Riverworks Development Corporation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
RIVERWORKS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (RDC) DRIVES SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY ALIGNING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WITH SPECIALIZED RESOURCES THAT STRENGTHEN HARAMBEE, RIVERWEST AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
- Income
- $2.4 million
- Spending
- $2.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- -13.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 53%
- Employees
- 29
- Volunteers
- 80
- Highest pay
- $165,089, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 15% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 40% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 51% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $706,839 spent. FINANCIAL CLINIC: EMPOWERS MILWAUKEE'S LOW- TO MODERATE-INCOME RESIDENTS WITH FREE, PROFESSIONAL FINANCIAL COUNSELING, TAX PREPARATION, AND COMMUNITY-BASED FINANCIAL EDUCATION. THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE COACHING, VITA TAX SERVICES, DEBT MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL GOAL SETTING, AND BANKING ACCESS SUPPORT, THE PROGRAM HELPS RESIDENTS IMPROVE CREDIT, REDUCE DEBT, BUILD SAVINGS, AND ACHIEVE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER, RIVERWORKS CONTINUES TO EXPAND ACCESS TO FREE, HIGH-QUALITY, NO-COST FINANCIAL SERVICES. IN 2025, THE FINANCIAL CLINIC SERVED 440 RESIDENTS THROUGH 2,482 APPOINTMENTS, INCLUDING 1,170 DOCUMENTED COUNSELING SESSIONS, WITH 660 TOTAL VISITS REFLECTING STRONG ENGAGEMENT AND REPEAT PARTICIPATION. PROGRAM OUTCOMES DEMONSTRATE MEANINGFUL IMPACT, WITH 266 TOTAL OUTCOMES ACHIEVED, INCLUDING 91 CLIENTS REACHING AT LEAST ONE OUTCOME AND 62 EARNING-DEFINED ACHIEVEMENTS. CLIENTS COLLECTIVELY INCREASED SAVINGS BY $52,876 AND REDUCED NON-MORTGAGE DEBT BY $541,424. THE PROGRAM ALSO EXPANDED ITS COMMUNITY EDUCATION EFFORTS THROUGH A LEGACY PLANNING WORKSHOP PILOT AND A HIGH-VOLUME VITA TAX SEASON, FURTHER STRENGTHENING ITS ROLE AS A TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE.
- $325,351 spent. NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT: COLLABORATES WITH RESIDENTS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO CREATE A VIBRANT COMMUNITY THAT REFLECTS THE CULTURE AND VALUES OF THE HARAMBEE AND RIVERWEST NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS INCLUDES ACTIVATING AND REVITALIZING PUBLIC SPACES WITH ART AND CULTURE, FACILITATING COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT AND SAFETY PROJECTS, AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS AND HOMEOWNERS TO RESOURCES. IN 2025, RESIDENTS ENGAGED IN THE BEERLINE SHUFFLE, MUSIC ON THE BEERLINE, THE RIVERWEST FARMERS MARKET, THE 53212MARKETPLACE SERIES, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, 7 NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UPS, AND OTHER EVENTS THAT UNITE THE HARAMBEE AND RIVERWEST COMMUNITIES. THE BEERLINE TRAIL NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT CONTINUED TO ENSURE THE NEXT PHASES OF TRAIL DEVELOPMENT SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT OTHER DEVELOPMENT INSPIRED BY AND CENTERED AROUND THE TRAIL BENEFITS RESIDENTS EQUITABLY.
- $516,200 spent. RIVERWORKS CLEANS: HIRES COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT THROUGH THIS SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PROGRAM. THEY SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY CLEANING UP SIDEWALKS AND CURBS, VACANT LOTS AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS. SERVICES INCLUDE LITTER AND GRAFFITI REMOVAL, MINOR LANDSCAPING, STREETSCAPE MAINTENANCE, EVENT SERVICES, AND RETURNING STOLEN PROPERTY. CONTRACTS INCLUDE THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS (BIDS), AND PRIVATE BUSINESSES. IN 2025, RIVERWORKS CLEANS WORKED IN 6 MILWAUKEE BIDS AND COLLECTED 118,000 GALLONS OF LITTER, EMPTIED 788 OVERFLOWING PUBLIC TRASH RECEPTACLES, REMOVED 16 PIECES OF GRAFFITI, CLEANED UP 55 ILLEGAL DUMPS, AND RETURNED 196 SHOPPING CARTS. RIVERWORKS CLEANS ALSO COMPLETED 1,340 ILLEGAL DUMP WORK ORDERS ISSUED BY THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, RESULTING IN 5,967 CUBIC YARDS OF DEBRIS REMOVED FROM CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES. ADDITIONALLY, RIVERWORKS CLEANS PROVIDED DISPOSAL AND CLEANING SERVICES AT 9 COMMUNITY EVENTS, PERFORMED LANDSCAPING, SNOW REMOVAL AND LITTER PICK UP FOR 7 MONTHLY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY CONTRACTS, AND SERVICED 11 ONE-TIME COMMERCIAL / RESIDENTIAL TRASH PICK-UPS.
- $205,830 spent. REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT: LEADS CATALYTIC RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS WHICH HAVE A POSITIVE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. THE FOUR CORE VALUES ARE: CREATE JOBS, STABILIZE THE TAX BASE, REPURPOSE VACANT & BLIGHTED PROPERTIES, AND GENERATE REVENUE FOR RDC'S PROGRAMS. THE RIVERWORKS CITY CENTER, COMPLETED IN 2018, HOUSES THE OFFICES FOR RDC STAFF, AS WELL AS A LAUNDROMAT, A LOCAL BUSINESS' EVENT SPACE, A SPACE RENTED TO FAMILY DOLLAR, AND THE BEERLINE PLAZA. THE RIVERWORKS LOFTS, COMPLETED IN 2012, HAS ONE- AND TWO- BEDROOM LOFT-STYLE APARTMENTS ON THE INTERSECTION OF HOLTON AND TOWNSEND. THE RIVERWORKS COMMONS, COMPLETED IN 2004, IS A SHOPPING CENTER ON CAPITOL DRIVE WITH 21,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL SPACE. THE CONNECTOR BUILDING, COMPLETED IN 2024, IS A 2,900 SQUARE FOOT SPACE ADJACENT TO THE BEERLINE TRAIL THAT IS HOME TO KUUMBA JUICE & COFFEEHOUSE AND A MULTI-USE COMMUNITY ROOM.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.