NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
EIN: 36-3460409
Mission
To create an informed, connected and engaged community by telling local stories on TV (Channel 17) and online (NCTV17.com)!
Ruling year
1987
Executive Director
Ms. Elizabeth Spencer
Main address
127 Ambassador Dr Ste 103
Naperville, IL 60540 USA
EIN
36-3460409
Arts and culture
Television
Population served
Adolescents
Adults
Adolescent parents
NTEE code
Television (A32)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
With today's 24-hour news cycle, politically influenced media conglomerates, and social media, it is hard for people to discern credible news sources. NCTV17 is dedicated to informing not influencing the residents of Naperville so they can make informed decisions at a local level about matters of importance. What’s important to note, and separates us from other local print media sources, is that all of our content is available for free and does not sit behind a paywall. This commitment to ‘accessibility’ goes back to NCTV17’s roots, beginning with public access to media via Channel 17. We believe the bedrock of a healthy democracy is freedom of the press and providing ALL residents with access to the local news they need to make informed decisions at a very local level. Our newsroom is staffed by professional journalists who adhere to a Code of Ethics.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Naperville News 17
Naperville News 17 is the Naperville area’s only weekly television news program. From the local perspective on national news, to city news that matters to you, to an in-depth look at the people and places of our neighborhoods, Naperville News 17 is committed to building and celebrating community.
NCTV17 News Update delivers the latest news for Naperville and the surrounding area in a free two minute video delivered right to your inbox Monday through Friday.
Spotlight
Spotlight is a half hour talk show featuring three local not-for-profit organizations each episode. Spotlight provides Naperville’s not-for-profits an opportunity to present their mission to the community, discuss the programs and services they deliver, and announce new events – all within a lively interview format.
Business Connection
Keep a pulse on today's business scene by watching Business Connection, Naperville's only television business talk show! This 30-minute show features all types of businesses, from small pet grooming stores to major hospitals. In a free-flowing conversational interview, The host sits down in-studio with local business leaders and entrepreneurs who share their unique story - everything from what makes their business successful, to their involvement in the community.
630 Naperville
Hosted by Joe Chura, this monthly show features engaging people, local places, and advice from experts, all to keep you connected in the 630! The goal of this program is to put our community on television: https://www.nctv17.com/c/630-naperville/
Naperville Sports Weekly
Weekly sports program focused on both the boys' and girls' varsity sports from all six Naperville area high schools. From the opening kick-off in football to the finish line in track this fast-paced half-hour show brings fans the highlights, scores and in-depth stories not seen anywhere else.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Naperville News 17
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Our following on Facebook has grown significantly due to the amount of local news we have provided our community since the onset of the pandemic; both in terms of live coverage and news stories.
Number of website pageviews
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Naperville News 17
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
While our 2022 web page views declined, the intensity of the local news cycle was significantly reduced as the community moved on from COVID, etc.
Number of website sessions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Naperville News 17
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
As the fourth largest city in Illinois with over 149,000 residents, Naperville has grown very quickly in the 35 years NCTV17 has been in existence.
On a daily basis, NCTV17's goal is to provide impartial, fact-based, in-depth reporting on issues that affect the quality of life in Naperville, such as safety, education, recreation, housing, the cost of living, etc.
Our vision is to create an informed, connected and engaged community by telling local stories on TV and online.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
As the only TV station completely focused on the Naperville area, the station is committed to providing residents with fact-based and timely news coverage of what is happening in all sectors of their city. We attend and report on the outcomes of City Council meetings, Planning & Zoning, Liquor Commission, School Boards, etc.
We produce a daily news e-blast that highlights the top 5-7 news stories of the day that is sent to 4,800+ subscribers and posted to our website and Facebook page so residents can view it for free in a number of ways.
We also produce 12-18 news stories a week that air on Channel 17, our website, YouTube and social media channels.
Residents are welcome to share any of our content with friends, family or on their own social media.
Importantly, we have a news tips email so residents can share their news tips and story ideas with our news team.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
By staying true to our guiding principles NCTV17 will meet its goals.
* We tell local stories of significance that inform, connect and engage our community while simultaneously preserving Naperville's history for generations to come.
* We distribute stories in the format and on the platforms that meet the needs of the community and ensure the information is available to anyone who wants it.
* We engage the community in their local public-access channel by providing a means for residents to submit news tips, request event coverage, become an intern, and tour the station.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
NCTV17 has been broadcasting in Naperville for 35 years and has grown into a premier source of information for this community.
