Cooking with Kids Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Started in 1995, cooking with kids works in classrooms and cafeterias, teaching thousands of elementary school students every year in northern New Mexico. We offer training and support to educators around the state and nation, extending our reach to many more kids. Local chefs and farmers share their passion and expertise with our students, helping us inspire the next generation of healthy eaters. Research shows that cooking with kids works when kids help make healthy foods, they are more likely to eat and enjoy them. Cooking with kids is part of a larger state-wide network in New Mexico that includes the following snap-ed implementing agencies: New Mexico human services department, New Mexico state university cooperative extension service, New Mexico department of health university of New Mexico prevention research center, kids cook, and las cruces public schools cooking with kids' spanish/english curriculum is designed to correspond with students' developmental levels and is aligned with common core state standards in language arts and mathematics and next generation science standards. The curriculum is also aligned with national health education standards and was adopted for health education in 2017 by the New Mexico public education department instructional materials bureau. Research-tested and nationally acclaimed, cooking with kids curriculum is implemented by schools and organizations across the united states cooking with kids collaborates with many partner organizations, including the museum of international folk art, communities in schools New Mexico, presbyterian center for community health, nm grown coalition, New Mexico public education department, the santa fe farmers' market/institute, and the New Mexico farmers' marketing association. Our program summary follows: - 1,722 hands-on nutrition education classes in 33 schools in rio arriba, san miguel and santa fe counties - 190 lunchroom tastings in 33 schools - 6,532 pre-k - 6th grade students participated in hands-on nutrition education classes in rio arriba, san miguel and santa fe counties - approximately 400 middle school students participated in cwk middle school food lab lessons - 661 tasting kits delivered to student classrooms - 22 school-based events - approximately 1,000 family members volunteered more than 1,600 total hours in cooking classes this year during fiscal year 2025, kids cooked the following: - watermelon pizza - stovetop pizza with tomatoes, bell peppers, & fresh basil - potato pancakes, sweet & sour red cabbage, & homemade applesauce - indian-spiced lentils, carrot rice pilaf, cucumber raita, & mango fruit salad - east asian noodles with carrots, zucchini, & bok choy - hummus, tomato-cucumber salad, & sesame flatbread - plus they tasted many fresh fruits and vegetables (many of them locally sourced)

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 82.7%; rating input score 83
• Program expense ratio: 83%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 1%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.52; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.5%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings