Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$991,116

Total expenses

$933,777

Contributions and grants received

$558,928

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$407,049

Investment income

$6,708

Other revenue

$18,431

Total assets, end of year

$842,172

Total liabilities, end of year

$377,331

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$464,841

Program services expenses (Part IX)

— not reported

Management and general expenses

— not reported

Fundraising expenses

— not reported

Program service expenses (Part III)

— not reported

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• DOWNTOWN VITALITY THROUGH PROMOTING AND MANAGING DOWNTOWN EVENTS AND PROMOTING A CLEAN, SAFE AND FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT IS ANOTHER AREA THAT DOMINATES OUR TASK LIST. EVENTS GENERATE FOOT TRAFFIC FOR THE BUSINESSES AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THE DISTIRCT. OUR EVENTS TYPICALLY GENERATE SUPPORT DOLLARS FOR THE ORGANIZATION HOWEVER SOME ARE STRICTLY DESIGNED TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO THE BUSINESSES AND ARE NOT CONSIDERED FUNDRAISERS. THE DOWNTOWN SUMMER FARM MARKET, WHICH FEATURED 86 LOCAL AND REGIONAL VENDORS, THE HEID MUSIC SUMMER CONCERT SERIES FEATURED TOP LOCAL ACTS AND PUT ON 14 FREE LIVE SHOWS. WE HOSTED A NEW EVENT CALLED NIGHT MARKET AND IT WAS ALSO FREE TO ATTEND FEATURING CULUTRAL PERFORMANCES, ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES, LIVE MUSIC, VENDORS AND FOOD. OUR EVENTS INCLUDED A VARIETY OF WALKING CULINARY EVENTS INCLUDING DEATH BY CHOCOLATE, SOUP WALK, CULTURAL CUISINE WALK, CRAFT BEER WALK, WINE WALK, AND CAFE WALK. THESE EVENTS ARE DESIGNED TO GET PEOPLE MOVING AROUND THE DISTRICT AND VISIT VENUES.

• OUR EFFORTS IN DISTRICT MARKETING ARE FOCUSED ON SHOWCASING THE DOWNTOWN AS A DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS, ARTS AND LEISURE. ADVERTISING RANGES FROM IMAGE MARKETING TO EVENT MARKETING THAT DRAWS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO OUR DOWNTOWN. WE USE A VARIETY OF AVENUES INCLUDING RADIO, DIGITAL BILLBOARD ADS, PRINT ADS, TV ADS, KIOSK AND WINDOW DISPLAYS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING INCLUDES EMAIL, EBLAST, A WEB PAGE WITH 183,287 VISITS, FACEBOOK WITH 24,000 LIKES, GROWING ENGAGEMENT OF 230,921 AND INSTAGRAM WITH 8,200 FOLLOWERS. WE PRODUCE AN ANNUAL DOWNTOWN GUIDE AND DISTRIBUTED 12,000 OF THEM TO VISITORS AND LOCAL RESIDENCE, EXPENSE OF $7475. WEEKLY COMMUNICATION TO THE BUSINESSES AND GENERAL PUBLIC KEEPS EVERYONE INFORMED ON ISSUES AND HAPPENINGS IN THE DISTRICT. $75,965 OF OUR MARKETING AND PRINTING EXPENSES ARE COVERED BY BID FUNDING. A STORYOLOGY PROCESS WAS COMPLETED WITH A2Z DESIGN AGENCY $11,000. A TOTAL OF $110,903 WAS INVESTED IN MARKETING AND PRINTING. THE DOWNTOWN GUIDE AND SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY ATTRACT COOPERATIVE INVESTMENT OF $28,625 FROM DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AND SPONSORS.

• WE SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR THE RECRUITMENT, IMPROVEMENT AND RETENTION OF APPROXIMATELY 206 PROPERTY MEMBERS IN DOWNTOWN APPLETON. BID BUILDING IMPROVEMENT FUNDS ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. IN 2023 THE BID DISTRIBUTED $31,248 FOR BUILDING AND SIGNAGE IMPROVEMENTS AND $7900 IN NEW BUSINESS SUPPORT GRANTS FROM THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. THE BID MARKETING GRANT PROGRAM IS A RETENTION EFFORT AND IS AVAILABLE TO ANY BUSINESS IN THE DISTRICT. $6490 WAS DISTRIBUTED FOR MARKETING SUPPORT, ALSO BID FUNDED. SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS RECRUITMENT THROUGH OUR SEARCHABLE ONLINE PROPERTY TOOL HELPS CONNECT BUILDING OWNERS WITH POTENTIAL TENANTS OR BUYERS. WE ALSO SUPPORTED A NEW RESIDENT AND EMPLOYEE WELCOME PACKET PROGRAM. ALL PROGRAMS ARE BID SUPPORTED. WE CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF APPLETON TO EXECUTE THE DOWNTOWN PLAN CHAPTER 14 OF THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

• OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH RIVERVIEW GARDENS CARE PROGRAM CONTINUED TO PROVIDE GENERAL CLEANING SERVICES TO THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. IN 2023, THE PROGRAM PROVIDED 612 HOURS OF SIDEWALK CLEANING SERVICE, WITH 131 BAGS OF TRASH COLLECTED. WE CONTRACTED WITH PFEFFERLE MANAGEMENT FOR 246 HOURS OF ADDITIONAL CLEANING SERVICES INCLUDING GRAFFITI REMOVAL. WE ALSO PROVIDE THE FLOWERS FOR THE SIDEWALK PLANTERS, EDISON LIGHTS AT THE INTERSECTIONS, AND LIGHTS IN HOUDINI PLAZA. THE PROGRAM IS BID SUPPORTED.WE PROVIDE A GIFT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FOR THE DOWNTOWN. 2295 CERTIFICATES WERE SOLD WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF $67,369.IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VALLEY TRANSIT WE SUPPORT THE DOWNTOWN TROLLEY IN DOWNTOWN AND THE RIVERFRONT. IN 2023 WE WERE AWARDED A GRANT FROM THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU TO FUND OUR PORTION OF THE TROLLEY. ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE WAS FOR THE PUBLIC BROCHURE.

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

• CREATIVE DOWNTOWN APPLETON INC

  501(C)(3) · ENHANCE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT OF DOWNTOWN APPLETON · WI · controlled entity

  Directly controlled by APPLETON DOWNTOWN INC

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

12 November 2024

IRS schema version

2023v5.1

Source object

202443179349308579

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