Keystone Human Services

Legal name: Keystone Service Systems Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
231915567
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Harrisburg, PA, USA
Phone
+1 717-232-7509
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Group Homes

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$201,690,817
Expenses
$189,884,529
Assets
$110,969,035
Liabilities
$34,432,938

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHARLES S SWEEDER (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
  • KIRK MIXELL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • CHARLES S SWEEDER (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $692,221 total reported compensation
  • GREGORY WELLEMS (VP OPERATIONS, KHS): $290,110 total reported compensation
  • KRISTINE C SAYLOR (VP OF FINANCE, KHS): $262,834 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Keystone Human Services mission is to create opportunities for growth and meaningful life choices so all people can be valued, contributing members of their community. Keystone Human Services supports people to live their best lives in the community. Our mission is to create opportunities for growth and meaningful life choices so all people can be valued, contributing members of their community. We are part of a global movement to support people with disabilities as they leave congregated, segregated settings and move into the community full of meaningful opportunities to explore their interests, pursue their dreams, and achieve their goals. Our work with children and families in poverty and people with disabilities, as well as our efforts to change and improve legal frameworks, create responsive...

What it reported doing in 2024

Other services including susquehanna service dogs: other services kss provides including but not limited to peer support services, intensive case management & psychiatric rehabilitation. Kss' adult community autism program (acap) offers flexible services and supports to adults with an autism spectrum disorder to assist them to develop skills to reach their goals and participate meaningfully in their community. 180 adults living in dauphin, lancaster, cumberland and chester counties in Pennsylvania chose to accept kss' acap services during the fiscal year. Kss' susquehanna service dogs raises, trains, and places service dogs and hearing dogs, as well as facility dogs, to assist children and adults with disability to become more independent. Founded in 1993, susquehanna service dogs has placed over 300 service dogs with people throughout Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. Susquehanna service dogs is accredited by assistance dogs international and placed 32 service dogs during the fiscal year.

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 100% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and liabilities are high compared with assets.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 51
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.9%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 85.8%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $107.03 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.9%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.58; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.31; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.5%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site
  • Where the money goes: 80.9% of revenue deployed · 85.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 12 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $162.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $692K · 19 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.6M reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 55/100.