Choosing to See Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 832865948
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2019–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2023, Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2018
- Location
- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL, USA
- Phone
- 9074354375
- Rating
- 80
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Blind/Visually Impaired Centers
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $105,080
- Expenses
- $49,470
- Assets
- $224,919
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
3 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Richard George Cardillo Jr (President)
People named in this filing
- Richard George Cardillo Jr (President)
- Jesse Ben Crandall (Treasurer)
- Scott Nolan Drum (Secretary)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The Corporation shall primarily accomplish such purposes by bringing a sense of hope and purpose into the lives of individuals who are blind and visually impaired (B/VI) and thereby, empowering all individuals in achieving their highest quality of life. In so doing, Corporation will: A. Provide assistance, encouragement and opportunity to B/VI athletes/individuals that pursue performance and/or competition goals; B. Provide opportunity and encouragement to B/VI military individuals to live active lives in pursuing their dreams/passions; C. Facilitate a positive self-image through an active lifestyle with sports and/or recreation in individuals who are B/VI; D. Increase public awareness of the abilities of individuals who are B/VI; E. Educate and inspire sighted individuals through their participation with the corporation.
What it reported doing in 2025
The major program was to provide financial support to a blind veteran and his guide in order to summit the final mountain in accomplishing the climbing aspect of the Explorers Grand Slam; leaving only the trek to the north pole as part of the Explorers Grand Slam. The Explorers Grand Slam is to summit the 7 highest summits in the world and trek to both the North and South Pole. This particular program accomplished several of the organizations objectives by: A. providing assistance, encouragement and opportunity to a blind/visually impaired athlete/individual to pursue performance and/or competition goals; B. providing opportunity and encouragement to three other blind/visually impaired individuals to live active lives in pursuing their dreams/passions; C. facilitated a positive self-image through an active lifestyle with sports and/or recreation in individuals who are blind/visually impaired; D. increased public awareness of the abilities of individuals who are blind/visually impaired; and E. Educated and inspire sighted individuals through their participation with the corporation. Countless numbers of sighted individuals and athletes throughout the year.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.
The verdict
STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 66
- Transparency & Controls: 93
- Sustainability: 88
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 46.1%; rating input score 46
- Program expense ratio: 97.9%; rating input score 98
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 52.9%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.55; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 20.4% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 9.6% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 46.1% of revenue deployed · 97.9% of spending went to programs
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 4 filed program accomplishments · $48K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
- Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules
- Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- 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.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 46/100.