Kinship Mke Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Kinship Community Food Center engages volunteers and neighborhood residents to end hunger, isolation, and poverty. Our innovative programs nourish food security and wellness, foster belonging and community engagement, and empower stability and economic prosperity in our city.
- Income
- $4.2 million
- Spending
- $2.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 24.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 92%
- Employees
- 45
- Volunteers
- 9,572
- Highest pay
- $141,970, 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 24.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 31% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 51% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 19 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 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 (4)
- $1.4 million spent. Kinship MKE, Inc. (Organization), known as Kinship Community Food Center, engages volunteers & neighborhood residents to end hunger, isolation, and poverty. Our innovative programs nourish food security and wellness, foster belonging and community engagement, and empower stability and economic prosperity in our city. The Organization is incorporated under the laws of the State of Wisconsin. When a person walks into Kinship Community Food Center, they enter a social ecosystem designed to propel their journey toward health, belonging, and stability. As people shop, cook, grow, and share food, they find social connectedness and support that generates the confidence to achieve their goals. The Organization offers several programs which address food scarcity and help the whole person thrive. They are briefly described below: Shop | Fresh Food Market Shop is a fresh food market that integrates health education, cooking demonstrations, a food bar, and connections to community resources. In 2024, 322,000 pounds of food were given to more than 16,000 community members. The Organization served breakfasts & dinners from our community kitchen and held food preparation demos provided by community chefs. Nearly 90% of our community members say they are now cooking at home because of shopping at our fresh food market. Grow | Urban Farm To feed and educate the community, the Organization operated a 27,000 square foot urban hoop house vegetable farm and gardens that grew over 19,000 pounds of fresh, local, and organic produce in 2024. The Organization partnered with Maglio Company to operate the farm. Feast | Collaborative Meals Feast is a collaborative meal that brings a diverse group around a common table to explore food traditions and whole food culinary skills. Over 500 community members participated in eleven collaborative meals in 2024.
- $321,532 spent. Form | Education and Engagement Form is service-learning and workshops that empower volunteers and neighborhood residents to become leaders of generosity and advocate for the betterment of society. 9,000 community members gave 23,000 hours of volunteer services in 2024. Nearly 3,000 people participated in our community education training. Mission Internship | A Year of Service In 2024, our ninth year of the Mission Internship program, three women and four men gave a year of their life in service to the community while living together in two neighborhood homes near the food center. More than just learning to coordinate the operational functions of our food center and farm, the mission interns established real relationships to support shoppers, volunteers, and one another. They also participated in weekly formation sessions and gathered for prayer at the start of each morning.
- $459,719 spent. Stride | Crisis Assistance and Mentoring Stride is a mentoring program that accompanies people in crisis to overcome barriers to health and economic stability. The Organization prevented eviction and/or homelessness for 94 families through direct assistance and referrals and stabilized 471 families through employment assistance, transportation assistance, prevention of utility disconnections and/or obtaining needed household goods. 95% of our community members say they know they can get support and help at Kinship. Workforce | Employment Readiness and Training Workforce is a paid work experience that integrates social connection and human development to create a healing path toward steady employment and economic mobility. The Organization officially launched its workforce program in 2023 and it combines culinary training with therapeutic practices and personalized coaching. Graduates are matched with careers in their fields of interest and remain active in the Kinship community beyond completion.
- $192,872 spent. Kinship Café
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 October 13, 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 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 June 2014.
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 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.