Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio

Seattle, WA · EIN 91-2079402 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio reported $24.7 million in revenue and $23.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $61.13 went to program services, $15.46 to management and general costs and $23.41 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.3% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $399,482 (PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER, BOARD MEMBER). 11 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 28% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $23M

Program services$61.13 $14M
Management & general$15.46 $3.6M
Fundraising$23.41 $5.5M

For context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $25M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$99.34 $25M
Program service revenue$0.48 $119K
Investment income$0.18 $44,878

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 876 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	61.1%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	15.5%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	23.4%	6.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.22	$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	99.3%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	0.0%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	0.5%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$399,482	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	1.70%	2.03%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	11	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	9.1	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	22 of 22	100.0%

A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.

What the money paid for, in its own words

FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense

$14M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · revenue $70,334

Kuow/Puget Sound Public Radio is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates radio stations serving the Puget Sound area. Kouw provides news and information and extensive regional coverage of civic concern. Programming is heard on kuow 94.9 fm seattle, kuow 1340 am tumwater, and kqow 90.3 fm bellingham

Highest reported compensation

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here

Role	From this org	From related orgs	Other	Total
PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER, BOARD MEMBER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$348,380	$0	$51,102	$399,482
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$289,586	$0	$43,224	$332,810
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$288,165	$0	$38,866	$327,031
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$262,114	$0	$39,518	$301,632
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$162,780	$0	$30,955	$193,735
DIRECTOR OF DONOR ENGAGEMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$149,594	$0	$32,328	$181,922
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SUPPORT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$149,852	$0	$31,775	$181,627
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL PRODUCT, AUDIENCE, AND REVENUE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$147,760	$0	$30,466	$178,226

11 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.4M (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
FY2025 ⓘ	$25M	$23M	61.1%	$18M	$399,482
FY2024 ⓘ	$21M	$25M	62.7%	$16M	$388,441
FY2023 ⓘ	$22M	$24M	61.2%	$20M	—
FY2022 ⓘ	$22M	$20M	69.7%	$21M	—
FY2021 ⓘ	$19M	$18M	71.3%	$20M	—
FY2020 ⓘ	$19M	$18M	72.3%	$18M	—

Governance answers, as filed

FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means

Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b22 · 22 independent
Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 50
Volunteers Part I, line 629

Private foundation grants it received

48 private foundations reported grants to Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio totaling $476K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.

Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.

Correct a figure or respond

Every number above is copied from Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

The Second Stage Theatre
New York, NY · revenue $25M · programs 73.4% · FY2025
New York Hall of Science
Corona, NY · revenue $25M · programs 81.8% · FY2025
The New 42nd Street
New York, NY · revenue $25M · programs 75.4% · FY2025
Utah Film Center
Salt Lake City, UT · revenue $25M · programs 95.6% · FY2025
Arts Center and Theatre of Schenectady
Schenectady, NY · revenue $24M · programs 80.6% · 2024

All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Washington

Questions people ask

How much of Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio reported that 61.1% of its $23.5 million in expenses went to program services, 15.5% to management and general and 23.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $399,482, for the role of PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER, BOARD MEMBER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio get its money?

Of $24.7 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 99.3% came from contributions and grants and 0.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Kuow Puget Sound Public Radio a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 91-2079402 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202601109349301515 · read the filing · XML
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202531189349300338 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202421209349301707 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202331319349301023 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202221369349315277 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202121319349302062 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 91-2079402: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.