The Vision Institute of South Carolina I

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
272918119
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2011
Location
Irmo, SC, USA
Phone
8036278847
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Blind/Visually Impaired Centers

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$445,639
Expenses
$6,466
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUZANNE SWAFFIELD (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • KARI ARNOLD (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • JEANIE FARMER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • SUZANNE SWAFFIELD (PRESIDENT & CEO)
  • KARI ARNOLD (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • JEANIE FARMER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The vision institute of South Carolina, inc. Was founded to provide specialized, exemplary services to promote achievement and independence for people who are visually impaired or blind.

What it reported doing in 2024

Tvi assists individuals of all ages with low vision, blindness and deaf-blindness. Teaching staff includes those certified in early childhood education, reading, visual impairments, orientation and mobility (o&m), special education and rehabilitation. Our instructors for the visually impaired teach students with visual disabilities in the students' school districts and local communities. Tvi's o&m specialists train individuals to travel safely and confidently in the community. Braille transcribers convert printed text to braille for schools, businesses and community events. Other staff members train consumers to use technology to gain access to the printed world as well as provide support for independent living.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 95% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 34
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 1.4%; rating input score 1
  • Program expense ratio: 99%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 98.5%; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 1.4% of revenue deployed · 99% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $6K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 16 of 16 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 1/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.