STAR-K Kosher Certification

Overview

Mission

STAR-K Certification is a nonprofit kosher certification agency chartered in 1947 that certifies food products, appliances, establishments, and industrial food chemicals, with offices beyond its Baltimore headquarters (including dedicated staff in multiple countries). About Us Leadership The STAR-K Advantage Why Choose STAR-K Our Sacred Mission Testimonials STAR-D STAR-S Apply for STAR-K Certification About Us STAR-K Certification, Inc., chartered in 1947 as the Orthodox Jewish Council/Vaad Hakashrus of Baltimore, is a nonprofit 501(c)3 agency considered one of the most trusted and respected kosher certification organizations by kosher consumers and kosher organizations, alike. Our status as a non-profit organization helps us avoid conflicts of interest that might compromise our high kashrus standards, and is the underpinning of that trust.

Operating model

Revenue model

Earned-program. 98% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.

Distribution model

Direct operator. The filing allocates 97% 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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

• Financial Efficiency: 80
• Transparency & Controls: 58
• Accountability: 22
• Sustainability: 54
• Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Details

• What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
• Where the money goes: 87.1% of revenue deployed · 95.2% of spending went to programs
• Governance: 2 of 7 board members independent · 1 of 8 filing controls reported
• Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $16.2M in reported program spending
• Leadership: top reported pay $340K · 12 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
• Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
• Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
• Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
• Contacts: How to reach this organization
• Money network: 30 filed money-flow records
• Related organizations: 19 filed related-organization links
• 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 29/100.
• High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 7 not reported.
• High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
• High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 0/100.
• Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.
• High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.
• Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.