Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 203021444
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2025
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2024
- Location
- Triangle, VA, United States
- Phone
- (703) 640-9433
- Rating
- 88
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Private Grantmaking Foundations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $432,326,962
- Expenses
- $405,633,766
- Assets
- $246,276,175
- Liabilities
- $9,631,370
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
22 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JAMES B LASTER (PRESIDENT & CEO)
- THEODORE SILVESTER (VICE PRESIDENT, M&D)
Highest reported compensation
- JAMES B LASTER (PRESIDENT & CEO): $484,426 total reported compensation
- THEODORE SILVESTER (VICE PRESIDENT, M&D): $311,792 total reported compensation
- MATTHEW D COOPER (VP, OPERATIONS AND SECRETARY): $310,794 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The basic mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute those toys to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas and beyond. How the Program Works The U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is directed by the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve, with the assistance of his staff from the Marine Forces Reserve∗. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Marine Toys for Tots. An IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity, it serves as the authorized fundraising and support organization for the Toys for Tots Program. The Foundation provides the leadership, funding, and support needed for successful annual toy collection and distribution campaigns. The Foundation staff is headquartered in the Cooper Center located just outside the Main Gate of Marine Corps Base, Qua.
What it reported doing in 2025
The marine toys for tots foundation provided the leadership, administrative, advisory, financial, logistic, and promotional support needed for the marine toys for tots program to collect and distribute nearly 24 million toys to over 10 million economically disadvantaged children.the foundation was able to bring the joy of christmas and send a message of hope to these 10 million economically disadvantaged children in 870 communities covering all 50 states, the district of columbia, puerto rico, the virgin islands and guam.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 99% 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
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 90
- Transparency & Controls: 84
- Accountability: 96
- Sustainability: 53
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 90.8%; rating input score 91
- Program expense ratio: 96.6%; rating input score 97
- Fundraising efficiency: $38.07 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Pass
- 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: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 24th 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: 6.2%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.61; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0.5%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 3 operating locations identified
- Where the money goes: 90.8% of revenue deployed · 96.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 13 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $391.9M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $484K · 22 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $9.8M reported
- Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
- Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
- Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 8 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.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 18/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.