Real Services Inc
REAL Services Inc. is a public charity based in South Bend, Indiana. The organization describes its work as helping people across northern Indiana maintain independence and achieve self-sufficiency. It is both an Area Agency on Aging and a Community Action Agency, serving older adults, people with disabilities, people living with dementia and their caregivers, and people facing financial challenges.
Real Services Inc at a glance
In short: Real Services Inc gave $1.1M across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $62K), mostly in Indiana. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,108,306
- +90.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +12.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $61,573
- +69.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $37,668
- Total assets
- $12,257,785
- -18.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Real Services Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1835, South Bend, IN 46634-1835
Phone: (574) 233-8205
Website: https://realservices.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Real Services Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was United Way of St Joseph County ($403K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 85 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
REAL Services states that it offers services in 12 northern Indiana counties: Elkhart, Fulton, Jasper, Kosciusko, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, Starke, and St. Joseph. The 2025 grants listed in its filing all went to Indiana recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Real Services Inc open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $223K; repeat grants $47K. How we count
Medians: $223K first-time, $38K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $582K (2024) to $1.1M (2021). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Way of St Joseph County South Bend, IN | General Support | $403,037 |
| Laporte County Meals on Wheels Michigan City, IN | Home Delivered Meals | $114,036 |
| Council on Aging of Elkhart County Elkhart, IN | Transportation | $106,608 |
| Paladin Inc Michigan City, IN | Transportation | $66,437 |
| Indiana Legal Services Inc South Bend, IN | Legal Assistance | $56,430 |
| Kosciusko Community Senior Services Warsaw, IN | Transportation | $47,008 |
| Kosciusko Community Senior Services Warsaw, IN | Home Delivered Meals | $47,008 |
| Kroc Center South Bend, IN | General Support | $43,328 |
| Combined Community Services Warsaw, IN | Family Development | $38,350 |
| Meals on Wheels of Goshen Goshen, IN | Home Delivered Meals | $36,985 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,257,785 | $21,317,307 | $23,243,906 | $1,108,306 | 18 | $317,360 |
| 2024 | $14,981,950 | $29,994,742 | $30,756,901 | $582,131 | 16 | $175,812 |
| 2023 | $14,876,938 | $32,837,040 | $34,221,145 | $654,456 | 16 | $69,132 |
| 2022 | $14,856,258 | $31,243,370 | $30,687,555 | $633,085 | 17 | $236,213 |
| 2021 | $16,314,628 | $25,491,120 | $23,760,732 | $1,140,002 | 18 | $318,371 |
| 2020 | $13,142,791 | $21,488,865 | $20,198,119 | $752,638 | 17 | $126,506 |
| 2019 | $11,209,533 | $20,205,081 | $19,136,312 | $599,036 | 16 | $126,989 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
REAL Services states that its mission is to help establish a community where the people it serves can maintain independence to the greatest extent possible and find meaning and satisfaction throughout their lives. Its 2023 filing describes programs in energy assistance, weatherization, nutrition, home and community services, transportation, guardianship, dementia services, home health care, and support for older adults and people with disabilities.
The 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including general support, home-delivered meals, transportation, legal assistance, family development, and health education. For example, United Way of St. Joseph County describes its own mission as mobilizing the community to reduce poverty, while LaPorte County Meals on Wheels says it provides meals to homebound or low-income community members. Council on Aging of Elkhart County describes its work as supporting older residents’ wellness, dignity, independence, and quality of life. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not REAL Services’ own descriptions of its programs.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, REAL Services reported 18 grants totaling $1,108,306. Grant amounts ranged from $5,037 to $403,037, with a median of $37,668. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana.
The largest reported grants included $403,037 to United Way of St. Joseph County for general support, $114,036 to LaPorte County Meals on Wheels for home-delivered meals, and $106,608 to Council on Aging of Elkhart County for transportation. Other grants included $66,437 to Paladin for transportation, $56,430 to Indiana Legal Services for legal assistance, and two grants of $47,008 each to Kosciusko Community Senior Services for transportation and home-delivered meals.
