Kars4Kids

Legal name: Kars 4 Kids Inc

Overview

Mission

Kars4Kids is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit Jewish organization (with its sister charity Oorah) that helps thousands of children; it makes donating to charity easy. Our mission is to give children the opportunities and support they need to develop into productive members of their communities. Mentorship is the heart of all of our programs. Kars4Kids programs include educational services, youth mentorship and development, community and family outreach and cultural events. Kars4Kids is a registered nonprofit Jewish organization who, together with Oorah, our sister charity, helps thousands of children. Our Programs.

What it reported doing in 2025

Kars 4 kids funds educational, developmental, and recreational programs for jewish youth and their families. Our goal is to foster a generation of well-balanced, productive adults. Our means to accomplish this goal is to provide children and their families with a strong network of personal guidance and educational resources, individualized to their needs. Our wide array of services is designed to maximize each facet of a child's development - academic, social and cultural.kars 4 kids's overall areas of activity consist of educational programming, school placement, tuition assistance, mentorship programs, cultural activities, weekend retreats, religious instruction, summer camps, recreation and guidance counseling.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 93% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
223746050
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Headquarters
Lakewood, NJ, USA
Phone
877-527-7454
Rating
55
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public Foundations
Affiliation
Judaism

Official website

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most filed governance safeguards are in place. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 36
  • Transparency & Controls: 66
  • Accountability: 71
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 38.1%; rating input score 38
  • Program expense ratio: 43.5%; rating input score 43
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 50%; rating input score 50; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.4%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.43; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.33; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.3%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.6% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 4 programs and campaigns described on the official site
  • Where the money goes: 38.1% of revenue deployed · 43.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $39M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $164K · 16 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $31.8M reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 9 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • ESTHER LANDAU (COO): $163,585 total reported compensation
  • ROBERT MOSKOVITS (PRESIDENT AND TRUSTEE): $157,431 total reported compensation
  • ELIYOHU MINTZ (CEO AND TRUSTEE): $156,055 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2025.