Sights for Hope is an independent nonprofit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) status that is funded from several critical sources. We provide our services at little or no cost because of this support.
Private Contributions
- 41% of our funding comes from private contributions.
- Private contributions include standard donations, private grants, bequests and estate gifts, and special event contributions.
Service Revenue
- 34% of our funding comes from contracts for our services and our sales of assistive devices.
- We have contracts with two private organizations – the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (PAB) and the Pocono Mountains United Way – and two government organizations – the County of Lehigh, and the County of Monroe.
- More than 62% of our assistive device sales are subsidized by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS), a division of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Information About Our Government Funding
More than 77% of our government-related funding comes from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The commonwealth has a legal obligation to provide rehabilitative services for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, as established by the Pennsylvania Administrative Code.
Originally enacted in 1929, the code assigned this responsibility to the Department of Public Welfare, now the Department of Human Services, under Article XXII(b). In 1999, these duties were transferred to the Department of Labor and Industry. Under this mandate, the state must assist “blind and visually impaired persons to gain employment and become self-sufficient” and provide “for the delivery of comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services, training and other specialized services to blind and visually impaired persons consistent with Federal and State law.”
The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (PAB) is a private organization that receives funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services annually for our contract. As mentioned above, the Pennsylvania BBVS is a division of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
Foundation
- 24% of our funding comes from our affiliated Sights for Hope Endowment Foundation.
- The foundation is a separate nonprofit organization with its own 501(c)(3) status and Board of Directors.
- The foundation’s mission is to support Sights for Hope’s operations and activities, and it provides us with an annual allocation.
Our Transparency
See our Donor Policies
See our Documents and Disclosures
See our Charity Navigator Profile
See our GuideStar Profile
Contact for Information
Dennis Zehner, 610.433.6018, Ext. 241