The DC Central Kitchen
The DC Central Kitchen reported $31.1 million in revenue and $41.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $84.14 went to program services, $11.50 to management and general costs and $4.36 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 52.1% of the total. Government grants made up 6.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $798,036 (CEO). 25 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 52% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $42MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $31MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 84.1% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.4% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.13 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 43.3% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 6.5% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 52.1% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $798,036 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.92% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 25 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 10.3 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 15 of 15 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseHealthy school foods: dcck provides healthy breakfasts, lunches, and suppers to 24 public schools and six charter and private schools in washington, d.c. This service aims to bring local, seasonable and sustainable cost-effective dining service to local schools that want to serve healthy, locally sourced meals to low-income student populations. In addition to promoting access to good nutrition, the program creates and sustains employment opportunities for at-risk men and women who have completed dcck's culinary job training program. During the year ended june 30, 2025, this program served…
Community meals: during the year ended june 30, 2025, dcck prepared, served, and delivered more than 1,405,000 meals to front-line shelters, youth programs, and community- based organizations serving food insecure and other vulnerable populations
Cafes & catering: dcck creates job and internship opportunities for individuals facing barriers to employment through these social enterprise activities. Since 2019, dcck's cafe in ward 8 has also hosted on-the-job training services for opportunity youth while providing a dignified food access point and community gathering space in an underserved neighborhood. In 2022, dcck opened a second cafe in the flagship location of dc public library, expanding this program's ability to hire dcck culinary graduates, host dcck culinary interns, and support local farm purchasing. In 2023, dcck opened its…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $776,919 | $0 | $21,117 | $798,036 |
| CFO (UNTIL 04/25) Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $471,516 | $0 | $21,070 | $492,586 |
| FORMER COO (LEFT 05/24) Former, 40.00 hrs/week | $317,175 | $0 | $8,412 | $325,587 |
| CDO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $259,410 | $0 | $17,981 | $277,391 |
| CHCO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $247,412 | $0 | $15,645 | $263,057 |
| CPO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $204,517 | $0 | $19,787 | $224,304 |
| CKO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $185,612 | $0 | $17,716 | $203,328 |
| COO (FROM 01/24) Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $178,777 | $0 | $11,146 | $189,923 |
25 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The DC Central Kitchen (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.4M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b15 · 15 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5433
- Volunteers Part I, line 610,000
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses onlyIndividuals listed as contractors are left out. 2 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
92 private foundations reported grants to The DC Central Kitchen totaling $2.9M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from The DC Central Kitchen's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The DC Central Kitchen, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 The DC Central Kitchen spent in FY2025, $84.14 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All unclassified charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of The DC Central Kitchen's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The DC Central Kitchen reported that 84.1% of its $41.7 million in expenses went to program services, 11.5% to management and general and 4.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The DC Central Kitchen pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The DC Central Kitchen reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $798,036, for the role of CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The DC Central Kitchen get its money?
Of $31.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 43.3% came from contributions and grants (including 6.5% from government grants) and 52.1% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The DC Central Kitchen a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 52-1584936 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202601349349312415 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202540389349300414 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202400389349300245 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202300529349300210 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202113129349300966 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202003029349301005 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 52-1584936: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.