Think Big for Kids

What it reported doing in 2025

Think big for kids is a national non-profit that partners with companies from diverse industries to provide the awareness, guidance, and support young people need to set and achieve their post-graduation goals. Our unique "three pillars" approach incorporates career exploration, mentorship, and job readiness and placement. We've developed a programmatic roadmap that first engages kids during the critical middle school years and supports them throughout high school and into young adulthood. Continued on schedule oduring the program, students learn about career opportunities and work with experienced mentors to pursue their educational and professional goals. As they approach graduation, we offer work placement, internships, and scholarships to help them pursue on-the-job training, trade school certification, or a 2 to 4-year college degree. To further our mission to break the cycle of poverty, we work with our partners to connect graduates to jobs they're passionate about after completing their education.founded by tech entrepreneur tony dibenedetto, the organization works with business partners and like-minded organizations to develop kids' untapped potential. In 2025 we severed approximately 1815 kids. Partnering with organizations, companies, and volunteers to provide middle and high school students in poverty with opportunities.the think big for kids mission focuses on three pillars:- career exploration: we provide middle-school students with a chance to learn about diverse job opportunities in today's workplace by organizing career showcases, skill-building workshops, fieldtrips, and summer programs.- mentorship: we pair students with an experienced mentor aligned with their interests who can help them understand their career options, choose the right education path, remain accountable, and plan for post-graduation.- job readiness & placement: we prepare high school students for their future career by coordinating internship and job shadowing opportunities, organizing job readiness workshops, awarding scholarships, and assisting with job placement.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 76.3%; rating input score 76
• Program expense ratio: 69%; rating input score 69
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -8%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.99; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.2%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 32.7% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 23.5% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 30.1% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings