Milwaukee Water Commons Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Milwaukee water commons marked the tenth anniversary of two of our signature programs: we are water, our annual event celebrating milwaukee's shared waters, and water school, our community-based program designed to develop water leaders. Water school expanded to two sessions this year, welcoming its first group of winter participants. Now in its fourth year, the beach ambassador program deepened its community impact with expanded focus on public health and water safety on lake Michigan's shore. Five ambassadors went beyond their beachfront duties, leading water safety workshops with purposeful play, nearby nature milwaukee, and all hands boatworks. Our first cohort of artists in residence unveiled five powerful community engagement pieces, unique works created by local artists who became informed water leaders through the residency. Their art amplifies our city's connection to water and strengthens milwaukee's shared water culture. Through branch out milwaukee, we celebrated the planting of 174 trees in the sherman park neighborhood, the maintenance of 43 trees, and the removal of 22 hazardous trees, growing milwaukee's tree canopy in partnership with the sherman park community association. This year also brought important milestones in policy and collaboration. We welcomed an environmental justice advisor for the milwaukee estuary area of concern (aoc), the first role of its kind for an aoc in the nation, integrating environmental justice into decision-making and implementation processes. And we facilitated a learning exchange between the milwaukee and pittsburgh water equity task forces, sharing strategies on equitable infrastructure investment, workforce development, and building authentic partnerships.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 72.9%; rating input score 73
• Program expense ratio: 76.8%; rating input score 77
• Fundraising efficiency: $14.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 43.5%; rating input score 43; 28th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • 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: 5.1%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.14; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 22.8%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 26.8% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 20.2% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 30.2% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings