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Can Play

Mission: can play brings adapted and no cost recreational programs to our communities by removing barriers to play.

Human Services West Des Moines, IA EIN: 461443733 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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74
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
74/100 · methodology

About Can Play

Adapted to Play Our licensed adapted programs are built so children across the nation are able to have barriers removed to their favorite sports.Learn MoreGET STARTED! Learn more about licensing Can Play's programs in your community.Learn MoreH.E.R.S. A barrier-free, low-cost sports program empowering girls ages 6–14 to build confidence, develop skills, and belong through recreational sports play.Learn MoreGive Play! Your ... Read More

Founded
Headquarters
West Des Moines, IA
Foundation type
Supporting organization (509(a)(3))
NTEE code
N60
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
medium

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2013

Mission

Mission: can play brings adapted and no cost recreational programs to our communities by removing barriers to play.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar human services in United States
Program spending This charity: 78%
Peer average: 93%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 15.21%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 74
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· 1 red flag
High Executive Pay
Top executive compensation is 11.2% of total expenses ($79,000 of $706,470).

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.78
Program$0.78
78% to programs beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Can Play has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.

  • It has more complete contact information than nearly all comparable organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
  • GiveRadar holds a more complete profile for this organization than for 82% of the 322,679 human services charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
  • It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all comparable organizations, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Can Play is a registered human services nonprofit based in West Des Moines, IA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2012 and has been operating for 14 years. Its EIN is 461443733. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 74/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $519K in annual revenue. 68 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.

Can Play's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 461443733. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

Can Play has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 74/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 74 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 78% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for human services charities in United States is 90/100.

Can Play is located in West Des Moines, IA, United States. The organization was established in 2012 and has been active for 14 years.

Based on official tax filings, Can Play has $519K in annual revenue. It allocates 78% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 93% for human services charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $3M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Can Play is classified as a Human Services organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a medium organization. It has $519K in annual revenue. The organization has 68 disclosed officers and directors.

GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for Can Play. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.

According to GiveRadar's records, Can Play holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 78% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 93%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

Adapted to Play Our licensed adapted programs are built so children across the nation are able to have barriers removed to their favorite sports.Learn MoreGET STARTED! Learn more about licensing Can Play's programs in your community.Learn MoreH.E.R.S. A barrier-free, low-cost sports program empowering girls ages 6–14 to build confidence, develop skills, and belong through recreational sports play.Learn MoreGive Play! Your ... Read More Can Play is classified as a human services organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2012.

Among human services charities registered in United States: It allocates 78% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 93%. Its annual revenue of $519K is below the peer average of $3M.

Yes, donations to Can Play are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Can Play is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 461443733, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$100K-$1M
78% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
9

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

ME
Melissa C••••••••••••
Co-Founder

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
$0.5M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.7M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.7M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.5M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.6M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services this charity 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 68 disclosed in the public registry.
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
90%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 68 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 2012
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Can Play

What is Can Play?
Can Play is a human services supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in West Des Moines, United States. Adapted to Play Our licensed adapted programs are built so children across the nation are able to have barriers removed to their favorite sports.Learn MoreGET STARTED! Learn more about licensing Can Play's programs in your community.Learn MoreH.E.R.S. A barrier-free, low-cost sports program empowering girls ages 6–14 to build confidence, develop skills, and belong through recreational sports play.Learn MoreGive Play! Your ... Read More
When was Can Play founded?
Can Play was founded in 2012.
Who leads Can Play?
Melissa Clarke-Wharff serves as Co-Founder.
Where is Can Play located?
Headquartered in West Des Moines, IA, United States.
What is Can Play's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $100K-$1M. 78% of expenses go to program services.
Is Can Play trustworthy?
Can Play has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 74 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Can Play's registration number?
IRS EIN: 461443733.
What is Can Play's website?
http://www.can-play.org