KENOSHA, Wis. — The Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Foundation, chaired by prominent Kenosha businessman Timothy Todd Mahone, 63, is listed as delinquent by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), with no annual reports on file, according to state records reviewed Monday by Kenosha County Eye. The foundation, which raises money through charitable donations, scholarships, fundraising galas and community events, also does not appear to have independently recognized federal tax-exempt status, although it operates under a fiscal sponsorship arrangement with United Way of Kenosha County.
(Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office)
The findings come just days after Kenosha County Eye published an investigative report detailing Mahone’s second arrest on suspicion of operating while intoxicated, his repeated references to his charitable foundation and the mayor’s office during the police encounter, and Kenosha Alderman Anthony Kennedy’s appearance at the scene. That case was ultimately dismissed at the request of the Kenosha City Attorney’s Office. Following publication, several people contacted Kenosha County Eye and urged the news outlet to take a closer look at the foundation and its operations.
According to Wisconsin DFI records, the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Foundation, Inc., was incorporated as a Wisconsin non-stock corporation on November 26, 2024. Its registered agent is Timothy T. Mahone, and its principal office is listed as 2222 63rd Street in Kenosha. On October 1, 2026, the state officially designated the corporation as delinquent. As of Monday, November 2, the state’s corporate database showed no annual reports filed by the organization.
Wisconsin law requires non-stock corporations to file annual reports under Wis. Stat. § 181.0214. The foundation’s delinquent status indicates a corporate compliance problem, although the public record does not specify the exact deficiency responsible for the designation. The delinquency does not, by itself, establish financial wrongdoing or mean that the organization has been dissolved.
The Mahone Foundation traces its charitable activities to 1999, when it was established to honor Mary Lou and Arthur Freeman Mahone, two longtime Kenosha community leaders. Its stated mission is to provide educational opportunities to economically and academically deserving young people while supporting healthy lifestyle initiatives. The organization has sponsored scholarship programs, fundraising galas, the HarborPark Jazz, Rhythm & Blues Festival and other community events. Its website continues to solicit donations and promote upcoming programs.
However, while the foundation advertises a history dating back more than 25 years, the Wisconsin corporation currently operating under the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Foundation name was not incorporated until November 2024. That distinction raises questions about the organization’s previous legal and financial structure, including which entity received charitable donations, maintained financial records and administered scholarship funds before the corporation was formed.
Kenosha County Eye also searched the Internal Revenue Service’s publicly available tax-exempt organization database and could not locate an independent 501(c)(3) determination for the Mahone Foundation under its name. That finding is consistent with disclosures made by United Way of Kenosha County, which entered into a fiscal sponsorship arrangement with the foundation in February 2025.
In its 2024 federal Form 990, United Way disclosed that it had agreed to serve as the foundation’s fiscal sponsor while the Mahone Foundation awaited a final IRS determination on its application for federal income tax exemption. The filing described United Way’s role as providing financial management and oversight to support the foundation’s growth and development. The return also identified $54,333 in expenses associated with the Mahone Foundation, although that figure does not represent a complete accounting of the foundation’s revenue, assets or overall expenditures.
More than a year later, in March 2026, the Mahone Foundation announced leadership changes and publicly acknowledged that it was still working toward independent 501(c)(3) status. The announcement named Carthage College President Dr. John Swallow as the foundation’s board president. The foundation has not publicly established, through the records reviewed by Kenosha County Eye, whether the IRS has since approved its application.
The distinction is important because federal tax-exempt recognition and Wisconsin corporate registration are separate matters. A nonprofit organization can legally receive tax-deductible donations through an established fiscal sponsor without possessing its own 501(c)(3) determination. However, that arrangement also places significant importance on the sponsor’s responsibility for charitable funds and the financial controls governing their use.
The Mahone Foundation’s website expressly identifies United Way of Kenosha County as its fiscal sponsor and tells prospective donors that contributions made on behalf of the foundation are tax-deductible as permitted by law. The organization continues to promote fundraising opportunities, including a student emergency fund and scholarship programs. An October fundraising campaign involving more than 15 local restaurants also encouraged businesses and customers to contribute toward the foundation’s educational initiatives.
According to the foundation, more than 450 scholarships have been awarded over the years. Its programs include scholarships funded through the foundation itself, as well as educational awards offered through partnerships with Carthage College and Herzing University. Those distinctions matter when evaluating the foundation’s financial impact because scholarships funded by participating educational institutions are not necessarily expenditures made directly from the foundation’s charitable accounts.
The arrangement with United Way raises several unanswered questions, including how much money the foundation has collected in recent years, how much has been distributed directly to scholarship recipients, what portion has gone toward fundraising and administrative expenses, and which organization maintains legal control over donated funds. Kenosha County Eye has not obtained a complete financial accounting that would independently answer those questions.
Kenosha County Eye contacted Mahone by text message Monday, informing him of the corporation’s delinquent status, the absence of annual reports in Wisconsin’s database and the inability to locate an independent IRS tax-exempt determination. Mahone was also asked to clarify whether United Way remained the foundation’s fiscal sponsor. He did not respond before publication.
Kenosha County Eye also contacted United Way of Kenosha County CEO Selina Gomez-Beloz by email Monday, seeking clarification about the fiscal sponsorship arrangement, United Way’s knowledge of the foundation’s delinquent corporate status and the financial oversight exercised over donations collected on the foundation’s behalf. Gomez-Beloz did not respond before publication.
Neither the foundation’s delinquent corporate status nor the absence of a separately located IRS determination establishes that charitable donations have been misappropriated. Nevertheless, the public records raise legitimate questions about corporate compliance, financial transparency and accountability for an organization that has solicited donations from Kenosha residents and businesses for decades.
For now, the Mahone Foundation remains listed as delinquent in Wisconsin’s corporate database, its independent federal tax-exempt status remains unverified, and the two organizations responsible for its leadership and fiscal oversight have not answered Kenosha County Eye’s questions. KCE will continue examining the foundation’s financial and corporate records and will update its reporting if either organization provides additional information.
