2026-05-15T14:08:22-07:00 2025-12-31 990 2025-01-01 061378847 WALLINGFORD PUBLIC ACCESS ASSOCIATION INC WALL 2032949722 28 S Orchard Street Wallingford CT 06492 Susan Huizenga Executive Director 2032945793 2026-04-20 2025 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z WPAA-TV and Community Media Center James S Stavris Jr 27 Fairlawn Drive Wallingford CT 06492 323459 0 X http://wpaa.tv/ X 1993 CT Mission: To provide a brave, safe, creative space for a diversity of expression within our community of Wallingford, CT, and beyond, with media tools and space for media creation and distribution, inclusive of story performance, advocacy, concurrent with a public art gallery integrated throughout the building on related themes. Bylaws: for the purpose of empowering the people of Wallingford and beyond to uplift the community through story, conversation, and content creation by operating a community centric, digital media center and public art gallery. Goal: To operate a community based media center, inclusive of a television studio with community meetings, a performance space, and a gallery 8 0 5 72 0 0 132652 321503 0 1950 906 6 0 0 133558 323459 0 0 0 0 49250 26435 0 0 0 65996 106206 115246 132641 18312 190818 492156 693434 0 0 492156 693434 X To provide a brave, safe, creative space for a diversity of expression within our community of Wallingford, CT, and beyond, with media tools and space for media creation and distribution, inclusive of story performance, advocacy, concurrent with a public art gallery integrated throughout the building on related themes. Our studioW facility offers professional-grade equipment and production space, enabling anyone to develop high-quality digital content for community access television and their preferred distribution platforms. We are the home of the Nelson Carty Ford Memorial Art Gallery serrated to encourage social action and TeenTigerTV Youth Training and Empowerment program.Bylaws: to empower the people of Wallingford and beyond to uplift the community through story, conversation, and content creation by operating a community-centric digital media center and public art gallery. Goal: To operate a community-based media center, inclusive of a television studio... 1 0 89689 0 0 A30 Maintained civic media infrastructure serving 16000 Wallingford households dozens of nonprofits and local businesses. Make TV our core program provides professional staff to train volunteer producers and facilitate media production and distribution. Annual outcome data filed with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority PURA includes 168 hours of weekly programming and 456 programs produced in studioW with nearly 4000 media assets managed annually. The facility operates 6 days 55 hours per week. Recognized for Overall Excellence by a New England peer association in 2025 all services are provided entirely free of charge to the public. WPAA does not sell merchandise or charge fees for its services ensuring equitable access to media tools for all residents. 15326 0 0 A99 Art and Culture Program Democracy Is A Creative Practice. This initiative hosts storytelling and performance events featuring TV simulcast and onsite attendance. The organization manages an integrated art gallery showcasing photography sculpture upcycled and fine art designed to inspire community engagement and social action. We support festival and competition entries for youth and adult creators and host media making events focused on public interest stories and local history. The program actively engages the community in book publishing and documentary filmmaking. Award winning at the regional and national levels since 2025 all program activities and gallery access are provided free of charge to the public to ensure equitable participation in the creative process. 17424 0 0 O99 Youth Training and Empowerment Program TeenTigerTV. This initiative recently honored with the Rika Welsh Award for a decade of community impact provides comprehensive media development for socially and economically disadvantaged youth. The core program consists of an intensive six week summer session 16 hours per week supplemented by extended hours during the school year. In 2025 the program served 12 core summer participants and 35 youth through specialized workshops and a new year round weekly drop in pilot extension. By offering professional grade training and mentorship entirely free of charge TeenTigerTV ensures that financial barriers do not prevent local youth from gaining critical 21st century digital literacy and storytelling skills. 0 0 1950 S41 Community Development and Fiscal Sustainability Initiative. In response to declining cable franchise revenue the organization executed a Strategic Plan to ensure long term mission sustainability. A key achievement included securing Program Related Investments through Capital for Change comprised of low interest operational loans and a long term no interest mortgage loan. These fiscal strategies developed with stakeholder input directly enable the organization to sustain its service to underserved populations. This commitment is physically manifested in our permanent art collection and gallery which utilizes advocacy through art to highlight the lived experiences of the unhoused and socially challenged members of our community bridging fiscal management with social justice. 