philanthropy.org | 990 Resource | FAQ Verify yourself
Sign in

The Vision Sciences Society INC

Tax-deductible

Novato, CA501(c)(3)Since 2003Science & Technology EIN 13-4244237Revenue $1.0M in FY2025Latest return filed Aug 12, 2026

On file with the IRSvisionsciences.orgNovato, CATax-exempt since Mar 2004Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

Claim this org

(tell your story, add context, and more) Claim it free, then get the verified mark for $1,000 a year, plus $10 a year for the ID check.

How does your 990 look to donors? Take the 10-Question Audit

The Vision Sciences Society, INC. (vss) is committed to progress in understanding Vision, and its relation to cognition, action and the brain. Our primary goal is to host a yearly meeting where both new and established investigators from diverse disciplines and scientific perspectives present and discuss their work in a relaxed informal setting. Our interdisciplinary nature is reflected by the board of directors and abstract review committee.

Form 990 Part I, line 1, FY2025. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 13-4244237) · Dispute this line
501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
92¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$16K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
The IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
The latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $5K a year · 0.6% of revenue · last 6 filings
A surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
92%
of spending
92% of spending went to programs.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$16K
to officers and key staff · 1% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 99% of similar orgs
Pay to officers and key staff is 1% of spending.
Part VII, Section A
Cash reserves
3.8 mo
of spending, in cash
3.8 months of spending in cash.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $20K
1 funder names it on their filings.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$28K
7% of total assets
Liabilities are 7% of assets.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
9 of 9 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
In line with peersDifferent from peersFar from peersNo peer rangeNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.0M
+2% vs prior year
Spent
$1.1M
To programs
92%
Net assets
$384K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.0M
FY2025▲ +2%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$436K
FY2021$430K
FY2022$868K
FY2023$1.0M
FY2024$1.0M
FY2025$1.0M
Expenses
$1.1M
FY2025▲ +1%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$390K
FY2021$398K
FY2022$912K
FY2023$957K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.1M
Net assets
$384K
FY2025▼ -13%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$457K
FY2021$489K
FY2022$445K
FY2023$496K
FY2024$439K
FY2025$384K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending September 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Follow Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Mar 2004.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

92 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 92% · $1.0M Management & general 8% · $90K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Something off? Claim to add context

Who runs it and what they're paid

12 people listed on the 990; $16K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Geoffrey Boynton
Director (until 5/31/25)
$10,000Pt VII · Sec A
Shauney Wilson
Executive Director
$6,250Pt VII · Sec A
Shin'ya Nishida
Director (until 5/31/25)
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Michael Landy
President-Elect
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Martin Rolfs
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Miyoung Kwon
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Geoffrey Boynton’s $10K as Director (until 5/31/25) is at the 1st percentile of top reported officer pay among 363 $1–10M science & technology nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Shauney Wilson$6,250$6,725$6,650$17,000$15,000$5,085
Geoffrey Boynton$10,000—————
David Brainard————$10,000—

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See The Vision Sciences Society INC executive salaries →

Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Hosts an annual meeting to discuss vision, cognition, action, and the brain.

Questions for The Vision Sciences Society INC

Tap to ask. The Vision Sciences Society INC sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. The Vision Sciences Society INC answers here, for everyone.

1 program · $1.0M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The main PURPOSE/SERVICE of the society is to hold an annual meeting that brings together in one forum scientists from the broad range of disciplines that contribute to vision science, including visual psychophysics, neuroscience, computational vision and cognitive psychology.

Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 13-4244237) · Dispute this line
$1.0Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2022
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFY2022$20K
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$20K
Grants paid · 15 grants · $280K · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$68,500
Unitemized GrantFY2024$6,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$4,000
Unitemized GrantFY2023$54,600
Unitemized GrantFY2023$9,000
Unitemized GrantFY2023$6,000
Unitemized GrantFY2023$500
Unitemized GrantFY2022$53,500
Unitemized GrantFY2022$6,000
Unitemized GrantFY2022$500
Unitemized GrantFY2021$49,700
Rutgers the State UniversityNJ · FY2021$10,000
Unitemized GrantFY2021$4,000
Unitemized GrantFY2021$1,400
Unitemized GrantFY2019$6,000

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

Download 990
from philanthropy.org
1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.0M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$850K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$189K
Investment incomeLn 3$4K
Money outPt IX
$1.1M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.0M
Managementcol C$90K
Owns and owesPt X
$384K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$351K
Total assetsLn 16$412K
LiabilitiesLn 26$28K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$189K
Government grantsLn 1e$10K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$850K
Investment incomeLn 3$4K
Total revenueLn 12$1.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$108K
SavingsLn 2$243K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$351K
Accounts receivableLn 4$951
Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesLn 9$60K
Total assetsLn 16$412K
LiabilitiesLn 26$28K
Net assetsLn 32$384K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3More from this return
Abroad and in kindSch F, M
Grants to other countriesSch F Pt II–III$12K
4Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$430K$351K
Total assetsLn 16$456K$412K
LiabilitiesLn 26$17K$28K
Net assetsLn 32$439K$384K
5Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$3K$3K
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$78K$78K
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$12K$12K
Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5$7K$7K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$4K$4K
Management feesLn 11a$394K$382K$12K
Accounting feesLn 11c$7K$7K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$38K$37K$255
Advertising and promotionLn 12$31K$29K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K$337
Information technologyLn 14$4K$4K
TravelLn 17$38K$17K$21K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$387K$381K$6K
InsuranceLn 23$3K$980$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$90K$55K$35K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.1M$1.0M$90K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Aug 12, 2026 $1.0M$1.1M−$57K$384K 990 PDF
FY2024Filed with the IRS Jul 28, 2025 $1.0M$1.1M−$57K$439K 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Jul 30, 2024 $1.0M$957K$51K$496K 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Aug 2, 2023 $868K$912K−$44K$445K 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Jul 29, 2022 $430K$398K$32K$489K 990 PDF
FY2020Filed with the IRS Aug 9, 2021 $436K$390K$46K$457K 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

A · Public support B · Donors F · Foreign I · Grants L · Interested persons O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990
Part I · Summary $1,042,469 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $153,265$189,000
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $872,535$849,740
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $98$3,729
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,025,898$1,042,469
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $82,600$93,000
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $16,250$11,075
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $984,464$994,946
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,083,314$1,099,021
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$57,416−$56,552
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,042,469 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$10,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$179,000
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$189,000
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $849,740$849,740
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $3,729$3,729
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $849,740 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $3,729$1,042,469
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,099,021 across 15 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $3,000$3,000
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $78,500$78,500
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $11,500$11,500
IX-5 Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Programs $6,725$6,725
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $4,350$4,350
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $382,277 · Management $11,823$394,100
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $7,485$7,485
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $37,300 · Management $255$37,555
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $28,916 · Management $1,962$30,878
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,718 · Management $337$2,055
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $4,202$4,202
IX-17 TravelPrograms $17,250 · Management $20,895$38,145
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $381,491 · Management $5,739$387,230
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $980 · Management $2,162$3,142
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $55,044 · Management $35,110$90,154
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,009,051 · Management $89,970 · Fundraising $0$1,099,021
Part X · Balance sheet $411,927 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $95,504$107,521
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $334,376$243,108
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $5,738$951
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $20,000$60,347
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $455,618$411,927
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $594$1,015
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $4,000$6,000
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $12,400$21,340
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $16,994$28,355
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $419,624$365,072
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $19,000$18,500
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $438,624$383,572
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $455,618$411,927
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $383,572 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,042,469
XI-2 Total expenses$1,099,021
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$56,552
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$438,624
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$1,500
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$383,572

Form 990 e-file FY2025 from the IRS (about our sources) · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

The names, titles, and financial information shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records. More

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown. A filing can only be corrected by the organization filing an amended return with the IRS; the corrected information appears here at our next update.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing, and less than the filing contains. Our pages do not display home addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, contact the filing organization or the IRS directly.

All figures come from public IRS Form 990 filings. Comparisons are computed from the filing against similar orgs. They are not a rating.