Chicago City Wire

The parent company of WBEZ and the Sun-Times is living up to its nonprofit status, according to IRS filings. 

In January 2022, Chicago Public Media acquired the Sun-Times in a deal that included $61 million in donations from benefactors that included a foundation controlled by Gov. J.B. Pritzker's sister, U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, and her husband Bryan Traubert, who listed as a board member. 

Chicago Public Media CEO Matthew Moog, who was paid $533,580 during the July 2021 to June 2022 fiscal year, "declined to attach a dollar figure to the overall transaction or disclose the specific financial contributions," according to WBEZ's report on the deal. 

In the fiscal year that ended in June 2022, Chicago Public Media reported spending more money while bringing in fewer donations than the previous fiscal year, according to the nonprofit organization's first Form 990 IRS tax document filed since WBEZ's parent company merged with the Sun-Times. 

During the 2021 fiscal year, Chicago Public Media spent nearly $28.5 million, more than $1.2 million increase from the previous year. Employee salaries increased by about $500,000 to $16.6 million, according to public records. Chicago Public Media reported a $5 million revenue decline from $37.2 million during the 2020 fiscal year to $32.3 million, according to IRS reports. 

Overall, Chicago Public Media's reported revenue decreased from $10 million in the 2021 fiscal year to $3.8 million in the fiscal year that ended in June 2022, the tax filings show. 

Also, Chicago Public Media reported WBEZ's 2021 fundraising gala didn't turn a profit in 2021, according to IRS documents. 

In 2021, Chicago Public Media reported the fundraising gala collected $978.075 in donations that amounted to a $4,610 profit, which was wiped out by $105,367 in additional expenses, the public filing shows. 

In all, the gala netted a $101.009 loss, according to the 990 report.

Read the full 990 report HERE.