RADIO MILWAUKEE INC

As filed

Subsection

03

NTEE code

A34

Classification

1200

Street

220 E PITTSBURGH AVE

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

• RADIO MILWAUKEE IS A PUBLIC RADIO STATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ESTABLISHED IN 2007, THE STATION HIGHLIGHTS MILWAUKEE'S VIBRANT COMMUNITY, SHOWCASING ITS MUSICIANS, NON-PROFITS, AND INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTRIBUTE TO ITS DIVERSITY AND VITALITY. DAILY, RADIO MILWAUKEE FEATURES FRESH MUSIC, LOCAL ARTISTS, AND COMMUNITY STORIES THAT CELEBRATE THOSE WORKING TO ENHANCE THE CITY'S LIVABILITY. THE STATION FOSTERS AN ACTIVE ONLINE COMMUNITY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND A DYNAMIC WEBSITE WITH COMMUNITY CALENDARS. LISTENERS WORLDWIDE CAN TUNE IN VIA ONLINE STREAMING. IN 2024, RADIO MILWAUKEE CONTINUED ITS PROGRAMMING OF NATIONALLY SYNDICATED SHOWS LIKE ALT LATINO, ALL SONGS CONSIDERED, JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA, AND WORLD CAFE, ALONGSIDE NEW LOCAL SEGMENTS AND PROGRAMS.

  Expenses $1,932,722 · Revenue $1,611,124

• IN JUNE 2022, RADIO MILWAUKEE LAUNCHED ITS LATEST CHANNEL, "HYFIN." THIS BLACK-LED, DIGITAL-FIRST MEDIA INITIATIVE AIMS TO CONNECT CULTURES AND CELEBRATE THE FULL RANGE OF BLACK MUSIC. AS MILWAUKEE'S ONLY URBAN ALTERNATIVE RADIO STATION, HYFIN OFFERS A DIVERSE ARRAY OF BLACK MUSIC BEYOND JUST R&B AND HIP-HOP, WHILE ALSO FEATURING LOCAL MILWAUKEE ARTISTS. THE CHANNEL KEEPS AUDIENCES INFORMED WITH THE LATEST NEWS ON BLACK CULTURE, PODCASTS, AND MORE. HYFIN BROADCASTS ON-AIR AT 88.9FM HD2, ONLINE AT HYFIN.ORG, AND THROUGH THE 88NINE AND HYFIN MOBILE APPS. FUNDING COMES FROM GENEROUS DONATIONS BY CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS, AND SPONSORSHIPS. IN 2024, HYFIN, POWERED BY RADIO MILWAUKEE, ORGANIZED A DIVERSE ARRAY OF COMMUNITY-FOCUSED EVENTS, SHOWCASING THEIR COMMITMENT TO CELEBRATING BLACK CULTURE AND SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES. A STANDOUT EVENT WAS THE BLACKITY BLACK HOLIDAY MARKET. THIS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY INITIATIVE FEATURED BLACK-OWNED VENDORS FROM THE MILWAUKEE AREA, OFFERING ATTENDEES A CHANCE TO SUPPORT LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS WHILE ENJOYING YOUTH PERFORMANCES, FOOD, AND MUSIC CURATED BY HYFIN DJS. HYFIN CONTINUED ITS MAJOR FUNDRAISER GALA, DEMONSTRATING THE STATION'S GROWTH AND COMMUNITY IMPACT. THROUGHUT THE YEAR, THEY CONTINUED TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES WITH THEIR "LATEST & GREATEST LIVE" SERIES, FEATURING LOCAL AND EMERGING ARTISTS. THESE EVENTS UNDERSCORE HYFIN'S ROLE AS A CULTURAL HUB, FOSTERING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND AMPLIFYING BLACK VOICES IN MILWAUKEE'S VIBRANT ARTS AND BUSINESS SCENES.

  Expenses $266,087 · Revenue $512,978

• RADIO MILWAUKEE PRODUCES AND AIRS SHORT STORIES AND PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT HIGHLIGHT NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS DEDICATED TO ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN MILWAUKEE. EACH STORY, ROUGHLY THE LENGTH OF A SONG, IS BROADCAST DAILY AS PART OF THE MUSIC MIX AND ALSO AVAILABLE IN A LONGER PODCAST FORMAT ON THE RADIOMILWAUKEE.ORG WEBSITE. LISTENERS CAN VISIT THE SITE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FEATURED ORGANIZATIONS AND ACCESS LINKS TO THEIR WEBSITES FOR INVOLVEMENT, CONTRIBUTIONS, OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. IN 2024, RADIO MILWAUKEE SHOWCASED OVER 170 INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS, FOCUSING ON THEMES SUCH AS VOLUNTEERISM, ARTS AND CULTURE, NEIGHBORHOODS, YOUTH, THE ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND NARRATIVES FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES.

