Understanding Our Zero-Overhead Promise

At The Kesselhaut Family Foundation, we believe you deserve to know exactly where your donation goes. That's why we've made a commitment that sets us apart from nearly every other nonprofit organization in America: a zero-overhead promise.

When you give to KFF, every dollar you donate goes directly to supporting military families, funding Lyme disease awareness and assistance, and expanding learning disability programs. Not a single cent is taken for administrative salaries, office rent, or operational expenses. This isn't just an aspiration — it's the foundation of how we've operated since day one.

What Zero-Overhead Actually Means

"Zero overhead" means that 100% of your donation reaches the programs and families it was intended to help. Administrative costs — including staff time, utilities, accounting, web hosting, and facility expenses — are personally funded by the Kesselhaut family themselves.

Most nonprofits, even highly-regarded ones, allocate between 20% and 30% of donations toward administrative and fundraising expenses. This is widely considered industry standard, and many organizations remain financially viable only by taking a portion of each donation for operations. For every $100 donated, only $70 to $80 reaches the intended cause.

At KFF, $100 donated means $100 delivered to families in need. Full stop.

How KFF Is Different From Typical Nonprofits

According to data from Charity Navigator and GuideStar, even well-managed organizations typically spend 15–30% of revenue on administrative functions and fundraising costs before a single program dollar is deployed. These expenses reflect the real costs of running a professional organization — but they do mean that donors cannot always see the direct impact of their giving.

The Kesselhaut Family Foundation operates differently. Rather than asking donors to fund our operations, our founding family personally absorbs those costs. What drives this model? A belief that donor trust is sacred, and that every person who supports our mission deserves to know their contribution isn't being diluted before it reaches those who need it most.

This commitment is reflected in our IRS designation and public financial filings. We are a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — EIN 20-5615950 — and our financials are available for public review. Every gift is fully tax-deductible.

Where Your Donation Goes

Every dollar donated to The Kesselhaut Family Foundation is allocated directly to three core program areas:

Military Family Support: KFF provides emergency lodging assistance and direct financial support to military families navigating deployment, medical crises, and transition challenges. We have funded over 3,900 nights of lodging for military families at Camp Pendleton, California — a tangible, documented measure of real impact.

Lyme Disease Assistance: We fund awareness, education, and direct patient support programs for individuals and families affected by Lyme disease — a condition that remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, with disproportionate impact on children and young adults.

Learning Disability Programs: Through partnerships with organizations including the Jespy House, School on Wheels, the Miracle League, and others, KFF supports educational programming, life-skills development, and community inclusion for individuals with learning disabilities.

When you give, you are choosing exactly which families receive help. Our donation form allows you to direct your gift to the specific program area that matters most to you.

Our Founders' Personal Commitment

The Kesselhaut family founded this organization in Calabasas, California, out of a conviction that giving should mean giving — not contributing to an organization's overhead and hoping something reaches the intended recipient.

The founders personally cover all costs associated with operating the Foundation: accounting, legal compliance, website infrastructure, communications, and administrative time. These are real expenses, absorbed out-of-pocket so that your contribution is not diminished before it arrives where it is needed most.

This is an unusual model. It requires genuine, ongoing personal financial commitment from our founders every year. But it is the model they chose because they believe donor trust must be earned through action, not just stated in a mission statement.

Make Your Gift Count

Donating to The Kesselhaut Family Foundation is one of the most direct ways you can put money to work for vulnerable families. There are no middlemen, no administrative surcharges, no percentage taken before your gift arrives at its destination.

Your donation is fully tax-deductible. KFF is registered as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization under EIN 20-5615950, and you will receive a formal donation receipt for your records.

Whether you give $25 or $2,500, your gift goes directly to a military family in need, a Lyme disease patient seeking support, or a child with a learning disability building skills for a lifetime. That is our promise to you — and it is a promise we keep with every donation we receive.

Ready to make your gift count? Donate today — 100% of every dollar goes directly to families in need.