The Learning Center for the Deaf

What it reported doing in 2024

Parent infant program - the parent infant program provides support and training for deaf and hard of hearing children, up to age 3, and their parents/ guardians in a language rich, bilingual-bicultural environment. Families, referred through local early intervention centers, can participate in parent support groups, child playgroups, home visits, individual sessions with a licensed speech/language pathologist, and classes in american sign language ("asl"). Services received will be incorporated into a child's individual family service plan ("ifsp").the early childhood center - the early childhood center serves deaf and hard-of-hearing students (age 0-6) and their families. Our goal for every child is the development of age-appropriate cognitive, communication, language and social skills. We strive to integrate the most exemplary and effective methods of teaching young children taking into consideration the unique, individual needs of each child we serve.public school partnerships - the public school partnership program addresses the specific needs of students with hearing AIDS and cochlear implants who attend public schools, providing a support system for monitoring deaf and hard of hearing students' academic and developmental progress. The program assists districts in complying with the individuals with disabilities education act ("idea"), americans with disabilities act ("ada") and section 504 of the rehabilitation act (" 504 plans") for deaf and hard of hearing students in the classroom. Currently, the public school partnership program serves over 400 students in 66 towns and 50 school districts.walden community services - walden community services ("wcs") provides community-based mental health services for families with a deaf member. Wcs provides linguistically accessible, culturally authentic clinical services. Wcs has offices in framingham and springfield and offers a variety of services including therapeutic mentoring ("tm"), family support and training ("fs&t") with a family partner ("fp"), intensive care coordination ("icc"), and in home therapy ("iht").audiology clinic - the community audiology clinic at the learning center for the deaf provides comprehensive audiology and hearing aid services to residents of the metro west and beyond. All proceeds from the services provided and products sold benefit the children being served at the learning center for the deaf.asl classes - in the community american sign language classes, teens and adults learn asl from deaf and fluent asl users. Each 10-week session teaches asl and deaf culture in a dynamic and engaging classroom setting.interpreting services - the learning center for the deaf offers fee-based interpreting services and consultation for local businesses, schools, and local and state agencies. It is currently the only private agency that has a contract with the state through the Massachusetts commission for the deaf and hard of hearing.signing for success - the signing for success program provides asl classes and private tutoring for families with deaf and hard of hearing children and provides workshops and presentations related to asl and deaf culture for families and for professionals who work with deaf and hard of hearing students in order to build awareness for the benefits of early language acquisition and to demonstrate the value of fully accessible education and recreational opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing students who communicate primarily in asl.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 89.7%; rating input score 90
• Program expense ratio: 88.8%; rating input score 89
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.03 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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; 66th 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: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -0.8%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.77; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.54; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.5%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings