Human Services (P860) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

COLUMBIA LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND

EIN: 53-0196609 · WASHINGTON, DC 20006-1202 · United States · FY 2024 Data

3 out of 5 52 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 75/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 75/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2024 · Scored 9/13/2026

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

Since 1900, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind has been dedicated to helping the blind or visually impaired population of the greater Washington region overcome the challenges of vision loss. Our work enables people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired to remain independent, active and productive in society.

Financial Overview — FY 2024

$6.1M

Total Revenue

$6.2M

Total Expenses

$2.0M

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 71.6%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 3.87x

Liability-to-Asset 49.2%

Revenue Diversification 90.2%

Executive Compensation $210K

Compared with Peers

FY 2024

Compared with 7,588 similar organizations (United States, Human Services, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2024.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	71.6%	85.5%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	25.2%	11.3%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	3.2%	0.4%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	3.9 mo	8.5 mo	P10P90	Below median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	49.2%	13.3%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	90.2%	93.2%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-3.9%	7.1%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	-0.5%	7.9%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-2.4%	1.9%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2024	$6.1M	$6.2M	$2.0M	71.6%	49
2023	$6.3M	$6.2M	$2.1M	81.9%	86
2022	$5.7M	$5.5M	$1.9M	80.1%	87
2021	$6.0M	$5.7M	N/A	—	91

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Organization Details

EIN: 53-0196609
State: DC
City: WASHINGTON
ZIP: 20006-1202
Classification: P860
Category: Human Services
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1900
Foundation Code: 15
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

A pillar with no data counts as zero. Without impact metrics the score is capped at 59 (three stars): only the charity can supply that data.
The coverage grade (A to D) says how much filing data the score rests on; NONE means there is not enough to rate.
An organization that is not in good standing with its registry (for example a revoked tax exemption) is shown as Not rated.
"Compared with peers" places the charity's key ratios against organizations of the same country, sector and size.

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