As the pandemic began, our community looked to NCTV17 to provide them with relevant information at a very local level. And, we responded with televised messages from our mayor, police chief, hospital staff and more.
We delivered information about our local positivity rates, where to get tested, when and where the vaccine would be available - all focused on our specific geographic area. Our website visits grew from 75K/month in February 2020 to more than 300K/month in March 2020. Additionally, due to live news coverage throughout 2020 and into 2021 about important news such as local BLM protests, and an EF3 tornado, our Facebook followers also went from 10K to 40K by mid-2021.
We completed 2022 with 47K followers on Facebook, launched a new website to improve our mobile users' experience, and changed our domain to .org to better reflect our nonprofit status.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
NCTV17 solicits news tips and story ideas from residents of Naperville. We receive ongoing feedback on our programming via our Facebook account, which has 47K followers. Our reporters are out in the field on a daily basis and receive anecdotal feedback from community members at government meetings, service club gatherings, school board meetings, etc. Our Executive Director and Community Development Director attend multiple functions on a monthly basis with groups like the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Clubs to stay connected to our constituents and what they expect from their local television station.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
NCTV17 had been producing a video e-newsletter with the top news headlines of the day sent to subscribers Monday through Friday. With feedback from subscribers, we added written 'articles' to the email so people could skim the news and/or watch the video.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.)
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2020 info
11.99
Months of cash in 2020 info
8
Fringe rate in 2020 info
23%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $35,170 | $9,704 | $18,185 | -$57,243 | $203,292 |
| As % of expenses | 3.2% | 0.8% | 1.5% | -4.4% | 16.8% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$35,965 | -$50,348 | -$32,145 | -$85,683 | $178,976 |
| As % of expenses | -3.1% | -4.1% | -2.5% | -6.5% | 14.5% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,129,673 | $1,170,763 | $1,248,756 | $1,237,167 | $1,414,639 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -1.3% | 3.6% | 6.7% | -0.9% | 14.3% |
| Program services revenue | 27.8% | 26.7% | 35.1% | 29.1% | 18.8% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Government grants | 57.4% | 55.9% | 53.4% | 58.3% | 65.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 14.8% | 17.2% | 11.4% | 12.5% | 15.7% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $1,094,503 | $1,161,059 | $1,230,571 | $1,294,410 | $1,211,347 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 4.4% | 6.1% | 6.0% | 5.2% | -6.4% |
| Personnel | 77.0% | 77.3% | 78.9% | 79.9% | 81.0% |
| Professional fees | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 2.1% |
| Occupancy | 9.9% | 10.0% | 9.6% | 7.2% | 7.7% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 8.7% | 7.5% | 6.4% | 8.8% | 9.3% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,165,638 | $1,221,111 | $1,280,901 | $1,322,850 | $1,235,663 |
| One month of savings | $91,209 | $96,755 | $102,548 | $107,868 | $100,946 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $40,947 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $1,256,847 | $1,317,866 | $1,383,449 | $1,430,718 | $1,377,556 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 7.2 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 8.0 |
| Months of cash and investments | 7.2 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 8.0 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 8.3 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 6.2 | 8.2 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $655,314 | $645,057 | $668,931 | $617,957 | $810,957 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $152,334 | $77,126 | $82,749 | $102,159 | $69,336 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $979,280 | $1,035,696 | $1,035,696 | $1,035,696 | $1,076,643 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 80.8% | 82.2% | 87.0% | 89.8% | 88.6% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 7.0% | 4.0% | 5.1% | 8.8% | 7.1% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $943,751 | $893,403 | $861,258 | $775,575 | $954,551 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $943,751 | $893,403 | $861,258 | $775,575 | $954,551 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Ms. Elizabeth Spencer
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
Board of directorsas of 01/30/2023
Board of directors data
Mr. Kader Sakkaria
Ruffalo Noel Levitz
Term: 2021 - 2023
Sachin Gandhi
BPA & Associates, CPA
Leah Margulies
Self-employed
Kevin Peterson
K. Peterson Architects
Kevin Tyschper
DeEtta's Bakery
Dawn Hershik
Supporting Strategies
Leah Setzen
Grunyk Law Firm
Carol Simler
Retired
Kashif Aqeel
iManage
Brian O'Malley
State Farm
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
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- Officer and/or Employee data for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
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