Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
592311666
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New Port Richey, FL, USA
Phone
7278150303
Rating
92
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Blind/Visually Impaired Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,392,713
Expenses
$1,445,470
Assets
$7,573,315
Liabilities
$1,103,259

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AARON LYON (PRESIDENT)
  • MATTHEW MURPHY (PRESIDENT ELECT)
  • SHAWN FOSTER (IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT)
  • Rebecca Bennett (Executive Director)
  • STEFANIE PONTLITZ (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • STEFANIE PONTLITZ (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $104,438 total reported compensation
  • Rebecca Bennett (Executive Director): $16,962 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of the lighthouse is to educate, empower and employ residents of pasco, hernando and citrus, fl counties who are visually impaired and blind.

What it reported doing in 2024

1,340 people who are visually impaired and blind and their families were served this year from lighthouse programs. Our independent living adult program provided rehabilitation instruction and guidance that helped 280 individuals to acquire skills and knowledge to manage their lives as adults to live more independently in their homes and communities with a maximum degree of self-direction. Vocational rehabilitation provided job preparedness training for 56 visually impaired adults including use of assistive technology and computers. Transition programs provide year round training and services to teenagers to prepare them for the transition from highschool to the work force or college. Early intervention programs enhance all areas of child development.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 70% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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

STRONG - 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: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.2%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 82.1%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.8%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.24; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.4%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 97.2% of revenue deployed · 82.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $104K · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 26/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 42/100.