NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
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NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
EIN: 36-3460409
as of September 2024
as of September 09, 2024
Mission
Vision Statement: To be the trusted source of local information that empowers and connects our community. Mission Statement: Deliver community-centered journalism that reflects diverse voices to foster shared understanding and civic engagement.
Ruling year
1987
Executive Director
Ms. Elizabeth Braham Spencer
Main address
127 Ambassador Dr Ste 103
Naperville, IL 60540 USA
EIN
36-3460409
Television
Arts and culture
Population served
Adults
Adolescents
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 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 cable 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 hyper-local television news program. From the local perspective on national news to city news that matters to Naperville residents, Naperville News 17 is committed to informing, connecting, and empowering people. With stories on education, business, crime, health, recreation, government, and social services, Naperville News 17 delivers information about the people, places, and perspectives that matter to local residents. Watch at: https://www.nctv17.org/c/news/
NCTV17 News Update delivers the latest news headlines for Naperville and the surrounding area via a free daily news update delivered to 5,000 subscribers' inbox Monday - Friday. Read at: https://www.nctv17.org/c/nctv17-news-update/
Spotlight
Spotlight is a half-hour talk show featuring three local not-for-profit organizations each episode - 72 per calendar year. Spotlight provides Naperville’s not-for-profits an opportunity to present their mission to the community, discuss their programs and services, and announce new events – all within a lively interview format with host Jane Wernette. Watch at: https://www.nctv17.org/c/spotlight/
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. Watch at: https://www.nctv17.org/c/business-connection/
630 Naperville
Hosted by Paige & Nathan Ronchetti, this monthly TV 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.org/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 (Benet Academy, Metea Valley, Naperville Central, Naperville North, Neuqua Valley, and Waubonsie Valley. 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
Awards
Not-for-profit of the Year 2008
Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce
Photos
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 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
Our 2023 web page views increased as we rebounded from our transition from NCTV17.com to NCTV17.org. It also reflects the amount of news coverage we produce.
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 37 years NCTV17 has been in existence.
Daily, 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.
Vision Statement:
To be the trusted source of local information that empowers and connects our community.
Mission Statement:
Deliver community-centered journalism that reflects diverse voices to foster shared understanding and civic engagement.
Our Values:
Integrity
NCTV17 prioritizes high ethical standards, honesty, and respect for the diverse voices within our community.
Community-Centered
We are committed to providing hyperlocal coverage of the people, places, and perspectives that represent our community.
Journalistic Ethics
NCTV17 is committed to accurate, unbiased, and transparent reporting of relevant information in a timely matter.
Accessibility
NCTV17 provides free access to hyperlocal information to foster a well-informed, empowered, and civic-minded community.
Innovation
NCTV17 is dedicated to meeting the changing needs of the community by embracing new ways to deliver information that adds value to our community.
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 4,900+ 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 our content with friends and family or on their social media. None of our content sits behind a paywall.
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 without any online paywalls.
* 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 37 years and has grown into a premier and trusted 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, and 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 social justice 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.
Today we average 120,000 visits to our website per month by 70,000 people. We have 49K Facebook followers, 11.5K Twitter Followers, 5K Instagram Followers, and more than 15K subscribers on our two YouTube channels.
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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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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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.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2023 info
8.86
Months of cash in 2023 info
4.6
Fringe rate in 2023 info
17%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
NAPERVILLE COMMUNITY TELEVISION
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
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
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 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$57,243 | $203,292 | $47,184 | $58,531 | $21,020 |
| As % of expenses | -4.4% | 16.8% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 1.6% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$85,683 | $178,976 | $20,994 | $25,996 | -$17,328 |
| As % of expenses | -6.5% | 14.5% | 1.7% | 1.8% | -1.3% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,237,167 | $1,414,639 | $1,302,779 | $1,495,064 | $1,313,117 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -0.9% | 14.3% | -7.9% | 14.8% | -12.2% |
| Program services revenue | 29.1% | 18.8% | 77.9% | 76.3% | 73.6% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.3% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Government grants | 58.3% | 65.0% | 4.6% | 4.0% | 6.2% |
| All other grants and contributions | 12.5% | 15.7% | 15.9% | 20.8% | 19.0% |
| Other revenue | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | -1.9% | 0.1% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $1,294,410 | $1,211,347 | $1,242,253 | $1,403,234 | $1,313,657 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 5.2% | -6.4% | 2.6% | 13.0% | -6.4% |
| Personnel | 79.9% | 81.0% | 79.4% | 77.3% | 78.3% |
| Professional fees | 4.2% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 4.1% | 4.2% |
| Occupancy | 7.2% | 7.7% | 7.6% | 6.9% | 7.0% |
| 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 | 8.8% | 9.3% | 10.1% | 11.8% | 10.6% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,322,850 | $1,235,663 | $1,268,443 | $1,435,769 | $1,352,005 |
| One month of savings | $107,868 | $100,946 | $103,521 | $116,936 | $109,471 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $40,947 | $73,489 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $1,430,718 | $1,377,556 | $1,445,453 | $1,552,705 | $1,461,476 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 5.7 | 8.0 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Months of cash and investments | 5.7 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 7.2 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 6.2 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 7.7 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $617,957 | $810,957 | $469,206 | $532,672 | $506,123 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $303,571 | $248,380 | $281,599 |
| Receivables | $102,159 | $69,336 | $92,138 | $108,589 | $86,186 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $1,035,696 | $1,076,643 | $1,150,132 | $1,156,426 | $1,193,476 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 89.8% | 88.6% | 85.2% | 87.6% | 88.1% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 8.8% | 7.1% | 7.8% | 12.7% | 9.1% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $775,575 | $954,551 | $975,545 | $1,001,541 | $984,213 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $775,575 | $954,551 | $975,545 | $1,001,541 | $984,213 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Braham 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 08/27/2024
Board of directors data
Mr. Patrick Brahnam
Conscious Discipline
Term: 2023 - 2024
Sachin Gandhi
BPA & Associates, CPA
Leah Margulies
Self-employed
Kevin Peterson
K. Peterson Architects
Dawn Hershik
Supporting Strategies
Kashif Aqeel
iManage
Brian O'Malley
State Farm
Karyn Charvat
PowerForward DuPage
Matt Denton
Sikich
Neveen Michael
KW Realty
Carolina Zavala
Country Financial
Melvin Kim
JR Albert Foundation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
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? Yes
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
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 05/17/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
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- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
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