The Kindersmile Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of KinderSmile Foundation is to provide access to quality comprehensive dental services to uninsured and underinsured children, perinatal mothers and families in marginalized and rural communities with a focus on education,intervention and prevention
- Income
- $3.9 million
- Spending
- $3.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 74%
- Reserves
- 6.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 54%
- Employees
- 56
- Volunteers
- 108
- Highest pay
- $285,342, ceo/dentist
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 83 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.3 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 35% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 12% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1573% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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, 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 (3)
- $2.3 million spent. KINDERSMILE ORAL HEALTH PROGRAM (KSOHP) KSOHP is the flagship program of our nonprofit foundation. With values of education, intervention, and prevention as methods to combat oral health care inequity, KSOHP increases access to oral health care for underserved children, regardless of insurance status, by bringing dental care to schools or community centers at no cost to caretakers. With parental consent, offsite visits in schools include oral health education, nutritional counseling, dental exams, caries risk assessment, prophylaxis (dental cleaning), topical flouride treatments and sealants where appropriate. In 2025 KSOHP crucially linked 2,999 children to a permanent barrier-free Dental Home at KinderSmile Community Oral Health Centers in Bloomfield, Newark, or Trenton, where they are scheduled for follow-up vists and continuity of care. The oral health education component of KSOHP is developed by KinderSmile Foundation in conjunction with the existing curricula used by participating programs to be age-appropriate, engaging, and long-lasting in developmental impact. Education provided to children, parents, and caregivers addresses the importance of early intervention and prevention, the practice of oral hygiene routines in school and at home, the importange of periodic dental checkups, the benefits of using flouride toothpaste, fouride rinse, topical application of flouride by dental professionals, and the use of systemic flouride when indicated. Emphasis is also placed on healty eating and feeding habits to reduce the incidence of dental caries in our service areas, which have no community water flouridation. In 2025 the KinderSmile Foundation Dental Homes had 14,510 visits with patients from 181 townships.
- $219,153 spent. KINDERSMILE PERINATAL HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAM (PHWP) PHWP breaks the dangerous cycle of untreated dental diseases by empowering uninsured and Medicaid-insured mothers from pregnancy and up to 3 years postpartum, with informative, personal, and culturally sensitive training about the importance of oral health and its impact on the developing fetus and young children. Upon completion of our training program, qualified mothers can earn free adult dental care to restore their smiles at one of our Dental Homes. Eligible mothers qualify for free dental care including dental exam, cleaning, and follow up treatments proposed by the dentist. Mothers become financially responsible once grant funds are expended, or starting with their recall appointment. Dental care at KinderSmile Foundation is offered at a significantly dicounted rate for families. The program includes a crucial link to a permanent Dental Home for mothers and their children, to ensure continuity of care. The PHWP in Mercer and Essex counties collaborates with more than 80 organizations throughout the state of New Jersey, in order to successfully reach the at-risk perinatal community. Educational sessions are provided to maternal health workers such as doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, and OBYGyns, to promote medical-dental integration, and raise awareness of the fact that dental health during pregnancy is safe, effective, and recommended. In 2025, 232 matriculated mothers received dental care at the Dental Homes and 101 maternal health workers received oral health education. To date PHWP has served 636 mothers, who have been educated in English,Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Arabic.
- $37,975 spent. KINDERSMILE COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM (CSLP) CSLP offers mentorship and guidance to students from high school to college and beyond, to acquire leadership skills, and share in the mission and goals of KinderSmile Foundation. CSLP members have the option to participate in internships with the Foundation, to help teach children about oral hygiene at KinderSmile Community Oral Health Centers, and to volunteer at local health fairs and community events such as Give Kids a Smile Day. Students become aware of the importance of Public Health Dentistry and community service in order to bridge the gap in access to care for at-risk families. Dedicated CSLP volunteers may eleveate their roles within the organization and serve as ambassadors for oral health in New Jersey and abroad. Students become cognizant of the lack of access to oral health among at-risk children and families, and the impact on their overall health. Thye gain a greater appreciation for their blessings by having the opportunity to join KinderSmile Foundations annual global outreach trips and visiting countries such as Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Uganda. In 2025 89 CSLP students donated 2,781 hours of their time in clinical, administrative, public health, and outreach positions.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 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 April 2008.
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.