  Expenses $231,608

• IN 2018, RADIO MILWAUKEE LAUNCHED AN INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE ITS SUPPORT FOR THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE. INITIALLY CALLED "BACKLINE AND REBRANDED AS "AMPLIFIER" IN 2021, THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO CULTIVATE THE GROWTH OF MILWAUKEE'S MUSIC LANDSCAPE AND ATTRACT EMERGING TALENT TO THE CITY. AMPLIFIER ORIGINALLY BEGAN BY PROVIDING INTENSIVE, YEAR-LONG CAREER GUIDANCE TO FOUR INDEPENDENT ARTISTS. HOWEVER, THE PROGRAM HAS SINCE TRANSITIONED INTO A COMMUNITY-BASED MODEL TO BROADEN ITS REACH AND IMPACT.WITH THE PROGRAM'S EVOLUTION, AMPLIFIER NOW INCLUDES AN ONGOING "MASTER CLASS" SERIES, CONNECTING MILWAUKEE ARTISTS, MANAGERS, SONGWRITERS, AND PRODUCERS TO FOSTER COLLABORATION AND EDUCATION. THE SERIES STRENGTHENS TIES WITHIN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY BY OFFERING SESSIONS ON ESSENTIAL TOPICS SUCH AS BUILDING BUSINESS CREDIT, PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES, SONGWRITING, MENTAL WELLNESS, NEGOTIATION SKILLS, AND LIVE PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES. THESE SESSIONS ARE RECORDED AND ARCHIVED, CONTRIBUTING TO A PERMANENT CONTENT LIBRARY SHARED ACROSS VARIOUS PLATFORMS. IN ITS HISTORY, THE PROGRAM HAS GENERATED OVER 110,000 VIEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, 14,000 PODCAST DOWNLOADS, AND ATTRACTED 400 IN-PERSON PARTICIPANTS. AMPLIFIER'S MASTER CLASSES RUN MONTHLY FROM MARCH TO OCTOBER, PROVIDING ARTISTS WITH INVALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN FROM TOP INDUSTRY EXPERTS, ENHANCING BOTH THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.

  Expenses $89,544 · Revenue $1,869

• GRACE WEBER'S MUSIC LAB IS A FREE MONTHLY MUSIC AND ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR GREATER MILWAUKEE AREA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. IN THIS PROGRAM, STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES THROUGH FEATURED GUESTS FROM THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. STUDENTS ARE ALSO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE, PERFORM, AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR PEERS. THE PROGRAM TAKES PLACE THE LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR IN THE RADIO MILWAUKEE PERFORMANCE SPACE. THE SESSIONS INVOLVE A PERFORMANCE AND INTERVIEW WITH THE FEATURED GUEST, AS WELL AS A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD WITH STUDENT INQUIRIES. AFTERWARDS, THE PARTICIPATING STUDENTS MAY PERFORM IN AN OPEN MIC ATMOSPHERE WHERE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK AND OBSERVATIONS BY THE FEATURED GUEST AND RADIO MILWAUKEE'S MUSIC EDUCATION COORDINATOR ARE OFFERED. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE FOR STUDENT ARTISTS TO CREATE, BE HEARD, AND FEEL VALUED. IN 2024, 291 STUDENTS THROUGHOUT MILWAUKEE PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM.

  Expenses $62,936 · Revenue $73,332

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

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. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

• 2024

  Revenue

  $4,974,870

  Expenses

  $4,136,261

  Contributions

  $2,631,631

  Grants paid

  $0

• 2023

  Revenue

  $3,240,407

  Expenses

  $4,489,785

  Contributions

  $885,350

  Grants paid

  $0

• 2022

  Revenue

  $3,552,664

  Expenses

  $3,994,826

  Contributions

  $966,481

  Grants paid

  $0

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

• 2024 · 990-T

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  — not reported

  Assets (EOY)

  — not reported

• 2023 · 990-T

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  — not reported

  Assets (EOY)

  — not reported

• 2022 · 990-T

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  — not reported

  Assets (EOY)

  — not reported

• 2021 · 990

  Revenue

  $3,647,425

  Expenses

  $3,427,562

  Assets (EOY)

  $5,813,041

• 2021 · 990-T

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  — not reported

  Assets (EOY)

  — not reported

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $3,567,376

  Expenses

  $3,531,966

  Assets (EOY)

  $5,388,772

• 2020 · 990-T

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  — not reported

  Assets (EOY)

  — not reported

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $4,100,863

  Expenses

  $4,528,409

  Assets (EOY)

  $5,303,095

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $3,446,978

  Expenses

  $3,080,474

  Assets (EOY)

  $5,766,929

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,788,167

  Expenses

  $2,651,431

  Assets (EOY)

  $5,346,667

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

• ROCKEFELLER PHILANTHROPY ADVISORS INC

  $2,184,095

  2024 · ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

• TIDES FOUNDATION

  $300,000

  2023 · HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES

• CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

  $183,878

  2024 · RCSG

• CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

  $166,652

  2023 · RCSG

• CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

  $155,403

  2022 · RCSG

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $40,450

  2024 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $36,370

  2022 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO INC

  $32,940

  2024 · GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT

• GREATER MILWAUKEE FOUNDATION INC

  $31,000

  2024 · GENERAL OPERATING 2024

• GREATER MILWAUKEE FOUNDATION INC

  $29,500

  2023 · GENERAL OPERATING 2023

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Taxable family

From Schedule R Parts I, III and IV: entities that legally are the filer, and taxable partnerships, corporations and trusts it is related to. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money.

Other IRS files