FPRAZ assures the future vitality and excellence of our community's public radio stations and broadens their support.
Friends of Public Radio Arizona’s largest recent grants went to Kjzzkbaq through Maricopa Community Colleges, with $5,576,341 in 2024 and $5,252,577 in 2023 for public radio. That pattern points to a funder centered on sustaining radio infrastructure rather than dispersing many small awards. The foundation’s stated purpose is to assure the future vitality and excellence of community public radio stations and broaden their support, and its recent activity shows that mission in practice. Alongside station support, it also funds accessibility work: Sun Sounds received grants for audio access to print information for people who cannot read or hold print materials due to a disability. The giving profile includes both broad operating support for public radio and narrower program support tied to access, education, and community service. Friends of Public Radio Arizona also appears to use multiple channels for support, including membership or donation programs for KBACH and KJZZ and scholarship-related support for SPOT 127 participants. Across the record on file, the foundation’s work centers on public media as an institution and as a service for listeners, students, and people with print disabilities.
Public radio sustainability is the clearest theme. Friends of Public Radio Arizona gave $5,576,341 in 2024 to Kjzzkbaq through Maricopa Community Colleges and $5,252,577 in 2023 to the same recipient for public radio. Accessibility is another defined area: Sun Sounds received $13,243 in 2024 for audio access for print information for people with disabilities. The foundation also supports print access for people who cannot read or hold print materials, as shown by a $14,625 grant to Sun Sounds in 2023 for audio access to print information. Youth media education appears in the SPOT 127 programs, including scholarship support and donations tied to the Youth Media Center in Greater Phoenix. In addition, its active donation programs for KBACH and KJZZ link support to classical music programming and news and information programming.
The recent grant record is highly uneven in size. The 25th percentile is $14,280, the median is $2,633,601, and the 75th percentile is $5,333,518, reflecting a mix of very large institutional awards and much smaller program grants. The foundation’s grantmaking is recurring rather than one-time: Kjzzkbaq received the two largest grants in consecutive years, and Sun Sounds appeared in both 2023 and 2024. Friends of Public Radio Arizona is not a funder of individuals and does not make program-related investments. The active programs also suggest a strong operating-and-donation model, with membership or donation support used alongside grant support.
$5.6M
$8.9M
$7.8M
$6.5M
Most grants fall between $14K and $5.3M, with a median of $2.6M.
25th Percentile
$14K
Median
$2.6M
75th Percentile
$5.3M
About 50% of grants go to recipients in AZ.
MISTIE HAGUE-WEISHAAR
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Grantmaking is regional, with Arizona receiving 50% of grants by recipient location and the top state by grant count also Arizona. Recent awards land in Tempe, including the two largest grants to Kjzzkbaq through Maricopa Community Colleges and two smaller grants to Sun Sounds. The active program list also points to Maricopa County and Greater Phoenix as recurring places of support, especially for KBACH, KJZZ, and SPOT 127. All recent grants in the record were awarded in the United States.
Its recent support centers on public radio stations and public media institutions, especially Kjzzkbaq through Maricopa Community Colleges, plus accessibility-oriented service through Sun Sounds and youth media education through SPOT 127. The foundation’s stated purpose is to assure the future vitality and excellence of community public radio stations and broaden their support.
Recent grant sizes vary sharply. The 25th percentile is $14,280, the median is $2,633,601, and the 75th percentile is $5,333,518. That spread shows a pattern of a few very large station-support awards alongside smaller program grants.
Yes. Kjzzkbaq through Maricopa Community Colleges received the two largest grants on file, $5,576,341 in 2024 and $5,252,577 in 2023. Sun Sounds also appears in both years, with $14,625 in 2023 and $13,243 in 2024.
The active programs include support for KBACH classical music programming, KJZZ news and information programming, SPOT 127 Youth Media Center donations and scholarships, and named SPOT 127 scholarships. Those programs connect the foundation to public radio, youth media education, and student scholarship support.
Arizona is the top state by grant count, and 50% of grants go to recipients in Arizona. Recent recipient locations include Tempe, and the active program list also includes Maricopa County and Greater Phoenix.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KJZZKBAQ (THROUGH MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES) | TEMPE, AZ | $5,576,341 | 2024 | FUNDING FOR PUBLIC RADIO TO ENSURE THE FUTURE VITALITY AND EXCELLENCE OF PUBLIC RADIO. |
| SUN SOUNDS | TEMPE, AL | $13,243 | 2024 | AUDIO ACCESS FOR PRINT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. |
| KJZZKBAQ (THROUGH MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES) | TEMPE, AZ | $5,252,577 | 2023 | PROVIDE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC RADIO TO ENSURE THE FUTURE VITALITY AND EXCELLENCE OF PUBLIC RADIO. |
| SUN SOUNDS | TEMPE, AL | $14,625 | 2023 | PROVIDE AUDIO ACCESS TO PRINT INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO CANNOT READ OR HOLD PRINT MATERIALS DUE TO A DISABILITY. |
KJZZKBAQ (THROUGH MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES)
$5,576,341FUNDING FOR PUBLIC RADIO TO ENSURE THE FUTURE VITALITY AND EXCELLENCE OF PUBLIC RADIO.
SUN SOUNDS
$13,243AUDIO ACCESS FOR PRINT INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
KJZZKBAQ (THROUGH MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES)
$5,252,577PROVIDE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC RADIO TO ENSURE THE FUTURE VITALITY AND EXCELLENCE OF PUBLIC RADIO.
SUN SOUNDS
$14,625PROVIDE AUDIO ACCESS TO PRINT INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO CANNOT READ OR HOLD PRINT MATERIALS DUE TO A DISABILITY.