named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Alcance Latino
Weekly Spanish-language program featuring news, music, and conversation for the Latino community
Made of Clay Report
Weekly public affairs program covering local politics, environmental issues, and community events
The Human Rights and Social Justice Program
Weekly show focusing on human rights issues, social justice topics, and community activism
The Inquiring Socialist
Biweekly program exploring political and economic systems with a focus on socialist perspectives
Youth Radio Project
Weekly program providing youth with training and airtime to produce their own radio content
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Community and Public Broadcasting Services 2 activities
- Produce and broadcast local, diverse, and under-represented contentCreates and airs radio programming that amplifies local voices, music, and cultures—including queer artists and community spaces—through shows like 'Burning Airlines,' 'The Vicious Pink Show,' 'The Undiscovered Country: Voices Over the Wall,' FLX News Exchange, and 'The Scenic Route,' as well as in-depth news coverage such as reporting on the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 trial.
- Provide community members with radio production training and hosting opportunitiesOffers hands-on training for community volunteers, high school students, and interns in radio production through programs like the Youth Radio Project and general volunteer initiatives, enabling participants to create and host their own shows; some trainees have gone on to professional radio careers.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Engage community through events and collaborative projectsCo-hosts public events such as interactive DIY art, music, and community-building gatherings on the Ithaca Commons and collaborates with Ithaca College Park Scholarship students on community radio initiatives to strengthen local engagement.
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Regional Arts Advocacy & Promotion 1 activity
- Produce and distribute a local community calendarProduces and broadcasts a regularly updated community calendar highlighting upcoming music, arts, and cultural events in Ithaca and the Southern Finger Lakes region.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Conduct fundraising campaigns to support operationsRuns periodic fund drives, including a December 2012 marathon that raised nearly $10,000 and a later successful campaign meeting financial goals through donor engagement and matching funds, to sustain broadcasting and programming activities.
- Operate community radio broadcasting on multiple FM frequencies and onlineRuns FM radio broadcasts at 88.1 FM (Ithaca), 89.7 FM (Southern Finger Lakes), and 91.9 FM (Watkins Glen), serving Tompkins, Schuyler, and surrounding counties, with year-round operations based in downtown Ithaca’s historic Clinton House; also provides online streaming access to programming via WRFI.org.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$195K
Contributions & grants$194K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income$560%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$164K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$86K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$185K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$185K
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +11.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FELIX TEITELBAUM | EXECUTIVE MANAGER | 40 | $53K |
board members · 8
- AMIE HERMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- CARLOS GUTIERREZ — BOARD MEMBER
- CHANTAL THOMAS — BOARD MEMBER
- FRED BALFOUR — BOARD MEMBER
- JOE ROMANO — BOARD MEMBER
- JOSEPH HAEFELI — BOARD MEMBER
- MIKE COOK — BOARD MEMBER
- TALAYA CENTENO — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- Bike Walk Tompkins Partner — Niki Ray-Israelsohn serves as Director of Bike Walk Tompkins and is a member of the WRFI Board of Directors.
- Cornell University Partner — Andrea Stevenson Won is an associate professor at Cornell University and a WRFI board member.
- Downtown Ithaca Alliance Government — Provided a grant supporting a community event co-hosted by WRFI Community Radio.
- Engaged Cornell Funder — Provides grant support for WRFI Community Radio's community engagement projects.
- Google Partner — Uses Google Calendar for event submissions.
- GreenStar Partner — Participates in the Cooperators in the Community program, allowing GreenStar members to earn shopping discounts by volunteering at WRFI.
- GreenStar Natural Foods Market Partner — Joe Romano was the Marketing Manager at GreenStar Natural Foods Market and is a current WRFI board member.
- Hangar Theatre Partner — Stephen St. Francis Decky has collaborated with the Hangar Theatre as a projection and video designer.
- Ithaca College Partner — Multiple board members, including Talaya Centeno and Stephen St. Francis Decky, have affiliations with Ithaca College.
- Ithaca College Park Scholarship Partner — Collaborates with WRFI Community Radio on student-led community radio projects.
- Ithaca Community Radio, Inc. Network — Owns and operates WRFI Community Radio.
- Ithaca Pride Alliance Government — Provided a Community Empowerment Grant to support recording and broadcasting local queer history content.
- Michael Rhynes Partner — Co-producer of 'The Undiscovered Country: Voices Over the Wall' with Felix Teitelbaum
- New York State Broadcasters Association Government — Recognized WRFI’s 'The Loneliness Radio Project' with a first-place Excellence in Broadcasting Award in 2019.
- Opera Ithaca Partner — Stephen St. Francis Decky has worked with Opera Ithaca as a projection and video designer.
- Rivendell Open Source Radio Automation Partner — Provides open-source radio automation software used to manage music playback and scheduling.
- Seed Bomb Partner — Co-hosted an interactive DIY art, music, and community building event on the Ithaca Commons.
- WINO Partner — Collaborates on FM broadcasting at 91.9 FM in Watkins Glen.
- WSKG Partner — Partnership established to re-broadcast programs such as Capital Pressroom and Free Speech Radio News from WSKG's HD station, WSQX, to Ithaca.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collaborative Storytelling for Civic Engagementmethodology: collaborative_storytellingBy engaging diverse stakeholders in co-creating narratives about issues like climate change, the organization increases local relevance and impact of programming because collaborative storytelling builds shared understanding and motivates community action.
- Community-Centered Media as Transformative Practicemethodology: community_centered_programmingBy centering local voices, cultures, and stories in programming, the organization strengthens community connection and inspires personal and artistic transformation because participatory media fosters identity affirmation, civic belonging, and creative agency.
- Volunteer-Powered Community Ownershipmethodology: volunteer_powered_community_radioBy relying on volunteers for operations and leadership, the organization maintains community ownership and independence from corporate influence, fostering deeper engagement and sustained participation because volunteer involvement builds personal investment and democratic control over media.
- Youth Media Empowerment Through Trainingmethodology: youth_media_trainingBy training youth to produce their own radio content, the organization fosters media literacy and creative expression because hands-on production experience builds technical skills, confidence, and critical thinking in young participants.