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KIDS OF COURAGE INC
CEDARHURST, NY · EIN 263364700 · Form 990 · FY2023 · Small ($100K-$1M) · kidsoc.org
revenue
$460K
expenses
$269K
net assets
$69K
employees
0
volunteers
105
program ratio
78%
mission · from form 990

TO ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR TERMINALLY/CRITICALLY ILL CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS VIA SPECIAL TRIPS AND ENTERTAINMENT SPECIFICALLY TAILORED FOR CHRONIC AND TERMINALLY ILL CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Kids of Courage Inc. organizes specialized adventure trips and entertainment programs for critically and terminally ill children and young adults. The organization provides medically supervised travel experiences across the U.S. and internationally, including adaptive skiing in Vermont and large-scale summer trips featuring theme parks, concerts, and social events. These programs aim to enhance quality of life by offering participants independence, joy, and peer connection in a supportive environment.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Adaptive Skiing Adventure
Four-day winter program at Mount Snow, Vermont, offering adaptive skiing opportunities for over 50 children with physical challenges, run in partnership with Adaptive Sports at Mount Snow.
Adventure Trips
Flagship nine-day summer trips across the United States for critically and terminally ill children, featuring medically supervised visits to theme parks, beaches, concerts, and other recreational activities.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters
Friendship program pairing participants with volunteer buddies to provide companionship, emotional support, and shared experiences during K.O.C. events.
activities · 7 groups

What they do

  • Disability Rights Advocacy & Self-Advocacy Empowerment 1 activity
    • Advocating for accessibility improvements for medically challenged individuals
      Engages in advocacy by meeting with U.S. senators and collaborating with theme parks and sports venues to improve physical and programmatic accessibility for wheelchair users and other medically challenged individuals.
  • Patient and Family Support Services 1 activity
    • Operating a medical guidance hotline for families
      Runs a physician-staffed hotline that provides medical referrals, second opinions, insurance guidance, and support during doctor consultations for parents of children with serious illnesses.
  • Inclusive Social & Recreational Events 1 activity
    • Operating free camp and recreational programming with inclusive activities
      Hosts year-round camp programs offering free recreational, social, and therapeutic activities such as spa time, portrait sessions, private beach outings, water sports, petting zoos, game shows, fashion shows, and religious services like Shabbos, designed to be fully inclusive for children with serious medical conditions.
  • Granting Wishes to Seriously Ill Children 1 activity
    • Organizing medically supervised dream trips and adventure experiences for children with serious illnesses
      Provides free year-round dream trips and adventure experiences, including a nine-day summer trip across the United States and adaptive ski weekends, for children and young adults with life-threatening and chronic illnesses, serving over 500 families. All trips are conducted under strict medical supervision with physicians, paramedics, and nurses on-site, and include specialized accommodations such as a fully chartered wheelchair-accessible Boeing 737 aircraft.
  • Residential Camp Health & Safety Services 1 activity
    • Providing comprehensive medical and counseling support during programs
      Delivers full medical supervision during all programs, administering over 700 doses of medication daily—including chemotherapy—and maintaining a camper-to-counselor ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 based on medical complexity, supported by 200+ volunteers including medical professionals and counselors.
  • Recreational and Emotional Support Programs for Children with Serious Illnesses 1 activity
    • Providing family and hospital-based support services
      Offers hospital care support including respite for parents, transportation, hot meals, games, and celebrity visits for hospitalized children and their families, enhancing psychosocial well-being during treatment.
  • Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
    • Running volunteer and mentorship programs to support operations
      Manages a year-round volunteer program that includes an application process, in-person interviews from February to April, and ongoing roles such as Big Brother/Sister mentoring, engaging over 200 volunteers annually to support campers and program delivery.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$460K
Contributions & grants$460K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$269K
Program expenses78%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$155K
Cash$88K
Investments$0
Liabilities$86K
Net assets$69K
Liquid reserves3.9 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -53.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • HOWARD KAFKA — TRUSTEE
  • STUART DITCHEK — TRUSTEE
relationships · 8

Who they work with

  • Adaptive Sports at Mount Snow Partner — Collaborates to provide a four-day adaptive skiing adventure for children with medical challenges.
  • Adaptive Sports at Mount Snow Partner — Provides specifically-trained volunteers to support the adaptive ski program.
  • Boeing Partner — Chartered Boeing 737 aircraft adapted for medical needs
  • JJ Watt Partner — Connected a child with muscular dystrophy to NFL player JJ Watt for a personal meeting.
  • Lasko Catering Partner — Provides catering services for meals during K.O.C. trips.
  • Michele Partner — Staff member at Kids of Courage available by phone to assist with camper applications.
  • Michele Partner — Staff member handling volunteer inquiries via phone and email.
  • Volunteer Partner — Volunteers support the delivery of adventure programs for children with serious illnesses.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Adventure-Based Empowerment Through Experiential Therapy
    methodology: therapeutic-experience
    By providing adventure-based experiences such as travel, sports, and aquatic activities, the organization empowers children with serious illnesses to build confidence, experience physical freedom, and expand their world beyond medical settings, because these transformative experiences foster emotional engagement, personal growth, and a sense of normalcy critical to psychological well-being.
  • Family-Centered and Peer-Supported Care Model
    methodology: family-centered_respite-care
    By supporting the whole family unit and pairing children with trained peer buddies—often matched by shared background—the organization reduces emotional burden on caregivers, fosters trust and companionship for ill children, and supports siblings, because holistic, relationship-driven care improves psychosocial outcomes and increases program engagement.
  • Individualized Safety and Medical Support Infrastructure
    methodology: individualized_staffing_ratio
    By using individualized camper-to-counselor ratios and mobile medical support during camp activities, the organization enables participation for children with complex medical conditions regardless of health status, because tailored staffing and on-site clinical capacity remove barriers to access while ensuring safety and continuity of care.