Camp Kudzu Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CAMP KUDZU'S MISSION IS TO EDUCATE, EMPOWER AND INSPIRE CHILDREN AND TEENS LIVING WITH T1D. THROUGH ITS CAMP AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, CAMP KUDZU CHANGES YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES. WITHOUT THE LESSONS LEARNED AND PRACTICED AT CAMP KUDZU, MANY CHILDREN LACK ACCESS TO DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT SUPPORT AND WOULD HAVE INCREASED RISK FOR SERIOUS MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS AND/OR SHORTENED LIFE SPANS. CAMP KUDZU IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHICH BEGAN PROVIDING MEDICAL SELF-MANAGEMENT EDUCATION, RECREATION AND PEER-NETWORKING PROGRAMS IN THE YEAR 2000. IT WAS FORMED IN 1999 IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA BY PARENTS, DOCTORS, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO JOINED FORCES TO ESTABLISH PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENTAL AND MEDICAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES IN A FUN ENVIRONMENT MARKED BY CLINICAL OVERSIGHT AND DIRECTION.
- Income
- $2.5 million
- Spending
- $2.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- -5.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 78%
- Employees
- 17
- Volunteers
- 804
- Highest pay
- $168,114, ceo/executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 56% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 20 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 92 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 23 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 September 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 (3)
- $1.3 million spent. LARGE PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAMS WAS STEADY. OVER THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS, CAMP KUDZU HOSTED THREE WEEK-LONG RESIDENTIAL (SLEEPAWAY) PROGRAMS WITH OVER 400 PARTICIPANTS. CAMP KUDZU'S 5 DAY DAY-CAMP PROGRAM FOR YOUNGER CAMPERS, AGED 5-9 YEARS OLD, A TEEN RETREAT WEEKEND, A JUNIOR RETREAT WEEKEND, THREE FAMILY CAMP WEEKENDS, AND SEVERAL KUDZU ONE-DAY EVENTS ACROSS THE STATE OF GEORGIA TRANSLATED TO NEARLY 1,200 PARTICIPANTS TOTAL. FULLY STAFFED BY VOLUNTEERS, MANY OF THEM LIVING WITH T1D THEMSELVES, CAMP KUDZU PROGRAMS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN A LIFETIME OF PROPER DISEASE MANAGEMENT. OUR PROGRAMS HAVE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS PRESENT TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE, EDUCATION AND HELP FAMILIES MANAGE DAY TO DAY CHALLENGES AND COPING SKILLS FOR FAMILY AND SCHOOL LIFE. AS PART OF OUR MULTIYEAR OUTCOMES RESEARCH PROJECT, NOW IN YEAR 7, DATA STILL SHOW THAT YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES GROW AND ARE MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY SUPPORTED BY PROGRAM. PROVEN TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. CAMP KUDZU CONTINUES TO YIELD HIGH SATISFACTION AND PROVES TO BE STATISTICALLY RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT IN SHAPING THE LIVES AND SUPPORTING THE BROADER T1D COMMUNITY. YEAR AFTER YEAR, DATA HAS SHOWN THAT ATTENDEES IN CAMP KUDZU PROGRAMS HAVE LESS MEDICAL EMERGENCY VISITS RELATED TO THEIR T1D THAN THOSE WHO DON'T ATTEND CAMP KUDZU PROGRAMS. OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM CONTINUES TO BE OUR SUMMER RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS IN WHICH CAMP KUDZU HOSTED 3 WEEKS OF SLEEPAWAY CAMP. A TOTAL OF 475 CAMPERS ATTENDED JUST OUR SUMMER SESSIONS AND MORE THAN 800 CAMPERS PARTICIPATED IN OUR YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS WITH 160 NEW CAMPERS/FAMILIES PARTICIPATING FOR THE FIRST TIME (19%).
