BBB Wise Giving Report for
Guiding Eyes for the Blind

BBB Wise Giving Report issued May 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires May 2012


This BBB Accredited charity meets all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability and is a Seal Holder. Find out more...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Guiding Eyes for the Blind
Address: 611 Granite Springs Road
  Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Phone: 914-245-4024
Web Address: www.guidingeyes.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1954, New York
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to enrich the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women by providing them with the freedom to travel safely, thereby assuring greater independence, dignity and new horizons of opportunity."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

Blind or visually impaired men and women from across the United States, as well as other countries, participate in the organiztion's 26-day residential training program at GEB's Training Center. GEB reports that some 160 new student/dog teams are trained annually and that more than 6,000 teams have graduated since its inception. GEB provides a Home Training Program for students unable to travel. GEB offers a Special Needs Program for individuals with additional developmental or physical challenges. GEB's Student Service Department provides ongoing services to applicants, students and graduates through the efforts of professionally trained staff, Consumer Outreach and volunteer services. All ($1,647,797 or 100%) of GEB's enrichment program service activities are conducted in conjunction with fund raising appeals.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, GEB's program expenses were:

  
Student instruction and dog training 4,785,907
Canine development center 3,440,472
Veterinary hospital 2,122,058
Facility and food services 1,728,578
Enrichment 1,647,797
Student services 894,702
Total Program Expenses: $14,619,514
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : William D. Badger, President and Chief Executive Officer
Compensation*:
 $288,518

Chair of the Board: Donald J. Matthews
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Retired (former President, Johnson & Higgins of Texas, Inc.)

Board Size: 16

Paid Staff Size: 138

*October 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, special events, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, and cause-related marketing
Fund raising costs were 16% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $19,295,657, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
GEB incurred joint costs of $3,444,376 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $1,796,579 was allocated to fund raising expenses and $1,647,797 was allocated to program expenses.
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Tax Status

               

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
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Financial

               

The following information is based on GEB's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008.

Source of Funds  
Contributions 11,460,239
Bequests 7,480,791
Interest and dividends 3,579,473
Realized gains on investment 752,747
Special events (net) 354,627
Miscellaneous 310,139
Unrealized loss on investments -11,690,986
Total Income $12,247,030


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 78%  Fund Raising: 16%  Administrative: 6% 

Total income   $12,247,030
  Program expenses $14,619,514
  Fund raising expenses 3,069,325
  Administrative expenses 1,170,892
 
Total expenses   $18,859,731
Expenses in Excess of Income   (6,612,701)
Beginning net assets   64,596,365
Other Changes in Net Assets (510,273)
Ending net assets   57,473,391
Total liabilities   10,055,504
Total assets   $67,528,895

Note: Other changes in net assets above represents ($510,273) related to an increase in minimum pension obligation.

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An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

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