Camps for Kids
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Camps For Kids' mission is to ensure that no Kansas City-area child is turned away from summer camp because of low income or physical, medical or developmental disability.
- Income
- $515,733
- Spending
- $532,544
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 6.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $57,625, 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
Good: 86 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 31% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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
Strong: 92 out of 100. Higher than 96% of charities in its peer group (recreation and sports, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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 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)
- $457,965 spent. Summer camp is more than just a place for fun and games - it's a life-changing experience where kids forge deep friendships, explore new talents, and gain confidence in themselves and their community. For children facing poverty or dealing with physical, developmental, or medical challenges, camp can be especially meaningful, offering a rare space where they feel understood and supported. Unfortunately, these are often the children who struggle the most to access such opportunities. That's where Camps for Kids steps in, breaking down barriers so every child can experience the magic of summer camp. Camps For Kids partners with area camps which focus on children with medical challenges (cancer, spina bifida, congenital heart defects, end-stage renal disease, and others), on the autism spectrum, with physical and developmental disabilities, foster care children, and those who come from low-income families. Many of these camps are offered at little to no cost to campers, and those which aren't use Camps For Kids' funding to provide scholarships for underprivileged children. The goal of the Camps For Kids' program is to help camps have the funds to assure that children will not be denied the summer camp experience because of low income or medical, physical or developmental disabilities. A central part of the Camps For Kids program is the offer of matching funds. This provides a unique opportunity for camps to effectively double their fundraising efforts, leveraging both their donor's gifts and staff/volunteer time. The objective is to raise matching funds to add to camp-dedicated donations Camps For Kids assists its camp partners to raise between April 1 and July 31 each year. The offer of matching funds has the added benefit of providing an incentive for donors, which our network camps report is vital to their individual fundraising efforts. The appeal of having their donations effectively doubled encourages many donors to donate. In 2024, Camps For Kids matched qualifying donations to the camps 100%. But Camps For Kids is more than a fundraising organization. It actively promotes its partner camps through social media and community outreach, processes donations on their behalf, and fosters collaboration among camps. By creating a network where camps can share resources, tackle challenges, and exchange solutions, Camps for Kids strengthens the entire camp community. Since its founding in 1981, multiple generations of children from low-income families and/or those who have medical, physical, or developmental disabilities have reaped the benefits of summer camp at little to no cost to their families with the support of Camps For Kids. In 2024 alone, nearly 2000 underprivileged children and/or those with disabilities and medical challenges alone, attended a summer camp in the Camps For Kids network. No child was denied admission to a camp in our network because of inability to pay. We hear again and again from the campers and their families about the impact these camps have. Perhaps a former camper turned adult volunteer at Camp Quality, a specialty camp for children with cancer and rare-blood disorders, explains it best: "For one week every year at Camp Quality, I feel completely normal. Everyone around me is my family and I can be anyone I want and feel accepted. . . I wouldn't be who I am today {without camp}. These people have changed my life." Camp changes lives. Camps For Kids helps make that life-changing experience available to more Kansas City-area children.
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
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 December 2024.
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 April 1982.
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.