Pittsburgh Scholar House Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
921209695
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Phone
4128382793
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,965,820
Expenses
$1,295,394
Assets
$2,070,474
Liabilities
$256,184

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KARINA CHAVEZ (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • DR KIMBERLY MCCURDY (INTERIM CEO, THROUGH 06/30/25)
  • DIAMONTE WALKER (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • DIAMONTE WALKER (CEO): $170,189 total reported compensation
  • SHERLYN HARRISON (CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER): $114,951 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dedicated to using two-generation strategies to disrupt the cycle of poverty by enabling post-secondary educational attainment and comprehensive support services to improve quality of life for low-income single parents and their children. The pittsburgh scholar house aims to provide support for single-parent families in pursuit of higher education. The goal is to have them enter high-growth careers to enable economic mobility and sustain better quality of lives for themselves and their children.

What it reported doing in 2024

Psh is unique amongst scholar house affiliates for introducing the wayfinders program portfolio, a visionary endeavor designed to ignite a positive cycle of generational prosperity for economically striving single-parent families. This meticulously designed suite of programs empowers participants, referred to as scholars, by setting them on a path to multi-generational growth and prosperity.wayfinders prep - parents not already enrolled in a degree program embark on their academic journey confidently with wayfinders prep--a comprehensive program that equips them with the skills and knowledge essential for higher educational success. Prep scholars can earn three transferable credits of college readiness coursework for free at one of three partner institutions: carlow university, the community college of allegheny county, or western governors university.wayfinders plus - parenting students enrolled in a degree program elevate their education through wayfinders plus. Tailored for those already in academic pursuits, wayfinders plus offers ongoing support, valuable resources, and a vibrant community, seamlessly balancing studies and parenting.wayfinders plus housing - wayfinders plus housing provides supportive, 2gen living environments (transformational housing) in which parenting students and their children can reside together throughout the parents' studies, receive age-appropriate supportive services, and build academic and social community with their peers. Wayfinders plus housing is open to income-eligible families currently enrolled in the wayfinders plus program.wayfinders ready2prosper - upon graduation, the journey continues with wayfinders: ready2prosper - a program that focuses on high-quality job access, homeownership, or entrepreneurship, supporting pittsburgh scholar house graduates as they transition into the next phase of their journey.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

SUPPORTED - Most voting board members are independent and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 42
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 64
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 35.9%; rating input score 36
  • Program expense ratio: 54.5%; rating input score 55
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.37 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 34.1%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.6; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 22%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 28.5% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 69.5% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 52.6% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 35.9% of revenue deployed · 54.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $706K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $170K · 15 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 36/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 32/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 39/100.