Volunteer Braille Services

Golden Valley, MNUnknown exempt organization EIN 41-1237256Revenue $172K in FY2024Latest return filed Nov 5, 2024

On file with the IRSvbsmn.orgGolden Valley, MN

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Form 990 Part I, line 1, FY2024. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 41-1237256) · Dispute this line
4¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 15 volunteers and 3 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
The latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $279K a year · 109% of revenue · last 4 filings
A surplus in 3 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
4%
of spending
4% of spending went to programs.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$41K
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending.
Part VII, Section A
Liabilities
$0
total owed
No data yet: the filing does not give total assets.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 7 voting members
5 of 7 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Revenue
$172K
-39% vs prior year
Spent
$1.8M
To programs
4%
Net assets
$0
By yearFY2021–FY2024
Revenue
$172K
FY2024▼ -39%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$190K
FY2022$385K
FY2023$282K
FY2024$172K
Expenses
$1.8M
FY2024▲ ×15
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$89K
FY2022$99K
FY2023$121K
FY2024$1.8M
Net assets
$0
FY2024▼ -100%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$1.5M
FY2022$1.5M
FY2023$1.6M
FY2024$0

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending May 2024) · see the original

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024.

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

Where the money goes

4 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 4% · $69K Management & general 96% · $1.8M

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

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Who runs it and what they're paid

9 people listed on the 990; $41K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
Coordinator
$26,658Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$11,121Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$3,420Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Cindi Laurent$26,658$39,897$25,640$25,017
Vicki Holm$11,121$10,478$10,395$6,226
Dorothy Worthington$3,420$4,380$4,864$5,488

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 Volunteer Braille Services 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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Transcribes books and documents into Braille for blind individuals.

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3 programs · $69K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

The Agency Accepted Braille Assignments from Different Sources

Schools, organizations, businesses, and individuals.

Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2023. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 41-1237256) · Dispute this line
$63Kprogram expense
02

The agency provided training for sighted volunteers to become certified braillists and workshops were held for certified braillists.

Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2023. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 41-1237256) · Dispute this line
$6Kprogram expense
03

Volunteer certified braillists transcribed with part being used for a school district.

Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2023. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 41-1237256) · Dispute this line
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$172K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$91K
Investment incomeLn 3$82K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$81
Money outPt IX
$1.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$69K
Managementcol C$1.8M
Owns and owesPt X
$0
net assets · Ln 32
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$81
Fees for servicesLn 2g$91K
Investment incomeLn 3$82K
Gains on assetsLn 7−$6K
Total revenueLn 12$172K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$0
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 615
Fiscal year endsHeaderMay
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$140K$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$1.4M$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$7K$0
Total assetsLn 16$1.6M$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$1.6M$0
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5$28K$21K$7K
Payroll taxesLn 10$8K$6K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$7K$7K
Accounting feesLn 11c$5K$5K
Office expensesLn 13$8K$7K$1K
Information technologyLn 14$5K$5K
OccupancyLn 16$26K$20K$7K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$1K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$1.7M$8K$1.7M
All other expensesLn 24e$2K$310$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.8M$69K$1.8M$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 5, 2024 $172K$1.8M−$1.7M$0 990 PDF
FY2023Filed with the IRS Mar 6, 2024 $282K$121K$160K$1.6M 990 PDF
FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 9, 2022 $385K$99K$286K$1.5M 990 PDF
FY2021Filed with the IRS Oct 14, 2021 $190K$89K$101K$1.5M 990 PDF

Schedules filed Part IV

I · Grants O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990
Part I · Summary $172,123 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $980$81
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $205,150$90,533
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $75,457$81,509
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $281,587$172,123
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $60,020$36,312
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $61,158$1,799,458
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $121,178$1,835,770
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $160,409−$1,663,647
Part VI · Governance 5 of 7 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members5
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $172,123 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$81
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$81
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $90,533$90,533
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $87,363$87,363
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax −$5,854−$5,854
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $90,533 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $81,509$172,123
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,835,770 across 11 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Programs $20,927 · Management $6,976$27,903
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,307 · Management $2,102$8,409
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $7,000$7,000
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $5,000$5,000
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,899 · Management $1,151$8,050
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $5,276$5,276
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $19,709 · Management $6,570$26,279
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $1,508$1,508
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $1,458$1,458
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $8,473 · Management $1,734,330$1,742,803
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $310 · Management $1,774$2,084
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $69,409 · Management $1,766,361 · Fundraising $0$1,835,770
Part X · Balance sheet $0 assets, 20 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $6,462$0
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $134,030$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $14,689$0
X-5 Loans to officers and key people$0
X-6 Loans to other insiders$0
X-7 Notes and loans receivable$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $7,361$0
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $1,390,256$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assets$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,552,798$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,552,798$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,552,798$0
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,552,798$0
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $0 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$172,123
XI-2 Total expenses$1,835,770
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$1,663,647
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,552,798
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$122,766
XI-7 Investment expenses−$11,917
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$0

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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