0 0 1950 122439 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 8 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 CT X X X Tatyannah Haynes 2038922737 28 S Orchard Street Wallingford CT 06492 X Curt Huizenga Board Member 6 0 X 0 0 0 Jeff Kohan Board Member 1 0 X 0 0 0 Ben Negron Board Member 2 0 X 0 0 0 Adam Benzinane Board 3 0 X 0 0 0 Herb Jackson President 2 0 X X 0 0 0 Cassandra Allen Vice President 2.5 0 X X 0 0 0 James S Stavris Treasurer 3 0 X X 0 0 0 Elaine Gaffney Secretary 2.5 X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 54340 267163 0 321503 1950 1950 0 0 1950 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 323459 1956 0 0 X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22117 22117 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4318 4318 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 50 0 3727 0 3727 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12366 12366 0 0 1379 1379 0 941 941 37221 36951 270 0 0 0 0 0 9939 9939 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 797 797 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 34572 34572 0 0 5214 0 5214 0 132641 122439 10202 0 X 21748 68979 25347 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 305534 34572 291324 270962 88737 88493 65000 265000 0 0 0 0 492156 693434 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 489686 493434 2470 200000 492156 693434 492156 693434 X 190818 -244 0 0 0 10704 X 0 0 0 X 84123 161128 198980 132652 321503 898386 0 0 0 0 1950 1950 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8000 11120 19120 84123 161128 198980 140652 334573 919456 0 0 0 0 121556 121556 0 0 0 0 72137 72137 0 0 0 0 193693 193693 725763 157 215 1304 906 6 2588 0 0 0 0 0 0 157 215 1304 906 6 2588 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84280 161343 200284 141558 334579 922044 0.78712 0.99606 0.00281 0.00394 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 0 0 X X 0 88737 0 -244 0 0 0 88493 80790 0 8297 0 0 0 89087 72590 0 8201 0 0 0 80791 83087 0 -10497 0 0 0 72590 40000 40000 3087 0 0 0 83087 1 0 0 1 0 44526 0 44526 106414 0 4439 101975 50203 0 9255 40948 91081 0 18216 72865 13310 0 2662 10648 270962 0 0 Interest in Assets Held by Community Foundation 88493 F 88493 Capital For Change low Interest housing loan fund 65000 C RayRays Place No Interest bubble at close 200000 C 265000 Schedule D, Part III, Line 1 The Nelson Carty Memorial Gallery consists of loaned and gifted social action art held for public exhibition and education in furtherance of the organization's public service mission. In accordance with the organization's policy, these items are not held for financial gain, are not capitalized, and are strictly not for sale. All proceeds from any future involuntary conversions (such as insurance claims) would be used to acquire other items for the collection Schedule D, Part III, Line 4 The Nelson 'Carty' Ford Memorial Gallery, dedicated on April 30, 2024, is an integrated gallery within the gathering spaces and walkways of WPAA-TV and Community Media Center. This permanent collection of 'social action art' is curated primarily from Connecticut artists to engage visitors in a fuller understanding of our collective humanity and the earth we share. In furtherance of our public service mission, all works are held for public exhibition and education; they are not capitalized, not held for financial gain, and are strictly not for sale. The gallery serves as a platform for advocacy through art, highlighting the lived experiences of underserved and socially challenged members of our community. Schedule D, Part V, Line 4 The Freeman Purse Fund is an agency endowment established in 2020 with $80,000 of organization assets to ensure long-term sustainability. Under ASC 958-605, this is reported as an asset of the organization, with the principal restricted to provide a permanent source of income for community media services. A separate Donor Advised Fund (DAF) provided a standard annual grant of $337 and a significant one-time strategic grant of $71,800 this year. These endowment funds are intended to provide long-term support for the mission-including media programming, community education, and infrastructure upgrades-as cable franchise fees decline. This filing compiles reporting from the prior five years to correctly represent these funds as an endowment, correcting a prior preparer's classification as a standard investment. Schedule D, Part VII, Line 3 Funds represent a quasi-endowment held and managed by Community Foundation For Greater New Haven for the The funds reported represent a quasi-endowment held and managed by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for the sole benefit of the association. These