Kingmakers of Oakland
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Kingmakers of Oakland is a leadership development and systems change organization committed to fundamentally transforming the education system and building the capacity of people to design and sustain thriving and liberated systems, structures, conditions, and culture to improve educational and life outcomes for Black students.
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $5.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 62%
- Employees
- 51
- Highest pay
- $337,279, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 112% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 34% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 11 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 (4)
- $4.5 million spent. KOO MEDIA ACADEMY. The Media Academy serves young adults 14-24 to teach them about Narrative Change, Media Production, Broadcasting/Podcasting, and Event Production. Students learn skills to operate video cameras, sound and audio, lighting, story telling, journalism and video editing to develop professional media skills to enter into the industry as a young leader.Please note the program expenses listed above are the total expenses for all programs listed on this page.
- TFI OAKLAND. The Kings In The Making TFI Program is a 3 year college access program in partnership with JP Morgan Chases Fellowship Initiative (TFI). This program aims to address 3 primary college readiness issues faced by Black and Latino youth: (1)access to rigorous college preparatory courses (2) access to experienced teachers who have high levels of cultural competencies when working with boys/men of color (3) access to consistent guidance counseling to continually track students academic performance and college application process. We work with Kings starting at 10th grade through to their senior year on academic advising, tutoring, literacy and reading comprehension, financial literacy, mentorship and career and professional development.
- YPAR. Youth Participatory Action Research provides a vehicle for youth to learn and practice and acquire leadership, research and communications skills.
- FAMILY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTIn many schools and educational settings, Black families find a dearth of avenues for engagement, celebration, and authentic partnership in their children's education. KOO intentionally fosters this sort of engagement with Black male students' families to ensure that they have strong networks of support for academic and life success.BLACK TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTIONKOOs model for Black male teacher recruitment, training, and retention is multipronged. Our Professional Learning Community (PLC) is where we cultivate a brotherhood of MDP facilitators across districts, to foster peer support, skill-development, and a sense of belonging (within educational systems where Black men are significantly underrepresented). But a good deal of work is taking place further upstream, as well. This year KOO made great strides in the areas of recruitment, college partnerships, and frameworks for retaining Black male teachers..CULTURALLY RELEVANT PEDAGOGY & CURRICULUMIn an express effort to counteract the Eurocentric curriculum that pervades American education, KOO delivers curricula that center the experiences, culture, and power of Black people, encouraging educators and students to tap their own transformative power Youth voice & leadershipCentering Black boys means not only making sure that their voices are heard, but that Black youth have a seat at decision-making tables in education. Some recent highlights toward this goal include joining an intergenerational event at The Well in Washington D.C., and KOOs first foray into youth participatory action research.Narrative changeFar too pervasive in American culture are deficit-based narratives that fail to uplift and recognize the inherent beauty and intelligence of Black boys. KOO is flipping that narrative, creating content and platforms that celebrate Black male brilliance. During the past year we have grown tremendously in this area of work, particularly in terms of building capacity and infrastructure for media production.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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 November 6, 2026.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 2020.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 November 4, 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.