Houston Public Media Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

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.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 89.4%; rating input score 89
• Program expense ratio: 91.9%; rating input score 92
• Fundraising efficiency: $11.59 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 2.7%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.23; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings