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Commonwealth Kitchen Inc

EIN 27-0648497 · Dorchester, MA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair55 out of 100GovernanceGood80 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

CWK'S MISSION IS TO BUILD A NEW FOOD ECONOMY GROUNDED IN RACIAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE BY STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY, CONNECTIONS, AND COLLECTIVE POWER OF DIVERSE ENTREPRENEURS TO START AND GROW SUCCESSFUL FOOD BUSINESSES. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS MISSION, CWK OPERATES GREATER BOSTON'S ONLY NONPROFIT FOOD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AND FOOD MANUFACTURING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE.

Income
$7.8 million
Spending
$7.5 million
Spent on programs
82%
Reserves
-4.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 49%
Employees
32
Volunteers
10
Highest pay
$219,687, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 27% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 49% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 24% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    82% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $6.1 million spent. READY TO LAUNCH: WITH SO MANY PEOPLE STARTING INFORMAL FOOD BUSINESSES OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND NOW LOOKING FOR SUPPORT, WE'RE CURRENTLY ADAPTING OUR START-UP PROGRAMMING INTO A NEW 16-WEEK START-UP PROGRAM, AN EXTENSION OF OUR SIGNATURE FOOD BIZ 101, INTENDED FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE ABOUT TO LAUNCH IN CWK'S SHARED KITCHENS. THE EXPANDED PROGRAM COVERS ALL OF THE BASICS - FROM PERMITS TO HOW TO CREATE INVOICES, TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND PRICING. READY TO LAUNCH WILL ENSURE A STRONG START TO NEW BUSINESSES THAT LAUNCH AT COMMONWEALTH KITCHEN.NETWORK SUPPORT: WHEN STATE AND FEDERAL MONEY BECAME AVAILABLE, COMMONWEALTH KITCHEN JUMPED INTO ACTION, SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT RESOURCES AND HOSTING NUMEROUS WEBINARS IN COLLABORATION WITH USC AND OTHERS TO GIVE ENTREPRENEURS ACCESS TO THE ANSWERS THEY NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE. WE ALSO LAUNCHED A FOOD BUSINESS LISTSERV, PROVIDING ADVICE AND PEER NETWORKING FOR 200+ BUSINESSES. RESTAURANT RESILIENCY: THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A NETWORK OF DEEP SUPPORT TO SMALL RESTAURANTS ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH A FACEBOOK GROUP. DESPITE THE ENORMOUS CHALLENGES OF 2020, CWK WAS ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR VITAL, BASELINE BUSINESS EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMMING, WHICH HAS BECOME ALL THE MORE CRITICAL GIVEN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC REALITIES. CWK PROVIDED A RANGE OF BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES, INCLUDING HOSTING WEBINARS AND PROVIDING 1-ON-1 SUPPORT SERVICES TO MORE THAN 100 BUSINESSES. WE PROVIDED DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO OVER 50 BUSINESSES APPLYING FOR VARIOUS GRANTS AND LOANS, HELPING SECURE MORE THAN $2M TO SUPPORT THEIR RECOVERY EFFORTS. WE RAISED AND INVESTED ANOTHER $1M+ THROUGH OUR COMMONTABLE EMERGENCY FOOD EFFORTS TO PAY OUR HARD-HIT FOOD BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO FEED THEIR NEIGHBORS IN NEED. AS PART OF THE PROGRAM, WE PROVIDED 25+ BUSINESSES WITH TRAINING ON BULK FOOD PRODUCTION AND PROPER COOLING AND TRANSPORTATION TECHNIQUES, AND STAFF TRAINING FOR CONTACTLESS DELIVERY.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 2011.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.