KABOOM!, INC., WHICH WE REFER TO AS KABOOM!, IS THE NATIONAL NONPROFIT THAT WORKS TO END PLAYSPACE INEQUITY BY UNITING WITH COMMUNITIES TO BUILD KID-DESIGNED PLAYSPACES THAT CAN SPARK JOY AND FOSTER A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR THE KIDS WHO ARE OFTEN DENIED OPPORTUNITIES TO THRIVE.
Key facts about Kaboom Inc
In short: Kaboom Inc gave $363K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Georgia. 84% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 52-1970904
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $362,573
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- Average grant
- $19,083
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 84% first-time grantees (16 of 19, 2025)
- Total assets
- $24,686,878
- Primary geography
- Georgia (77% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Quick answers about Kaboom Inc
How much does Kaboom Inc give each year?
Kaboom Inc gave $363K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $216K across 8 grants.
What is Kaboom Inc's typical grant size?
Kaboom Inc's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $19,083, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kaboom Inc that year got $21K on average.
Where does Kaboom Inc give grants?
Kaboom Inc gives mostly in Georgia: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Atlanta, GA (7 grants), Philadelphia, PA (4 grants) and Gainesville, GA (2 grants).
Does Kaboom Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Kaboom Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Improvement Playspace Grant" (14 grants) and "Playspace Innovation" (4 grants).
Who are Kaboom Inc's largest grantees?
Kaboom Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Friends of Fernhill Park ($31,000), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia ($25,000) and Ashview Heights Community Association ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Kaboom Inc?
Kaboom Inc reported $24.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $21.5M.
Is Kaboom Inc open to new grantees?
84%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 19 grantees (84%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $7K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Kaboom Inc
- How to evaluate Kaboom Inc as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$24.7M
-15.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$363K
+67.8% YoY
Grant Count
19
+137.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
-29.3% YoY
About Kaboom Inc
Based on IRS filings
Kaboom Inc is a nonprofit organization focused on Recreation & Sports, based in Bethesda, MD. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $24.7M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 19 grants totaling $363K. Net investment income was $1.0M.
Focus Areas
Ready to take the next step with Kaboom Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 19 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,686,878 | $29,033,648 | $32,769,790 |
| Revenue | $21,524,179 | $21,542,394 | $21,464,465 |
| Expenses | $25,091,649 | $23,594,205 | $25,061,925 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,033,218 | $1,239,109 | $892,783 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 4, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from Kaboom Inc
Community-Built Playspace Grants
Kaboom Inc
Amount
Unspecified amount in in-kind support
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Community-Built Playspaces
Kaboom Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
KaBOOM! Adventure Courses Grant Program
Kaboom Inc
Amount
Unspecified amount in in-kind support
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FRIENDS OF FERNHILL PARK Philadelphia, PA | PLAYSPACE INNOVATION | $31,000 |
| THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA Philadelphia, PA | PLAYSPACE INNOVATION | $25,000 |
| ASHVIEW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Atlanta, GA | IMPROVEMENT PLAYSPACE GRANT | $20,000 |
| ATLANTA POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE INC Atlanta, GA | IMPROVEMENT PLAYSPACE GRANT | $20,000 |
| ATLANTA SMART ACADEMY Atlanta, GA | IMPROVEMENT PLAYSPACE GRANT | $20,000 |
| AVONDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC Atlanta, GA | IMPROVEMENT PLAYSPACE GRANT | $20,000 |
| BEYOND THE VIEW AUTISM SERVICES Atlanta, GA | IMPROVEMENT PLAYSPACE GRANT | $20,000 |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF LANIER INC Gainesville, GA | IMPROVEMENT PLAYSPACE GRANT | $20,000 |
| CHARLTON COUNTY RECREATION DEPT Folkston, GA | IMPROVEMENT PLAYSPACE GRANT | $20,000 |
| CITY OF CEDARTOWN Cedartown, GA | IMPROVEMENT PLAYSPACE GRANT | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Kaboom Inc is led by Lysa Ratliff, CEO since 2021 (on filings since 2019); 7 of 21 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lysa Ratliff
CEO
Vice President & Partnership Development → CEO, 2021
On filings since 2019
50 hrs/week
$235K (2019) → $409K (2025)
Lynn M. Ross
Board Chair
Member → Board Vice Chair, 2021
Board Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carlyne Cardichon
Vice President Finance & Operations
Vice President & Finance → Vice President Finance & Operations, 2021
On filings since 2019
48 hrs/week
$199K (2019) → $218K (2025)
Carrie Leovy
Senior Strategist
On filings since 2019
44 hrs/week
$176K (2019) → $201K (2025)
George T. Megas
CFO
On filings since 2019
45 hrs/week
$234K (2019) → $246K (2025)
James Siegal
Senior Fellow
CEO → Senior Fellow, 2021
On filings since 2019
41 hrs/week
$366K (2019) → $232K (2025)
Ronda Jackson
Vice President Regional Partnerships
Vice President Policy, Advocacy & Impact → Vice President Policy, Advocacy & Impa, 2024
Vice President Policy, Advocacy & Impa → Vice President Regional Partnerships, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$196K (2019) → $195K (2025)
Danielle Turnage
Chief of Staff
Vice President Partnership Development → Vice President Program Operations, 2023
Vice President Program Operations → Chief of Staff, 2025
On filings since 2021
44 hrs/week
$154K (2021) → $206K (2025)
Eric Rothman
Board Member -
Board Treasurer → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Board Member -, 2025
On filings since 2019
1.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Araten
Board Member -
Member → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Board Member -, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ladan Manteghi
Board Vice Chair
Member → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Board Vice Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vincent J. Lumia
Board Member
Member → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jewel James Simmons
Board Member
Member → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2021
1.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Wayne
Board Treasurer
Board Secretary → Board Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Natalie Vega O'Neil
Board Secretary
Member → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Board Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tiffany Manuel PhD
Board Member
Member → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Hardy
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marion McFadden
Board Member - Elected
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Rochelle Haynes
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharhonda Bossier
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Timothy Fesenmyer
Board Member - Elected
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Carey Palmquist (2023–2024) — Chief Program Officer
- Former: Amy Levner (2019–2022) — Vice President Marketing & Communivations
- Former: Jake Siewert (2019–2022) — Board Chair
- Former: Sharon Price John (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Gregory Johnson (2021–2022) — Member
- Former: Deborah A. Cowan (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Bruce M. Bowman (2019–2020) — President & Play Products Initiative
- Former: Colin O'Donnell (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Ron Lumbra (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Stephanie Gaillard White (2019–2020) — Board Chair
- Former: Udaya Patnaik (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Nabeeha Kazi (2020) — Vice President & Program Management
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kaboom Inc?
Kaboom Inc is a nonprofit organization focused on Recreation & Sports, based in Bethesda, MD. It holds $24.7M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Kaboom Inc's EIN?
Kaboom Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1970904. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Kaboom Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.