MILWAUKEE WATER COMMONS INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

MILWAUKEE WATER COMMONS INC

EIN 83-2154946 · Water Resources, Wetlands Conservation & Management (C32)

What they do

MILWAUKEE WATER COMMONS INC. is A CROSS-CITY NETWORK THAT FOSTERS CONNECTION, COLLABORATION, and BROAD COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ON BEHALF of OUR COMMON WATERS. THE ORGANIZATION PROMOTES STEWARDSHIP of EQUITABLE ACCESS to and SHARED DECISION-MAKING for OUR COMMON WATERS. THE ORGANIZATION FOCUSES ON SIX INITIATIVES: WATER QUALITY, DRINKING WATER, ARTS and CULTURE, BLUE GREEN JOBS, EDUCATION and RECREATION, and GREEN INITIATIVE.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $76.80 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders10 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

72.90%of revenue went to mission work76.8% of expenses · Program services

6.41%of revenue went to fundraising6.8% of expenses

$94.87spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

15.57%of revenue went to management and office costs16.4% of expenses

$1.14in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

95.3%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $168,046 for BRENDA COLEY (CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$1,508,793

Mission workProgram services$1,099,85272.90% of revenue76.8% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$234,85015.57% of revenue16.4% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$96,6576.41% of revenue6.8% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$77,4345.13% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$1,431,35994.87% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 76.8% mission · 16.4% management · 6.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 94.87% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 73.5% mission · 18.4% management · 8.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 56.40% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 73.8% mission · 15.4% management · 10.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 80.85% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 72.9% mission · 14.9% management · 12.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 88.04% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 74.5% mission · 19.0% management · 6.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 63.32% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$1,508,793

Expenses$1,431,359

Annual surplus $77,434 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$1,099,852 · 76.8% of expenses

Management and office costs$234,850 · 16.4% of expenses

Fundraising$96,657 · 6.8% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$1,508,793

Expenses$1,431,359

Assets$1,632,525

Income$1,508,793

Contributions$1,438,501

Mission work (program services)$1,099,852

Fundraising$96,657

Grants given$17,535

Average grant$5,845

Management and general$234,850

Executive compensation (total)$177,456

Accounting fees$120,426

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

BRENDA COLEYCO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $168,046Base $148,522 · Other $19,524

KIRSTEN SHEADCO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $157,808Base $148,522 · Other $9,286

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (10)

BRENDA COLEYCO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

KIRSTEN SHEADCO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ANNE OCONNORDIRECTOR

DENIENE POWELLTREASURER

DINORAH MARQUEZ ABADIANODIRECTOR

J PETER ORDWAYDIRECTOR

JAMIN MAHANCHAIR

NARYAN LEAZERDIRECTOR

SUZANNE MILLS-WEMMSECRETARY

TINA JOHNSONDIRECTOR

About this charity

Recognized since: January 2019
Location: 1836 W FOND DU LAC AVE, MILWAUKEE, WI 53205
County: Milwaukee
In care of: KIRSTEN SHEAD
Primary officer: KIRSTEN SHEAD, CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailstaff@milwaukeewatercommons.org Phone(414) 763-6199

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: January 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: RITZ HOLMAN LLP
NTEE classification: Water Resources, Wetlands Conservation & Management (C32)
IRS tax category: Water Resources, Wetlands Conservation & Management
Grant-giving organization: Yes