HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA FOUNDATION

As filed

Subsection

03

NTEE code

A110

Classification

1200

Street

4343 ELGIN

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

• IN 2025, WE CONTINUED TO REPORT ON ISSUES AND EVENTS THAT MATTERED TO OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR COMMUNITY, AND OUR WORLD. WE PRODUCED IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND SUBSEQUENT SPECIAL SESSIONS, HOUSTON'S CITY BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING, THE BODIES FOUND IN OUR BAYOUS, CENTERPOINT ENERGY'S REQUEST FOR A RATE INCREASE, ONGOING DISASTER RECOVERY EFFORTS, AND MUCH MORE. WE ESTABLISHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL NEWS AFFILIATE ABC13 TO BRING DAILY WEATHER UPDATES FROM THEIR AWARD-WINNING WEATHER TEAM AND TO ACTIVATE AROUND-THE-CLOCK COVERAGE IN TIMES OF SEVERE WEATHER. HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA'S NEWS 88.7 NOW FEATURES ABC13'S UP-TO-THE-MINUTE WEATHER REPORTS AND FORECASTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, ENHANCING OUR ABILITY TO KEEP LISTENERS INFORMED, PREPARED, AND SAFE. IN MAY 2025, HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA WON A REGIONAL EDWARD R. MURROW AWARD FOR ITS DIGITAL COVERAGE OF HURRICANE BERYL, WHICH HIT THE HOUSTON AREA IN JULY OF 2024. OUR DIGITAL AND SOCIAL TEAMS PROVIDED UP-TO-THE-MINUTE COVERAGE OF THE STORM AND ITS IMPACT ON OUR REGION ONLINE AND ON THE AIR. REPORTERS IN THE FIELD CAPTURED PHOTOS, INTERVIEWS AND UPDATES WHICH OUR DIGITAL PROFESSIONALS USED TO CREATE VIDEOS, GRAPHICS, AND ONLINE CONTENT TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY INFORMED. ALSO IN LATE 2025, HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA LAUNCHED A SECOND REGIONAL BUREAU IN NEIGHBORING GALVESTON COUNTY, TEXAS. IN A REGION AS SPRAWLING AS THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA, PEOPLE NEED NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIFIC AREA THEY LIVE AND WORK IN. REPORTER JULIANNA WASHBURN IS STAFFING THE NEW BUREAU, KEEPING OUR NEIGHBORS THERE INFORMED ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM EDUCATION AND CITY COUNCIL NEWS TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

  Expenses $6,019,821 · Grants $4,874,589 · Revenue $3,761,854

• THE HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA TEAM CONTINUES TO ATTEND COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SCHOOL FUNCTIONS TO SHARE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT AND RESOURCES WITH CHILDREN. A TYPICAL SET-UP WILL INCLUDE LIFE-SIZE STANDEES KIDS CAN TAKE PICTURES WITH, VIDEO CLIPS FROM PBS KIDS SHOWS, LAPTOPS TO ALLOW KIDS TO TRY OUT SAFE AND EDUCATIONAL PBS KIDS GAMES, AND TAKE-HOME GOODIES, LIKE ACTIVITY BOOKS, STICKERS, AND PENCILS. IN 2025, WE SHARED PBS KIDS SHOWS AND RESOURCES WITH FAMILIES AT THE PORT HOUSTON COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR, THE MAYOR'S BACK TO SCHOOL AND HEALTH FAIR, RIDGEMONT ELEMENTARY ACADEMIC NIGHT, BACK TO SCHOOL BASH AT ROBINSON-WESTCHASE LIBRARY, AND HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 4'S DINOSAUR TRAIN: NATURE TRACKERS EVENT SERIES. IN ADDITION, PBS LEARNINGMEDIA OFFERS FREE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR PREK-12 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS. CREATED IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH EDUCATORS AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, PBS LEARNINGMEDIA PROVIDES TEACHERS AND STUDENTS INSTANT ACCESS TO MORE THAN 30,000 CLASSROOM-READY MATERIALS. LESSONS ARE PAIRED WITH VIDEOS INTRODUCING TOPICS AND EXPLAINING CONCEPTS AND CAN BE USED BOTH AT HOME AND IN THE CLASSROOM. ALL OF THE CONTENT ON PBS LEARNINGMEDIA IS ALIGNED TO STATE AND NATIONAL CURRICULUM STANDARDS. ALSO IN 2025, HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA COLLABORATED WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTERESTED IN UTILIZING THE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE AT HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TECHLINK LOCATIONS. THESE TECHLINK LOCATIONS LET LIBRARY CARD HOLDERS USE VIDEO, PODCAST, AND MUSIC RECORDING STUDIOS, SOUND EQUIPMENT, INSTRUMENTS, PROFESSIONAL EDITING SOFTWARE, AND OTHER EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY TO TURN THEIR IDEAS INTO REALITY. HOWEVER, NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO USE ALL THE GREAT RESOURCES AVAILABLE. TO ADDRESS THIS, HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA EXPERTS HELD WORKSHOPS AT TWO TECHLINK LOCATIONS TO TEACH COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE BASICS OF SOUND RECORDING. HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA PRODUCERS AND SOUND ENGINEERS SHARED THEIR KNOWLEDGE AROUND SOUND DESIGN, TECHNIQUES, WHAT DIFFERENT MICROPHONES DO, HOW TO USE RECORDING AND EDITING SOFTWARE, AND MORE.

