BBB Wise Giving Report for
Seeing Eye

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: Seeing Eye
Address: P.O. Box 375
10 Washington Valley Road
  Morristown, NJ 07963-0375
Phone: 973-539-4425
Web Address: www.seeingeye.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1932, New Jersey
Affiliates: None
Stated Purpose: "to enhance the independence, dignity and self-confidence of blind people through the use of Seeing Eye dogs."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Seeing Eye meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

Seeing Eye breeds, raises and trains Seeing Eye dogs to guide blind people; it teaches instructors the science and technique of training dogs as guides for blind people; and it instructs blind people in the proper use of dog guides. Seeing Eye has provided dog guides to people in all 50 states, all provinces of Canada, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Seeing Eye reports that no one has ever been denied a Seeing Eye dog because of inability to pay. The service to each student includes round-trip transportation from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, room and board during the 20-27 day training period at the Morristown campus, the dog, its initial equipment, the student's instruction with the dog, and any follow-up services the graduate may need once he or she returns home.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009, Seeing Eye's program expenses were:

  
Dog and student training 22,246,000
Total Program Expenses: $22,246,000
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : James A. Kutsch, Jr., Ph.D., President and CEO
Compensation*:
 $305,818

Chair of the Board: Lewis M. Chakrin, Ph.D.
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Dean, Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Board Size: 23

Paid Staff Size: 200

*October 1, 2008 - September 30, 2009 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, print advertisements, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 21% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $12,362,000, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
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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 Seeing Eye's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009.

Source of Funds  
Legacies 7,838,000
Contribution 4,326,000
Dividend and interest income 2,762,000
Trust income 843,000
Other 198,000
Student payments 18,000
Total Income $15,985,000


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 82%  Fund Raising: 9%  Administrative: 9% 

Total income   $15,985,000
  Program expenses $22,246,000
  Fund raising expenses 2,585,000
  Administrative expenses 2,386,000
 
Total expenses   $27,217,000
Expenses in Excess of Income   (11,232,000)
Beginning net assets   232,189,000
Other Changes in Net Assets (14,291,000)
Ending net assets   206,666,000
Total liabilities   47,684,000
Total assets   $254,350,000

Note: In the financial information section, other change in net assets represents net realized gains $5,887,000; gain on disposable income $142,000; change in value of split interest agreements $42,000; pension $-5,643,000; and net realized losses on investments $-14,719,000.

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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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