Bliss & Wisdom Foundation of America

Legal name: Great Enlightenment Lotus Society Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
953787904
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2014
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2014
Location
Pomona, CA, USA
Phone
408-770-9636 (San Jose), 408-245-2228 (Heartland), 408-861-0188 (Cupertino), 415
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Buddhism
Affiliation
Buddhism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,023,557
Expenses
$987,411
Assets
$6,014,058
Liabilities
$140,085

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • YEN-CHI LEE (President)

People named in this filing

  • YEN-CHI LEE (President)
  • RAYMOND LEI (Secretary)
  • WILLIAM SHEN (Treasurer)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

This organization is to promulgate the true and correct dharma of Buddhism, lead people to enlightenment, and advance the properity and happiness of people.

What it reported doing in 2014

Weekly Buddhist study classes - Organize studies materials systemtically so that participants can complete the extensive volums of Buddhist texts in three years.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 87% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 47
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 0
  • Sustainability: 92
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 29.6%; rating input score 30
  • Program expense ratio: 90.5%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 67.3%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.09; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 55.1% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 32.8% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 29.6% of revenue deployed · 90.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 0 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $893K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2011 to 2014
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 30/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 6 not reported.