Wisconsin Watch is a left-of-center online publication founded in 2009 that reports on state and local issues in Wisconsin. ¹

Reporting

Wisconsin Watch has reported on Wisconsin laws’ use of the terms “mother and father” rather than gender-neutral language, which it claims is “a reminder to LGBTQ+ families that their rights are at risk.” Another report asked, “Does the Mississippi River have rights?” which approvingly reports on the effort to grant legal rights to rivers. Another story was “‘Unwanted and unwelcome’: Anti-LGBTQ+ policies common at Wisconsin voucher schools,” that complains that Christian schools in the state are not required to adopt contemporary gender ideology even if the students attend the school with publicly funded vouchers. ^{2 3 4}

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statements

Wisconsin Watch has embraced the trend of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in its reporting and internal human resources procedures. This began in 2019 when the organization launched a DEI taskforce to deal with “structural inequities” and “lack of diversity” internally. In 2020, following the “racial reckoning” that occurred in the wake of the death of George Floyd, the organization issued a pledge that it would investigate structural oppression and embrace DEI and “antiracism” in its journalism, training, and human resources. ⁵

The organization publishes breakdowns of the sex, sexual orientation, race, age, and disability status of its staff. ⁶

Partners

Wisconsin Watch is a member of several different journalism organizations, including the Institute for Nonprofit News, which encourages members to adopt racial and gender ideology; the Trust Project; and the Global Investigative Journalism Network. ¹

Finances

In 2021, Wisconsin Watch had $1,902,825 in revenue, of which $1,699,963 was derived from contributions and grants, $189,781 from program service revenue, and $1,024 from investment income. It had $1,204,418 in expenses, of which $847,144 was allocated for salaries and compensation. It ended 2021 with $2,033,351 in net assets, up from 1,334,944 at the beginning of that year. ⁷

Wisconsin Watch publishes the name of every donor and lists the amount and purposes of grants it receives from foundations. Foundations that have supported the organization include The Knight Lab ($50,000 in 2022), Greater Green Bay Community Foundation ($26,000 in 2022), Inasmuch Foundation ($50,000 in 2022), the Joyce Foundation ($200,000 in 2022, $155,000 in 2021), AJP ($1.5 million in 2021), Arnold Ventures ($388,000 in 2021), and the Reva and David Logan Foundation ($150,000 in 2021). ⁸

Leadership

Andy Hall is the co-founder and executive director of Wisconsin Watch, a position he has held since the organization was founded in 2009. Previously he worked as a journalist at the Wisconsin State Journal and the Arizona Republic. ⁹

1. “About Wisconsin Watch — a Nonprofit Investigative News Outlet.” Wisconsin Watch. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://wisconsinwatch.org/about/.
2. DeFour, Matthew. “Same-Sex Couples Still Face Biased Language in Wisconsin Laws.” Wisconsin Watch. June 16, 2023. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/06/wisconsin-law-discriminatory-language-same-sex-couples/.
3. Ramirez-Franco, Juanpablo. “Does the Mississippi River Have Rights?” Wisconsin Watch. June 9, 2023. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/06/does-the-mississippi-river-have-rights/.
4. Watch, Phoebe Petrovic / Wisconsin. “Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies Common at Wisconsin Voucher Schools.” Wisconsin Watch. May 31, 2023. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/05/anti-lgbtq-policies-wisconsin-voucher-schools/.
5. Watch, Wisconsin. “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report, 2022.” Wisconsin Watch. April 5, 2022. https://wisconsinwatch.org/2022/04/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-report-2022/.
6. “Staff Demographics.” Wisconsin Watch. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://wisconsinwatch.org/staff-demographics/.
7. WCIJ Inc. Return From An Organization Exempt From Taxation (Form 990), 2021, Part I
8. “Funding.” Wisconsin Watch. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://wisconsinwatch.org/about/funding/.
9. “Wisconsin Watch Staff.” Wisconsin Watch. Accessed June 19, 2023. https://wisconsinwatch.org/about/staff/.