Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
391356972
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2012, Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Phone
6082837621
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Printing, Publishing

Reported finances

Revenue
$130,961
Expenses
$165,388
Assets
$360,670
Liabilities
$453,447

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BETH BENNETT (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • SCOTT PETERSON (PRESIDENT)
  • MARK STODDER (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • BETH BENNETT (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • SCOTT PETERSON (PRESIDENT)
  • MARK STODDER (VICE PRESIDENT)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To increase newspaper readership in the state, develop the industry's future workforce, and advance awareness and exercise of the public's first amendment rights.

What it reported doing in 2025

Trees retreat to honor former publishers each year at a ceremony and by visiting the memorial pylon throughout the year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 74% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 97% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.4%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 69.8%; rating input score 70

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -26.3%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.18; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.26; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.5% per year; rating input score 0; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89.4% of revenue deployed · 69.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 4 filed program accomplishments · $116K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 3/100.