  Expenses $4,874,588 · Grants $4,874,588

• IN MARCH 2025, HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA'S NEWEST SHOW AND FIRST SHOW DESIGNED AS A DAILY MULTI-PLATFORM, STREAMED TALK SHOW, LAUNCHED ON NEWS 88.7, YOUTUBE, HOUSTONPUBLICMEDIA.ORG, AND ACROSS PODCAST PLATFORMS. HELLO HOUSTON BRINGS TOGETHER RENOWNED METEOROLOGIST FRANK BILLINGSLY, AWARD-WINNING BROADCASTER ERNIE MANOUSE, AND PRODUCER CELESTE DIAZ SCHURMAN TO TELL HOUSTON'S STORIES THROUGH PROFILES, INTERVIEWS, AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING DISCUSSIONS. THE SHOW ENCOURAGES LISTENERS AND VIEWERS TO CONNECT, INVITING PEOPLE TO CALL IN, TEXT, AND ENGAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IN SEPTEMBER, HOUSTON MATTERS JOINED HELLO HOUSTON AS A MULTI-PLATFORM SHOW AIRED ON NEWS 88.7, YOUTUBE, PODCAST PLATFORMS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, HOUSTON MATTERS HAS BEEN THE GO-TO GUIDE TO THE PEOPLE, PLACES, ISSUES, AND IDEAS THAT DEFINE GREATER HOUSTON. THIS PAST YEAR, HOST AND PRODUCER CRAIG COHEN TALKED WITH EXPERTS AND ORDINARY HOUSTONIANS ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM THE RACE FOR TEXAS'S 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TO DEVELOPMENT IN FLOOD PLAINS, AND FROM ENERGY INDUSTRY LAYOFFS TO HOUSTONIAN'S BIGGEST PET PEEVES. 2025 WAS ALSO THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA AND KTSU'S PARTNERSHIP THAT BROUGHT KTSU'S THE VIBE, AN URBAN ALTERNATIVE STATION, TO HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA'S 88.7 HD-3 CHANNEL, AND HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA'S NEWSCASTS TO KTSU'S PRIMARY CHANNEL, THE CHOICE. THE PARTNERSHIP HAS EXPANDED THE AUDIENCES, REACH, AND IMPACT OF BOTH STATIONS, AND PROVIDED OUR COMMUNITY WITH EXPANDED SERVICES.

  Expenses $4,874,588 · Grants $4,874,588

As filed on the 2024 return.

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

• 2024

  Revenue

  $17,632,749

  Expenses

  $17,159,637

  Contributions

  $13,798,824

  Grants paid

  $14,623,765

• 2023

  Revenue

  $16,472,572

  Expenses

  $16,834,807

  Contributions

  $12,109,829

  Grants paid

  $13,975,110

• 2022

  Revenue

  $15,089,898

  Expenses

  $15,285,611

  Contributions

  $11,403,045

  Grants paid

  $12,288,615

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

• 2021 · 990

  Revenue

  $15,443,011

  Expenses

  $15,254,346

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,722,035

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $15,377,194

  Expenses

  $14,885,949

  Assets (EOY)

  $4,072,964

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $15,958,934

  Expenses

  $16,730,828

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,206,147

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $15,908,726

  Expenses

  $17,469,030

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,787,256

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $16,630,459

  Expenses

  $14,786,103

  Assets (EOY)

  $5,502,298

• 2016 · 990

  Revenue

  $15,636,517

  Expenses

  $15,686,987

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,976,448

• 2015 · 990

  Revenue

  $11,549,135

  Expenses

  $10,738,632

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,095,797

• 2014 · 990

  Revenue

  $11,511,332

  Expenses

  $11,015,097

  Assets (EOY)

  $2,208,019

• 2013 · 990

  Revenue

  $10,918,186

  Expenses

  $10,972,401

  Assets (EOY)

  $1,865,797

• 2011 · 990

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  $8,706,219

  Assets (EOY)

  $2,253,146

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

• UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON - HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA

  $14,623,765

  2024 · FINANCIAL SUPPORT

• UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON - HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA

  $13,975,110

  2023 · FINANCIAL SUPPORT

• UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON - HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDI

  $12,288,615

  2022 · FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $484,252

  2023 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $445,834

  2024 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $384,027

  2022 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

  $177,555

  2023 · ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES

• DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

  $133,061

  2024 · ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES

• THE BLACKBAUD GIVING FUND

  $96,066

  2025 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

  $93,045

  2022 · ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES

• THE BLACKBAUD GIVING FUND

  $92,499

  2022 · GENERAL SUPPORT

• VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

  $85,001

  2023 · FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE

• VANGUARD CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

  $82,316

  2022 · FOR RECIPIENT'S EXEMPT PURPOSE

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

Related organizations

From Schedule R Part II, where a filer lists the tax-exempt organizations it is related to by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Other IRS files