Kinnect

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
202727509
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2015
Location
Cleveland, OH, USA
Phone
2166921161
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Adoption

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$17,042,058
Expenses
$16,511,711
Assets
$3,054,210
Liabilities
$1,544,348

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MEGAN FELLINGER (PRESIDENT)
  • SHANNON DEINHART (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SHANNON DEINHART (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $168,195 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Kinnect is a non-profit organization built on the belief that family is the foundation of stability and belonging. For more than 20 years, we have worked alongside young people, caregivers, agencies and communities to design and deliver programs that value connection over separation. Each of our programs supports our mission to build and strengthen kinship connections and inclusive support networks for families, young people and children with a vision that young people and families have a sense of belonging, the essential resources and relationships to thrive.

What it reported doing in 2025

Ohiokan is a flexible and responsive kinship and adoption navigator program designed to support children, youth and their families. Building on the premise that families are inherently capable of finding solutions to the circumstances and challenges they face, the ohiokan program will take an inclusive, engaging, and genuine approach to strengthening families and their networks. The youth navigator network (ynn) helps Ohio's youth and young adult who have been in care or recently transitioned out of care navigate systems, access resources, and build and expanded network of connections and support. Both ohiokan and ynn are programs of the department of children and youth that are managed by kinnect.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 96% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.1%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 99.2%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: $26.35 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • 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; 64th 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: 3.1%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.18; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.51; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.2% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 20.9% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 20% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.1% of revenue deployed · 99.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $16.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $168K · 12 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $3.4M reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 37/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 4/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 25/100.