Associated Services for the Blind Inc

“The Board of Directors has approved the following procedure for the preparation, review and approval of the organization's IRS 990 Tax Form at its meeting on June 18, 2009. - The IRS 990 Tax document is prepared by the organization's Audit Firm with the assistance from the organization's Director of Finance - The organization's Director of Finance will work with the organization's Development / Fundraising Department as well as with agency Program Directors to draft / review all narrative documentation that is to be presented on the IRS 990 Form - Once the draft of the form has been completed and undergone review by the Audit Firm, a copy is forwarded to the organization's Director of Finance for review. Both the President & CEO and Director of Finance will draft any recommended changes / corrections and discuss with the Audit Firm - A copy of the revised draft will be forwarded to the Director of Finance for review to assure that all changes / corrections have been completed. After review, a copy of the drafted document will be forwarded to all Audit Committee Members and the Board Chairman for review and approval. (If there are any changes / corrections; the CEO & President / Director of Finance will be notified to contact the Audit Firm to make the necessary changes.) - CEO & President will officially sign off on one copy of the IRS 990 along with Form 8879-EO IRS e-file Signature Authorization for an Exempt Organization. - Director of Finance will return the Form 8879-EO to the organization's Auditors so that the organization's 990 can be filed electronically with the IRS. A copy of the Form is kept in the Director of Finance's office. (Copies are available upon request.)”

“Conflict of Interest Statements are provided to board members on an annual basis. Updated statements are required from board members only if their existing information on file has changed. New board members are provided with a Conflict-of-Interest Statement in their welcome packet and are required to submit their statements prior to the next scheduled board meeting.”

“A. The organization's CEO, Executive Director, or top management official The Executive Committee of the Board determines the compensation of the organization's President & CEO on an annual basis. To make an informed decision, the committee may gather information encompassing both financial and organizational matters in which the President & CEO plays a key role. Once a decision is made, the Board Chairman meets with the President & CEO to relay the outcome and then sends an official letter with a copy to Human Resources for further processing. B. Other officers or key employees of the organization - Performance appraisals are conducted at least once annually.”

“All organizational governing documents and financial statements are available to the public upon request. ASB's IRS 990 Form can be found online at Guidestar.com and on Charity Navigator. It is also available upon request.”

“In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the organization redesigned its educational and enrichment programming to serve its participants and students through remote, online learning platforms. The remote programming successfully adapted the skills-based curriculum, supportive services, and access to community-based resource providers including health and wellness, education, and the arts. Since transitioning to remote operations, the organization has seen an increase in demand for services and enrollment in programs. The organization remains committed to maintaining and expanding its Remote Learning program as a long-term strategy. In addition to providing direct services, the organization is also a respected leader in the Philadelphia region. Through linkages and connections with partners across industry, the organization serves as a clearinghouse of information and a "go-to" resource for anyone in the area affected by loss of vision. This type of comprehensive support is critically important given that the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected the primary population for which the organization serves. The organization's staff continuously works to expand and strengthen linkages to provide comprehensive wrap-around services for individuals experiencing vision loss.”

“In March 2019, a new three-year Strategic Plan was approved by the organization's Board of Directors with implementation initiated at the start of the FY19-20 operating year. Key initiatives of the strategic plan worked on this year include: continued investment in staff and programming to strengthen and expand curriculum that is participant-focused and goal oriented and strengthening of partnerships and linkage agreements with local agencies and organizations to increase access to community-based programming and supportive resources for the organization's program participants. In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the organization redesigned its educational and enrichment programming to serve its participants and students through remote, online learning platforms. The remote programming successfully adapted the organization's skills-based curriculum, supportive services, and access to community-based resource providers. Since transitioning to remote operations, the organization has seen an increase in demand for services and enrollment in programs. The organization remains committed to maintaining and expanding the remote learning platform as a long-term strategy.”

“Professional fees: Program service expenses 181,749. Management and general expenses 93,694. Fundraising expenses 10,539. Total expenses 285,982. Contracted Services: Program service expenses 188,442. Management and general expenses 883. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 189,325.”

“The process has not changed from the prior year.”