KIDS MATTER INC.
Because every child needs someone in their corner.
KIDS MATTER INC.
EIN: 39-1988488
as of September 2023
as of September 18, 2023
Mission
KIDS MATTER INC. helps abused and neglected children heal and thrive, brings volunteer energy and community support to foster and kinship children, and applies lessons learned from helping children heal to preventing further child abuse.
Notes from the nonprofit
We welcome inquiries at any time about the information provided here or other information that would be helpful to you in evaluating our work.
Ruling year
2000
Executive Director
Susan Conwell J.D.
Main address
1850 N MARTIN LUTHER KING DR STE 202
MILWAUKEE, WI 53212 USA
EIN
39-1988488
Abuse prevention
Legal services
Family services
Child welfare
Youth development
Population served
Children and youth
Caregivers
Victims of crime and abuse
NTEE code
Legal Services (I80)
Protection Against and Prevention of Neglect, Abuse, Exploitation (I70)
Other Youth Development N.E.C. (O99)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Court Appointed Special Advocate Volunteers
Milwaukee's Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program is wholly managed by KIDS MATTER INC. Each year, hundreds of children victimized by abuse or neglect are assigned a CASA program volunteer by a judge to advocate for the children's best interests in obtaining a safe, permanent home or to transition to independent living as they reach the age of 18 and leave the care and protection of the state.
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
TF-CBT is a nationally developed, proven method for working with child trauma victims to help them understand and manage the impacts of significant negative life experiences in order to have healthier, happier childhoods.
Fostering Healing
The Fostering Healing program helps child crime victims including children who have experienced abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault or who are survivors of the homicide of a parent. The Family Connections program provides family support and child abuse prevention to extended kin caregivers. KIDS MATTER INC. has a multidisciplinary team to provide trauma support, safety planning, in-home visits, legal and other support to over 1,000 children and families annually.
Where we work
Awards
Solid Foundation for Inclusion Certification 2023
HRC Foundation "All Children - All Families"
Support and Empowerment of Children in Our Community 2018
Guardians of the Children - HAWG City Chapter
Office of the Governor of Wisconsin & Wisconsin State Public Defender 2014
Wisconsin Cares About Kids Award
Top Nonprofit 2022
GreatNonprofits
Affiliations & memberships
National CASA Association 2020
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of children served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Family relationships
Related Program
Fostering Healing
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of unique children served by all programs of the organization with at least one service.
Estimated dollar value of clothing and household goods donations
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Family relationships
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Donated goods including school supplies, clothing, toys, computers, hygiene items, birthday and holiday gifts. IN KIND donations also include substantial donations of time by more than 100 volunteers.
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Family relationships
Related Program
Court Appointed Special Advocate Volunteers
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Trained community members serve as Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers; numerous civic, faith, school, and corporate groups conduct drives; an annual event committee; BOD, etc.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our goal is for every child to have a a safe, stable, and loving home with a nurturing family. Our focus is on the children being raised by someone other than a parent through no fault of their own, but for whom outcomes can be poor without intervention from a multi-disciplinary team motivated solely by the child's best interests.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Through our signature programs: CASA volunteers, Fostering Healing, and Fostering Hope -- we address the wide variety of needs of our kids.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
KIDS MATTER is fortunate to have an unparalleled team of experts in law, social work, trauma therapy, nonprofit management, and fund development with decades of experience in advocating for children in kinship and foster care.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The list of awards and recognition, as well as the opportunities for our team to teach other providers through published articles, conference workshops, and one-on-one conversations inevitably leads one to a firm conclusion that KIDS MATTER is a national leader in serving vulnerable youth. As long as child abuse and neglect exist, KIDS MATTER will continue its work as 'Champions for Children(TM).'
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
7.09
Months of cash in 2021 info
6.6
Fringe rate in 2021 info
19%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
KIDS MATTER INC.
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of KIDS MATTER INC.’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $37,593 | $68,829 | $81,204 | $126,146 | $239,486 |
| As % of expenses | 5.5% | 7.9% | 8.9% | 13.6% | 23.3% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $37,593 | $68,829 | $81,204 | $126,146 | $239,486 |
| As % of expenses | 5.5% | 7.9% | 8.9% | 13.6% | 23.3% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $724,768 | $937,831 | $996,399 | $1,090,274 | $1,268,623 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 57.0% | 29.4% | 6.2% | 9.4% | 16.4% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 78.0% | 78.4% | 75.7% | 78.7% | 68.3% |
| All other grants and contributions | 22.0% | 21.6% | 24.3% | 21.3% | 31.5% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $687,175 | $869,002 | $916,245 | $928,128 | $1,026,554 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 42.7% | 26.5% | 5.4% | 1.3% | 10.6% |
| Personnel | 67.5% | 72.7% | 70.1% | 71.2% | 73.9% |
| Professional fees | 3.3% | 0.8% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.5% |
| Occupancy | 8.5% | 5.6% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.3% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 20.8% | 20.9% | 21.5% | 20.8% | 19.3% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $687,175 | $869,002 | $916,245 | $928,128 | $1,026,554 |
| One month of savings | $57,265 | $72,417 | $76,354 | $77,344 | $85,546 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $744,440 | $941,419 | $992,599 | $1,005,472 | $1,112,100 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 4.6 | 6.6 |
| Months of cash and investments | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 4.6 | 7.2 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 7.5 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $57,345 | $119,916 | $134,309 | $358,527 | $560,914 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $52,828 |
| Receivables | $113,447 | $123,604 | $188,074 | $158,159 | $168,808 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $6,707 | $6,707 | $6,707 | $6,707 | $6,707 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 28.9% | 19.9% | 16.2% | 16.4% | 13.1% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $127,857 | $196,686 | $277,890 | $404,036 | $643,522 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $1,050 | $1,050 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $1,050 | $1,050 | $0 | $36,000 | $40,000 |
| Total net assets | $128,907 | $197,736 | $277,890 | $440,036 | $683,522 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Susan Conwell J.D.
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
KIDS MATTER INC.
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
KIDS MATTER INC.
Board of directorsas of 08/30/2023
Board of directors data
Ms. Sibylle Tasker, J.D.
Tom Frenn, J.D.
Sibylle Tasker, J.D.
Robert Dries, PhD
Jennifer McGaver, MBA
Caroline Spongberg, J.D.
Susan Conwell, J.D.
Francisco (Paco) Martorell, MSW, M.Div.
Gladys Simandl, PhD, RN
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/30/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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- Financial statements for 2021, 2020, 2019
- Letter of Determination
- Officer and/or Employee data for 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
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