Kids in Need Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
821078462
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Little Canada, MN, USA
Phone
6124650135
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$68,266,040
Expenses
$53,371,907
Assets
$39,187,135
Liabilities
$4,699,008

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • COREY GORDON (CEO)
  • COLLEEN GRAY (VICE PRESIDENT, MISSION IMPACT)
  • JAVIER RIOS (VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS & FULFILLMENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • COREY GORDON (CEO): $290,935 total reported compensation
  • JAVIER RIOS (VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS & FULFILLMENT): $204,065 total reported compensation
  • TARA STERN (VP OF MARKETING AND EVENTS): $169,020 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

We believe every child in america should have equal opportunity and resources to engage in a quality education. By partnering with teachers and students in under-resourced schools, we provide the support needed to create equitable learning spaces for all students.

What it reported doing in 2025

National network of resource centers (including twin cities resource center) the foundation partners with over 40 resource centers across the country to help distribute much-needed school supplies to students who would otherwise go without. These organizations focus on schools with high percentages of students enrolled in the federal free and reduced lunch program. The resource centers are independently operated by nonprofit organizations that meet the foundation's requirements.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 63
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.5%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 93.8%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $68.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th 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: 21.8%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.73; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.8%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -6% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.7% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.5% of revenue deployed · 93.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $50.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $291K · 19 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2018 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.