Systems Unlimited Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 420985205
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Iowa City, IA, USA
- Phone
- 3193389212
- Rating
- 80
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Group Homes
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $48,007,050
- Expenses
- $46,847,388
- Assets
- $31,281,230
- Liabilities
- $6,733,585
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
21 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JEFF DISTERHOFT (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- MONA KENYON (EXECUTIVE DI): $257,880 total reported compensation
- MICHELLE LLOYD (OUTGOING CFO): $217,223 total reported compensation
- ELIZABETH ARMENTROUT (CSO): $129,492 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Partnering with people who have disibilities and mental health needs to advance their personal independence, dignity and growth. Systems unlimited will set the standard for services that remove barrieres to independence and inspire the people we serve to achieve their personal success. Our core values are: we believe everyone is important, we act with integrity, we support the right to make choices, we value constant learning, and we embrace diversity.
What it reported doing in 2024
Supported living services: provides supported community living services to children and adults in their own homes, either by themselves or with roommates. Services can be provided through the home and community based medicaid waivers, habilitation or chapter 24. Support services are individualized for each person, however some common areas of support and skill development include: self care, daily living skills, community skills, social skills, communication skills, and medical support. 388 individuals were supported in the 2025 fiscal year.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 96% 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 72
- Transparency & Controls: 85
- Accountability: 91
- Sustainability: 43
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 79.5%; rating input score 80
- Program expense ratio: 83%; rating input score 83
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- 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: Yes; rating input score 100
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 84.6%; rating input score 85; 18th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- 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: 2.4%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.67; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 1.7%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 79.5% of revenue deployed · 83% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 11 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $38.9M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $258K · 21 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $892K reported
- Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, executive pay, and related organizations
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 2 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.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 23/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.