- $312,412 spent. WHEN A CHILD IS DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES, FAMILIES MUST LEARN HOW TO MANAGE THE CONDITION ON A DAILY BASIS. EDUCATION STARTS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WITH INFORMATION TO ABSORB AND SKILLS TO BE PRACTICED. THE LEARNING PROCESS INTRODUCES PARENTS AND CHILDREN TO AN ARRAY OF MEDICAL WORDS AND TERMS THAT DESCRIBE DIABETES AND HOW TO MANAGE DAY TO DAY; INSULINS, KETONES, SHOTS, POKES, TESTS, SUGARS, HIGHS AND LOWS, REACTIONS, CONTROL. THESE WORDS BECOME A PART OF EVERYDAY LANGUAGE IN THE HOUSEHOLD AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY'S SCHEDULE IS FORMED AROUND DIABETES MANAGEMENT. CAMP KUDZU RECOGNIZES THE LIFE-CHANGING IMPACT TYPE 1 DIABETES HAS ON THE ENTIRE FAMILY, WE SAW 105 FAMILIES TOTALING 421 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE OF THE 3 FAMILY CAMP PROGRAMS. CAMP KUDZU'S FAMILY CAMP IS A FUN-FILLED, EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING WEEKEND FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY; CHILDREN OF ALL AGES WITH DIABETES, THEIR PARENTS AND SIBLINGS. THIS IS A PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN TOO YOUNG TO ATTEND SUMMER CAMP AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY DIAGNOSED. FAMILY CAMP IS A TIME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DIABETES, HAVE FUN AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH FAMILIES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME CHALLENGES OF LIVING WITH DIABETES.PARENTS TELL US THAT THE PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS ARE THEIR FAVORITE PART OF THE WEEKEND. WE BRING IN DIABETES EXPERTS (ENDOCRINOLOGISTS, DIABETES EDUCATORS, DIETITIANS, AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS) TO TALK WITH OUR PARENTS ABOUT COMMON STRESSORS FOR FAMILIES OF TYPE 1, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BURNOUT, NUTRITION, UPDATES IN THE WORLD OF DIABETES, AND OTHER HOT TOPICS. PARENTS HAVE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THE EXPERTS ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THEY ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW, BUT NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO ASK. LASTLY, OUR WEEKEND PROGRAMS WRAP UP WITH A "VENDOR FAIR" WHERE OUR SUPPORTING PARTNERS SET UP A TABLING OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS TO ASK ABOUT DIFFERENT DEVICES, LEARN ABOUT NEW OFFERINGS FOR TYPE 1 DIABETES, AND EVEN GET TO TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE.WHILE PARENTS ARE RECEIVING LIFE-SAVING EDUCATION TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE THEIR CHILD'S DIABETES, THEIR CHILDREN WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES AND SIBLINGS ARE ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES TO HELP FOSTER LIFELONG CONNECTIONS OF SUPPORT. ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES ARE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF CAMP KUDZU VOLUNTEERS, MANY OF WHOM ALSO HAVE TYPE 1 DIABETES.
- $106,560 spent. OUR TEEN RETREAT WEEKEND PROGRAMMING IS OFFERED TO PARTICIPANTS IN 7TH TO 12TH GRADE AND HAS GROWN IN PARTICIPATION IN RECENT YEARS. MOVING FROM THE CAP OF THE WINTER 2021 PROGRAM OF 50 CAMPERS, WE HOSTED 100 TEEN CAMPERS IN 2025. THIS WEEKEND OVERNIGHT PROGRAM PROVIDES THE CO-ED EXPERIENCE OF CAMP WITH FUN AND EDUCATION FOCUSED ON SKILLS REQUIRED TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION TO YOUNG ADULTS. PROFESSIONALS ARE ON SITE THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND TO DELIVER DIABETES MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT DIET, ACTIVITY AND EMERGING TRENDS IN GLYCEMIC CONTROL. TEENS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT AND DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS THAT CAN SUSTAIN THEM YEAR-ROUND.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 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 September 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 August 1999.
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.