exchange project funded by MacArthur Foundation.
• HarmonipancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2018Collaborating organization based in Mexico City and Salvador for the international artist exchange project.
• Logan Square Preservation (LSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded under auspices of LSP in 2011; ongoing community partner.
• Palenque Logan Square Neighborhood AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on VIVA LA VIDA Dia de Muertos celebration and second annual community programming.
• The Poetry FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner for Close to There international exchange project.
• Links HallmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner for Close to There international exchange project.
• Rebuild FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner (Stony Island Arts Bank, Dorchester Art + Housing Project) for Close to There exchange.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner and educational collaborator for various programming.
• Via Architects + DiseñadorescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesigned SCAFFOLD modular outdoor platform structure for performances and installations.
• Wild World Gardens (Jeremy Ohmes)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative plant expert and landscape architect who prepared plant kits and led native plants workshop.
• Mycelium Permaculture & Co-DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed interactive workshop on rain gardening in urban context entitled Re-centering Water.
• Lula CafécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJason Hammel of Lula Café hosts annual Logan Square Chef's Dinner benefiting Comfort Station since 2013.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rebuild Foundation: Chicago nonprofit that activates vacant and historic buildings for community-driven arts and cultural programming. Comparable to Comfort Station's model of using a historic 1920s public building as a free, community-led arts space with grant-based funding.
• Links Hall: Chicago nonprofit performing-arts space supporting experimental and emerging artists. Comparable as a small, volunteer-and-grant-funded Chicago venue that commissions new work and pays artists, paralleling Comfort Music and Comfort Film programming.
• Vox Populi Gallery: Philadelphia artist-run gallery supporting emerging and experimental artists through open calls and free programming. Directly comparable in model to Comfort Station (Katie Rauth, Comfort Station's Artistic Director, was previously Exhibitions Chair at Vox Populi).
• Hyde Park Art Center: Chicago-based nonprofit community art center offering free exhibitions, residencies, and education programs. Directly comparable to Comfort Station as a free-to-public multidisciplinary community art space with similar reliance on foundation funding and a comparable programmatic footprint.
• Elastic Arts Foundation: Chicago nonprofit experimental music and art space offering free/low-cost concerts and exhibitions. Comparable in scale, mission, and volunteer-driven model, with a similar focus on emerging musicians and interdisciplinary programming.
• Spudnik Press Cooperative: Chicago artist-run print and publication cooperative offering free public programming and paid artist opportunities. Comparable as a small Chicago nonprofit arts cooperative with a similar community-funded, artist-compensation-focused model.

Emerging players

• 3Arts: Chicago nonprofit that provides unrestricted grants to Chicago artists across disciplines. Comparable as a Chicago arts-support nonprofit with overlapping funder networks and a shared focus on paying artists and supporting underrepresented practitioners.

Others

• Chicago Artists Coalition: Chicago nonprofit providing resources, exhibitions, and advocacy for visual artists. Comparable as a Chicago-based arts-support organization with shared funder relationships and overlapping artist community, though broader in scope than Comfort Station.

Broad incumbents

• Artspace: National nonprofit that creates affordable space for artists and arts organizations. Comparable as a nonprofit arts-space operator with a similar mission of sustaining artist communities, though at a much larger scale and with a real-estate focus rather than programming focus.
• MASS MoCA: Large-scale contemporary art museum operating from repurposed historic industrial buildings. Comparable as a venue that uses historic buildings for free-to-public multidisciplinary programming, though at vastly greater scale and with an established institutional model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/comfortstationlogansquare
• Instagraminstagram.com/comfort_station
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comfortstationlogansquare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Comfort Station Logan Square