Wisconsin Policy Forum Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
390806182
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Milwaukee, WI, USA
Phone
4142768240
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public Finance, Taxation, Monetary Policy

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,845,122
Expenses
$1,861,526
Assets
$8,115,807
Liabilities
$302,643

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT HENKEN (IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT)
  • JASON STEIN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JASON STEIN (PRESIDENT): $216,143 total reported compensation
  • ROBERT HENKEN (IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT): $142,357 total reported compensation
  • ELIZABETH CIZINSKY (DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS & COMMUNITY OPERATIONS): $134,229 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We conduct impartial public policy research and analysis to drive informed debate and effective decision-making in the state of Wisconsin.

What it reported doing in 2025

As Wisconsin's most respected nonpartisan policy research organization, we aim to improve the quality of government decision-making in Wisconsin. We bring to light new knowledge on issues important to state government, local government, schools, metro milwaukee, and Wisconsin's economy. We provide impartial data and analysis that will allow government leaders and the public to consider all sides of critical policy issues. We create an effective, visible platform to educate and inform policy makers, civic and business leaders, the media, and others.in 2025, the Wisconsin policy forum published 48 reports covering a mix of both local and statewide policy issues. We also held a total of eight in-person and virtual events in 2025, the highlight being our salute to local govenrment, which enjoyed near-record attendance of over 460 people.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 44
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 75.1%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 68.1%; rating input score 68
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th 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; 64th 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: -0.9%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.36; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26.5%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.4% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 75.1% of revenue deployed · 68.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $216K · 16 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 17/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.