Kaizen Food Rescue

Overview

Mission

Kaizen food rescue aims to prevent food waste and improve food justice and health equity in the denver metro area. Our vision is to continuously improve food security and food justice in the denver metro area because we believe healthy and culturally relevant foods should be accessible to all.

What it reported doing in 2024

Non-lobbying advocacyaddresses root causes of food insecurity and waste through non-lobbying advocacy, public awareness, and coalition-building. Aims to influence local/state policies for equitable food systems. All staff completed racial equity training this year to enhance advocacy efforts. Participated in 48 policy coalition meetings. Hosted 24 public education events.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
834107744
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2019
Headquarters
Englewood, CO, USA
Phone
7203080390
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Food Banks, Pantries

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.04; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.4%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 26% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 25.2% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.9% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $7.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $105K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 annual filings from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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

4 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • THAI NGUYEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $104,940 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.