American Council of the Blind Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

Public awareness attended and presented at numerous technology, advocacy, and disability-related conferences promoting acb's work and services. The fifth annual acb audio description awards gala was broadcast live on youtube and peacock, extending acb's reach across the nation. Acb media's 10 internet streams had over 154,400 listening hours. Acb's social media presence resulted in over 34,300 followers across seven platforms with consistent engagement on daily posts. Acb's website and the audio description project website allow acb to keep the public aware of ongoing activities, current initiatives, and news important to people who are blind, low vision, or who are connected to someone in the community.audio description project (adp)acb's audio description project sponsors a broad range of activities designed to build awareness of audio description. At the 2025 audio description awards gala, the awards for best audio description writer and narrator were given for the first time. The adp celebrated the media industry's advancement of audio description; served on the fcc's disability advisory committee; sponsored its annual essay contest for students; conducted sessions of the audio description training institute; and participated in the unidescription project's effort to create audio description for national park service brochures. The adp also launched a new website, formed a video gaming subcommittee, and held a live kickoff for the ad people's choice award.acb scholarships and awardsin 2025, acb in collaboration with afb distributed $116,200 in scholarship funding to 21 blind students pursuing post-secondary education. Many scholarship recipients participated in the annual convention, providing opportunities to build connections with peers who share similar experiences. Additionally, seven emerging leaders were selected as jpmorgan chase leadership fellows and dkm first-timer award recipients, receiving support through mentoring, training, and peer engagement. These individuals also attended acb's convention, where they strengthened their leadership skills and expanded their professional networks.information and peer supportacb offers essential information and referral services for individuals and families experiencing vision loss, connecting them with resources such as accessible technology, daily living skills, and advocacy support. Many callers simply want someone to talk to about adjusting to vision loss. To meet this need, acb has created a virtual peer support community platform.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 74.2%; rating input score 74
• Program expense ratio: 81.8%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.16 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • 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: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 18.6%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.17; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.32; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 12.4%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings