Kids Forward Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

State education and public issues - kids forward advocates for effective, long-lasting solutions that break down barriers to success for children and families in Wisconsin, notably children and families of color and those furthest from opportunity. Using research and a community-informed approach, kids forward works to help every child, every family, and every community thrive. Kids forward seeks to ensure that all children have access to high quality early learning programs with a focus on ensuring equity within the early childhood system. Research has consistently confirmed that children who participate in high quality early learning programs are more likely ready to start school ready to learn and are more successful in achieving positive long-term outcomes related to graduation, employment, and health. Goals for the early learning work include embedding parent and caregiver voice into reform of the early childhood system, eliminating racial disparities in access and outcomes, increasing investments (private and public) in training early learning teachers, providing support to early childhood programs to improve their ability to provide higher quality services, and supporting the development and monitoring of an effective quality rating and improvement system that helps parents understand the quality of programs they send their children to and provides a framework for making overall improvements in the early learning system in Wisconsin. Kids forward seeks to ensure that all children and adults who need health care have access to affordable health care coverage and services that meets their health care needs. Wisconsin has made progress in the past in increasing coverage for low-income children and many adults, and kids forward seeks to promote policies and practices that at least maintain, if not expand, that coverage. Kids forward is active in working to expand badgercare (medicaid), protect the affordable care act as critical sources of accessible, affordable healthcare for children and families, and reduce health disparities through a focus on health equity in all policies. Kids forward works to achieve racial and ethnic equity at the local and state level. Using an antiracist policy advocacy model - research, community engagement, policy analysis and persuasive communication - our team applies a comprehensive approach to engaging leaders and community members across Wisconsin in a broader, solution-oriented dialogue aimed at reducing the profound and persistent racial disparities in health, education, child welfare, youth justice, employment, and income that plague the state and nation. Through reimagine Wisconsin we work in partnership with marginalized communities to develop and advance an antiracist, anti-austerity, pro worker policy agenda designed to ensure that every Wisconsin child, family and community thrives. Kids forward provides comprehensive analysis and education on state budget and tax issues, particularly those relating to communities of color and those furthest from opportunity. Our work seeks to embed the perspectives of marginalized communities within the broader debate on budget and tax policy through public education and by encouraging civic engagement on these issues.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 80.1%; rating input score 80
• Program expense ratio: 60.1%; rating input score 60
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 86.7%; rating input score 87; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 86.8%; rating input score 87; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -32.7%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.9; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.24; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 11.5%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -1.8% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings