Real Food for Kids
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Real Food for Kids' mission is to change eating behaviors and improve health outcomes for children and families in the Greater Washington Region through sustainable access to real whole foods, impactful nutrition education, and local systemic policy changes.
- Income
- $581,547
- Spending
- $563,398
- Spent on programs
- 72%
- Reserves
- 5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 46
- Highest pay
- $119,065, executive director
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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1572% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 6 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
0 of 7Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
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 (6)
- $90,526 spent. Chefs Feeding Families (CFF) is a collaborative between Real Food for Kids and the hospitality industry to provide chef-inspired plant-forward meals and meal kits to families facing nutrition insecurity and create employment opportunities in D.C.-area restaurants. Launched at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to complement school meal distribution, the program continues to serve children and families throughout the Greater Washington Region with nourishing foods and nutrition literacy collateral to support healthy eating behaviors.
- $121,832 spent. The SNAP Ambassador Program (launched in June 2021) trains individuals in key community positions, such as school social workers and multi-lingual liaisons, affordable housing resident managers, food pantry staff and volunteers, to provide information on SNAP, address misinformation and fears, and support residents with the SNAP enrollment process. Following certification through an online training SNAP Ambassadors volunteer at enrollment clinics and outreach events as well as support families within schools and housing settings. The program serves as outreach for the Department of Human Services.
- $53,231 spent. Culinary Challenge - The Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge is an opportunity for students to play a change-maker role in improving what's on the menu in their cafeterias. This five-month intensive co-curricular program between RFFK and Family and Consumer Sciences educators puts Middle and High School students in the shoes of the school nutrition professionals to create a healthy, delicious, and appealing lunch, breakfast, or snack that meets strict USDA nutrition and cost guidelines. The Challenge culminates in a district wide competition. Winning dishes are adapted by school districts throughout the D.C. region and served to thousands of students. High standards of taste, presentation and originality have inspired our restaurant partners to adapt winning dishes for their own customers.
- $51,082 spent. Advocacy - Real Food for Kids advocates for and has won positive changes to school food policies and has generated institutionalized support for our goal of healthy school food as a critical component of children's wellness and academic success. Current activities focus on increasing access to healthful foods and integrating nutrition education inside and outside school walls to build a population of healthy eaters.
- $43,402 spent. The Chef Exchange Program (CEP) aligns the sister industries of hospitality and school food through sharing best practices, increasing chef-inspired, plant-based and plant-forward options on school menus, and better engaging students and families to increase school meal participation. The program pairs school nutrition professionals with chefs from the hospitality industry to collaborate on new recipes and share best practices, resulting in recipes that can be produced in schools, restaurants and homes. The program seeks to blur the lines between school food, restaurant food and home food to create a culture of healthy food.
- $47,151 spent. Fresh Food Explorers - is an eight-week nutrition education program for preschoolers from low income communities, at greater risk of developing obesity and related health conditions as a result of diet. The program focuses on building a greater acceptance of vegetables to increase consumption at school and at home. A series of video lessons is paired with hands-on activities to reinforce lesson concepts and food literacy, complemented by parent educational materials to support increased consumption of vegetables in the home.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 2014.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.