Hms School for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
231352327
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone
2152222566
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Rehabilitative Medical Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,048,625
Expenses
$12,870,262
Assets
$57,421,410
Liabilities
$1,788,689

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • THOMAS QUINN (PRESIDENT (UNTIL 06/24))
  • THERESA NEWHARD (PRESIDENT & CEO (AS OF 12/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • JEFF SHAFFER (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $180,925 total reported compensation
  • DIALYA BLAKENEY (CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER): $151,758 total reported compensation
  • LAURA BOYD (VP, RELATED SERVICES): $147,726 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Hms school educates, nurtures, and cares for children and young adults with complex physical disabilities resulting from cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury or other neurological impairments, with the (continued on schedule o)goal of enabling each to reach their maximum potential. We promote independence and improve the quality of life for youth in a safe and secure environment so each can lead a fulfilling, stimulating life now and as an adult.

What it reported doing in 2024

Health and food services: health services is comprised of our dedicated team of licenses pediatric nurses and personal care assistants who tend to our students complex medical needs for our residential and day school programs, ensuring the health and safety of students with complex medical conditions. Our nurses work alongside trained caregiving staff to deliver expert medical support tailored to each child's needs. Health services provides approximately 1,200 hours of nursing and personal care for our students. Nurses also support educational enrichment by chaperoning weekly field trips and power mobility groups in the local community. This enables the students to work on their mobility goals in an urban setting. Nurses accompanied students on 45 class field trips, 32 horseback riding trips and 60 power mobility group trips during the day school program. Food services' primary function is to fulfill the dietary needs of all students attending hms school. Specialized meals are prepared on site according to specific diet orders from each student's physician. Feeding support plans are formulated by hms' speech therapists to guide food services staff on individualized meal textures to ensure safe feeding practices during meals. Over 6,200 meals were provided throughout the school year and extended school year (summer) periods. Food services also provides meals for staff when school is in session, as well as 3 meals per day for staff who work in the residence. Overall, staff received over 19,000 meals.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 91% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 98% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 57
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 88.7%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.4%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.46; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.8%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.7% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92% of revenue deployed · 88.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $11.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $181K · 18 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 11/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 39/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.