Perkins School for the Blind
Overview
Mission
We are the worldwide leader in education services for children and young adults who are blind or visually impaired and have multiple disabilities.
What it reported doing in 2024
Perkins solutionsperkins solutions deploys technology to overcome long standing and emerging accessibility barriers. Since the 1950s, the perkins brailler has been the most widely used mechanical braille writer in the world. Today our expertise in inclusive design solutions is available via perkins access, a consulting service that helps businesses ensure their digital products and services are usable by everyone. During fy25, perkins solutions distributed 5,755 braillers worldwide and assisted 46 organizations with technology assessments and modifications.icanconnectthe national deaf-blind equipment distribution program, known as icanconnect, provides free equipment and training for people with both significant hearing and vision loss who meet the program's disability and income eligibility guidelines. Administered by the fcc and managed by perkins in 23 states across the country, icanconnect helps people stay connected to friends, family and the world.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 70% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The nonprofit carried out 100% of its reported program work directly.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 042103616
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Website reviewed
- Jul 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Headquarters
- Watertown, MA, USA
- Rating
- 75
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Standard
- Sector
- Education
The verdict
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 82
- Transparency & Controls: 61
- Accountability: 86
- Sustainability: 40
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 97.9%; rating input score 98
- Program expense ratio: 77.2%; rating input score 77
- Fundraising efficiency: $4.69 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 95.2%; rating input score 95; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
- Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: No; rating input score 0
- Public monitoring controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
- Public policy transparency: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
- Public financial transparency: 3 of 5 controls in place; rating input score 60
- Impact reporting controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
- Public relationship transparency: Yes; rating input score 100
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
- Public governance controls: 2 of 4 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Zakat policy transparency: Limited
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -17.5%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
- Operating reserve ratio: 4.07; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 2.9%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 6th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 14th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 8 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
- Where the money goes: 97.9% of revenue deployed · 77.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $81.4M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $499K · 30 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 45 of 46 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 12 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, executive pay, and related organizations
- Filing history: 16 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
- Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link