No application process, unsolicited-request policy, or deadline is stated in the available information.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karla J. Mapes as president and CEO. It also lists Kevin Bouma and Stephen Gazdick as directors of administration, and Peter Mullen, Steven Watts, Dan Wolfson, Andre Waddell, Michelle Stesiak CPA, Aleyna Mitchell, and Diana Hess as directors.
Real Services Inc is led by Karla J. Mapes, President on every filing since 2024; 3 of 26 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karla J. Mapes
President
On filings since 2024
36.5 hrs/week
$155K (2024) → $155K (2025)
John Pendarvis
Chairperson
Director → Assistant Tr, 2023
Assistant Tr → Chairperson, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Bouma
Director Administrator
On filings since 2022
36.5 hrs/week
$25K (2023) → $72K (2025)
Stephen Gazdick
Director Administrator
New on the 2025 filing
36.5 hrs/week
$51K (2025)
John Spike Abernethy
Director
Assistant Treasurer → Assistant Tr, 2022
Assistant Tr → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Stesiak CPA
Director
Treasurer → Chairperson, 2023
Chairperson → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter H Mullen
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Brennan
Director
Chairperson → Immediate Pa, 2023
Immediate Pa → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven Watts
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andre Waddell
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Wolfson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aleyna Mitchell
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diana Hess
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doris Portolese
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Critchlow
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Brittain
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julian Rouch
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kiana Jackson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Sisco
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marilyn Nelums-Jones
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Karczka
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Twila Newbill
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Nevorski
Treasurer
Director → Immediate Pa, 2022
Immediate Pa → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tim Emerick
Immediate Pa
Director → Chairperson, 2022
Chairperson → Immediate Pa, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn Lyndes
Assistant Tr
Director → Assistant Tr, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Mikel
Vice Chair
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Debra Jenkins (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Janet G Horvath (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Mary Jane Stanley (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Steven A. Goldberg CPA (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Thomas S Ehlers (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Tom Lee (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: David Niezgodski (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Karla Ann Fales (2022–2023) — President
- Former: Colette Wolfson (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Joann M. Burke (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Rafael Morton (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Martha Knepper (2021–2022) — Director Administrator
- Former: Andrew S Vargo (2019–2021) — Director of Administrator & Finance
- Former: Edward G Baer (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Laura F Hennings (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Margaret Cuggino (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Rebecca Zaseck (2019–2021) — President, CEO & Secretary
- Former: William W Cushwa (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Sen David Niezgodski (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $155K, to Karla J Mapes (President/Ce). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Real Services Inc
How much does Real Services Inc give each year?
Real Services Inc gave $1.1M across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $582K across 16 grants.
What is Real Services Inc's typical grant size?
Real Services Inc's median grant in 2025 was $37,668, and its average grant was $61,573, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Real Services Inc that year got $223K on average.
Where does Real Services Inc give grants?
Real Services Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were South Bend, IN (4 grants), Elkhart, IN (3 grants), Warsaw, IN (3 grants) and Plymouth, IN (3 grants).
Does Real Services Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 22% of Real Services Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Transportation" (4 grants) and "Home Delivered Meals" (4 grants).
Who are Real Services Inc's largest grantees?
Real Services Inc's largest 2025 grantees include United Way of St Joseph County ($403,037), Laporte County Meals on Wheels ($114,036) and Council on Aging of Elkhart County ($106,608), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Real Services Inc?
Real Services Inc reported $12.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $21.3M.
What does Real Services Inc fund?
REAL Services states that its mission is to help establish a community where the people it serves can maintain independence to the greatest extent possible and find meaning and satisfaction throughout their lives. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Real Services Inc?
Real Services Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check realservices.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Real Services Inc's EIN?
Real Services Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-1157606. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 25, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 16, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 27, 2024)
Live grants for the work Real Services Inc funds
Human Services Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Real Services Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/real-services-inc-morg_76b1c3a1101844d883bf35d2fdddcf06
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_351157606_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Real Services Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/real-services-inc-morg_76b1c3a1101844d883bf35d2fdddcf06},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Real Services Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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