assets, established as the Freeman Purse Fund, are reported as an asset of the organization under ASC 958-605. The Foundation maintains legal ownership while the organization retains a beneficial interest in the funds, which are intended for long-term mission sustainability and community media services. This reporting reflects a correction to prior year classifications to properly represent the fund's nature as a beneficial interest in assets held by a community foundation. Form 990, Part III, Line 2 To ensure long term sustainability amid shifting revenue streams the organization expanded its Community Development Strategic Plan. Key milestones included securing Program Related Investments known as PRIs. These are comprised of low interest operational loans and a long term no interest mortgage loan following a successful mortgage payoff. A significant one time Donor Advised Fund award was secured to bolster this strategy providing the required baseline for a matching Arts award in 2026. Furthermore this filing includes a restatement of a quasi endowment known as the Freeman Purse Fund which was previously misclassified as a standard investment. These combined fiscal strategies allow the organization to maintain its core mission and outreach in support of unhoused and socially challenged individuals as reflected in our permanent art collection and advocacy initiatives. Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 2 A family relationship exists between the Volunteer Director and a member of the Board of Directors spouse. Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 4 The revised purpose states that the corporation is organized for the purpose of empowering the people of Wallingford and beyond to uplift the community through story conversation and content creation by operating a community centric digital media center and public art gallery. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b The governing body received a full copy of Form 990 and is given the opportunity to provide feedback before the return was submitted. The final version was thoroughly reviewed by the designated officers and the preparer. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c The organization monitors and enforces compliance with its conflict of interest policy through an annual review process. All board members are required to disclose potential conflicts and sign updated disclosure statements at the annual meeting. These policies are reviewed by the Board and filed annually with the state regulator to ensure continued transparency and compliance Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 15 The Board of Directors performs an annual review of uncompensated administrative staff to authorize their continued service. As part of this process, the board determines the estimated value of these services to be recorded as inkind contributions in the organization financial statements Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 Annual Report inclusive of 990 is filed with the state of CT and updated on nonprofit portals such as Candid. All documents are on our website as sunshine. Form 990, Part IX, Line 12 The expenses reported on Line 12 represent professional service fees and project specific costs for our core programs. This includes 3803 dollars for the A99 Art and Culture program covering gallery management festival submission fees and specialized content creation including production props and costumes. The remaining balance is allocated to the production of Make TV bilingual content and costs associated with Mission Continues a series of free to attend public open house events designed to engage the community in media literacy and local advocacy. Form 990, Part X, Line 33 Per the strategic plan this return aligns property and endowments and mission investments. The facility is the primary space for Make TV. To offset lower cable revenue the Board created an endowment in 2020 held by the Community Foundation. This growth fund with current balance of 88493. And PRI investments of 65000 dollars Capital for Change and 200000 dollars in support for Ray Rays Place. A 2025 funding amount of 71800 dollars and a one time gift of 121556 dollars were received for a 2026 matching program. This filing recognized a prior period adjustment clarifying that a 15000 dollar fund at the Community Foundation is not an asset of this group. Form 990, Part XI, Line 9 Line 9 reflects a net reconciliation of asset balances totaling negative 10704 dollars. This amount is comprised of two specific adjustments. First a prior period adjustment of 15000 dollars forDonor Advised Fund which is not an asset of the WPAA. This adjustment aligns the beginning net assets with the our actual cash position. Second a positive adjustment of 25704 dollars was recorded to align the book value of program related investment assets and building depreciation with year end cash and investment statements. These adjustments ensure the final net assets reported are consistent with current verified financial holdings.