Skookum Kids
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Skookum Kids exists to mobilize communities in support of kids and families impacted by foster care.
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $1.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 8.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 62%
- Employees
- 27
- Volunteers
- 150
- Highest pay
- $152,816, president and ceo
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: 88 out of 100. Higher than 75% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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: 94 out of 100. Higher than 58% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 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
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
9 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 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)
- $369,774 spent. The Landing - An emergency shelter for children entering foster care for the first time. The Landing was designed as a solution to "the 72-hour problem," which is that caring for children in their first three days of foster care is significantly harder and more complex than all the days that follow. Children who receive excellent care during this period are much less likely to experience behavioral challenges and much more likely to make up the learning loss too often associated with foster care placement, and much more likely to be reunified with their family of origin. With the unfortunate closure of two sister programs earlier this year, The Landing experienced the busiest 12-month period in its history, with half of its placements coming from Snohomish County. Each child who stayed at the Landing received medical care, new books, clothes, toys, and shoes, and most importantly, the undivided attention of two safe, healthy adults. At just $120 per child-night, The Landing is one of the most cost-effective child welfare placements available anywhere.
- $446,533 spent. Skookum Parents - Skookum Parents is a reunification-focused foster care licensing and placement agency. We recruit, train, and license families to do the important and difficult job of foster care. Our goal is to cultivate a network of natural support around a child and their family improving the likelihood that they will successfully reunify and that recidivism will be unthinkable. Skookum Parents supported a team of more than 60 licensed foster families in 2024 who cared for more than 100 children. We are proud that the rate of reunification for children placed in our homes exceeds 80%, more than 15 points better than the statewide average.
- $243,501 spent. Family Time - More than 80% of children in foster care have court-ordered, supervised visitation with their family of origin. These visits are delicate, emotionally heightened experiences for everyone involved. We ensure that these visits happen in a timely manner in a way that is safe and productive for everyone involved. With more than 4,100 hours of "family time" visitation hours in the last year, Skookum built such a reputation for excellence that we secured a specialized contract to conduct all of the initial visits, often the hardest, in our catchment area.
- $157,043 spent. Foster Supports - In addition to training and licensing families to provide foster care, we also support and encourage them throughout their foster parenting career with things like Family Night Out, bi-monthly support group, and Skookum Mentors, a program in which we pair adult volunteers with children in foster care. One of the strongest predictors of successful social and educational outcomes for children is the presence of a third safe/healthy adult, in addition to their parents, playing a predictable role in a child's life. This kind of influence is rare for children in foster care who are often separated not just from their family of origin but also from their extended family and other social supports. In an effort to restore this important influence in a child's life, we pair volunteers who have been vetted and trained with children placed in foster care to provide educational, recreational, and prosocial support. More than 50 children were paired with a Skookum Mentor this year, most of them benefiting from weekly one-on-one attention that supports their success in both school and life.Camp Skookum As part of Skookum's commitment to reunification, we host an annual three-day-long camp experience for reunified parents & children to celebrate the monumental accomplishment of putting their family back together. Camp is a place to make friends and build community around a shared experience with foster care. There is a combination of skill-building opportunities, group therapeutic experiences, and most importantly, tons of fun! Fourteen families participated in 2024, 6 returning for a second time. One family shared that Camp Skookum was the first time they had returned to the same place two years in a row. Camp had become their very first family tradition.
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 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 December 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 February 2015.
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.