Seva Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

Sight services & restoration programseva is a global nonprofit eye care organization that transforms lives by restoring sight and preventing blindness. Since 1978, seva has provided sight-saving surgeries, eyeglasses, medicine, and other eye care services to 72million people in underserved communities around the world.globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment, and of these, over 1.1 billion people have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed. Our programs have been instrumental in making eye care available to those who can't afford it. They are driven by 4 pillars - establishing self-sustaining vision centers, eye care for children, bringing the best in technology, and training & job creation.towards this aim, seva works with 150+ partner hospitals around the world to strengthen the capacity of local hospitals and develop sustainable eye care programs with long-term impactduring this report year, seva's network of programs and partners provided eye care services to 7,652,042 people (more than 50% women and girls) and 998,786 sight saving surgeries. In addition, 69,450 children received eyeglasses. In asia, seva made eye care services available to approximately 3.8 million people by establishing 39 primary eye care vision centers in bangladesh, cambodia, india, and nepal.in sub-saharan africa, cataract remains the biggest cause of blindness. This past year, seva supported partner hospitals to provide 6,372 cataract surgeries and 103,984 eye exams and services. In the americas, seva funded 5 vision centers and supported partner hospitals to provide 26,629 cataract surgeries and 220,432 eye exams and services.globally, 8,946 doctors, ophthalmic support staff, hospital administrators, and community health promoters received training in eye health care provision and outreach. Specifically, seva led 88 trainings, reaching 636 people to establish and improve training programs at their hospital. In all programs, seva continually monitors program activities and outcomes to determine the evidence of impact as we go, and course correct as needed.seva believes that restoring sight is one of the most cost-effective ways to relieve suffering and reduce poverty. This year, seva and the international agency for the prevention of blindness published a report that demonstrates why it is essential to invest in eye care for children. A child with poor vision learns approximately half as much as a child with good or corrected vision. This translates directly into lifetime earnings for the individual; for example, if a five-year-old is provided with glasses in primary school and continues to wear them until they are 18, they will earn, on average, 78% more over their lifetime than if they never had their vision corrected.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 80.5%; rating input score 80
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 22nd 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Fail
  • Conducts site visits: Pass
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 98.8%; rating input score 99; 31st 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -39.8%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.04; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.1%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 12.2% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings