RALSTON HOUSE
We Care. We Move. We Educate.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Ralston Center, a pioneering advocate for older Philadelphians for more than 200 years, provides supportive services and programs to older adults in West and NW Philadelphia. The problem our organization is seeking to address is how best to support the needs of older adults in our region who want to stay in their communities as they age, in good mental and physical health. In 2019 Ralston Center embarked on an organizational strategic planning process to clarify our mission and ensure our programmatic priorities match our capacity and fit into our larger business model. As a result, Ralston Center has reaffirmed its commitment to Wellness and Home Care. We will continue our focus on Education and Fitness programs for seniors in the Philadelphia region, as well as continue to provide affordable Home Care services for older adults in NW Philadelphia, with a goal of expanding our Home Care Program’s reach to West Philadelphia in 2021.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Ralston Wellness
Ralston Wellness provides affordable, high-quality fitness classes for adults aged 55+ including Stretch and Tone, Chair Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Tai Chi. Participating in these programs increases flexibility and balance, reduces discomfort and supports performance of everyday activities. Classes run at Ralston House and at partner community locations in Philadelphia. Ralston provides education programs to empower seniors with the correct information to advocate for themselves, develop healthy behaviors, and cope with the issues and challenges that come with aging. Wellness programs provide socialization and decrease isolation.
Ralston My Way
Ralston My Way is a licensed non-profit home care agency serving anyone 55+ in Northwest Philadelphia, with the mission of helping improve the quality of life for seniors “aging in community.” My Way is a “one-stop-shop”, with caregivers performing a variety of in-home services for members, including home care (assistance with activities of daily living, personal care, respite care), transportation, house cleaning, handyman repairs, yard work, and more.
We offer a broad range of services at affordable prices and a place to call when you are not sure who can provide the help you need. If you are actively retired, still working, or spending your time close to home, Ralston My Way can offer services to enhance your quality of life.
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of adults engaging in regular physical activity
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Ralston Wellness
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of unique attendees to fitness programs held at Ralston House (does not include community partner locations)
Number of clients participating in educational programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Ralston Wellness
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of participants in community education programs in selected year.
Hours of programing delivered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Ralston My Way
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of home care (including cleaning, organizing, errands, etc.), transportation, and home repair service hours provided in given year.
Number of unique adults served annually with affordable home care, home repair, and transportation services
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Ralston My Way
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of unique clients served through Ralston My Way
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Ralston Center is aiming to improve the quality of life for those age 55+ in Philadelphia by providing affordable home care, transportation and home repair services through Ralston My Way as well as fitness and education programs through Ralston Wellness.
Ralston My Way will achieve it's goals of reaching 1,000 individuals annually by offering the following services:
• Non-medical home care focused on activities of daily living (such as dressing, bathing, and mobility) and medication reminders;
• Transportation to the grocery store, doctor’s appointments and for socialization;
• Housekeeping and household services such as yard work, snow shoveling and handyman repairs;
• Errands and chores, e.g., meal preparation, grocery shopping, and other household tasks;
• Companionship, pet-sitting, and technology assistance.
Ralston Wellness will achieve it's goal of reaching 400 seniors with our educational series and 300 seniors with our fitness classes by offering the following programs:
• Eight (8) education programs annually which provide older adults with the information they need to to advocate for themselves, develop healthy behaviors, and cope with the issues and challenges that come with aging.
• Regular fitness programs including Stretch and Tone, Chair Yoga, Feldenkrais, and Tai Chi at Ralston Center and additional programs at our Community Partner Locations, in order to increase flexibility and balance, reduce discomfort while supporting performance of everyday activities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Ralston Center is deeply rooted in its community, with a long, storied history in our physical location at 3615 Chestnut Street in University City. We have been a trusted, reliable source of support for older adults in Northwest Philadelphia for over 10 years with our Ralston My Way services in Northwest Philadelphia, centrally located in Mt. Airy on Germantown Ave.
Ralston has a reputation as "the neighbor who takes care of everything" for older adults who want to stay connected to their city, socialize with friends, and connect to wellness programs that help them to age in good mental and physical health. We will continue to provide affordable Home Care, Home Repair, and Transportation services for older adults in Northwest Philadelphia, with a goal of expanding our Home Care Program’s reach to West Philadelphia in 2021, while continuing to offer Wellness Programs in West and Northwest Philadelphia.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Ralston Center is supported by a strong Board, a full-time staff of eight employees, and roughly 40 part-time caregivers who are thoroughly vetted and trained. We work hard to ensure all our staff are trained in geriatric competencies, and that we are actively responding to the needs of our communities.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Ralston Center has accomplished so much in its long legacy. Most importantly, we have gained the trust of our community and have become one of the most well-beloved service providers for older adults in the region. We do this by creating a people-centered approach, catering our services to each individual and providing them with the resources they need to age well.
Since Ralston My Way opened its doors in 2010, we have served more than 5,000 members through 160,000 hours of service. In 2019 we have continued this success with nearly 1,000 active members and more than 24,400 hours of service to date, more than 55% of which were for non-medical home care services.
Our Wellness programs have also had great success. Our educational series have served fore than 1,200 participants since we began them in 2017 and our Fitness Classes reach more than 300 participants annually.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
RALSTON HOUSE
Board of directorsas of 03/25/2020
Dr. Neville Strumpf
School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania
Term: 2011 -
Elise Pizzi
Villanova University College of Nursing
Mary Ann Forciea
Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Catherine Gillespie
Montgomery, McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP
Elizabeth Keech
Villanova University
Sharon Turner
Retired, City of Philadelphia
Larry Daniels
Edward Jones
U. Hayden
Perelman School of Medicine/University of Pennsylvania
Benjamin Hoyle
Retired, Pennswood Village
Therese Narzikul
APN Strategies; Villanova University
David Nagel
Schubert, Gallagher, Tyler & Mulcahey
James Scott
Colliers International
Anne Callan
Public Health Management Corporation
Mike Wassil
Mercer Management Associates, LLC
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes