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The Boston Foundation for Sight

EIN 04-3150037 · Needham, MA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE BY TRANSFORMING THE UNDERSTANDING, TREATMENT, AND CARE OF THE OCULAR SURFACE.

Income
$5.3 million
Spending
$6.0 million
Spent on programs
80%
Reserves
4.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 90%
Employees
61
Volunteers
9
Highest pay
$391,567, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 41% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 13% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 16% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    80% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (human services, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    8 of 9 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $4.2 million spent. BOSTON FOUNDATION FOR SIGHT, D/B/A BOSTONSIGHT, IS A WORLD RENOWNED NONPROFIT EYE HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION. OUR MISSION IS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE BY TRANSFORMING THE UNDERSTANDING, TREATMENT, AND CARE OF THE OCULAR SURFACE. SINCE 1992 WE HAVE RESTORED SIGHT TO THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. PROSTHETIC REPLACEMENT OF THE OCULAR SURFACE ECOSYSTEM (PROSE) IS AN INTEGRATED AND ITERATIVE TREATMENT PIONEERED BY BOSTONSIGHT THAT RESTORES VISUAL FUNCTION, SUPPORTS HEALING, REDUCES SYMPTOMS AND IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS SUFFERING WITH OCULAR SURFACE DISEASE. BOSTONSIGHT PROSE USES FDA CLEARED CUSTOM DESIGNED AND FABRICATED PROSTHETIC DEVICES TO REPLACE OR SUPPORT IMPAIRED OCULAR SURFACE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS.
  2. $367,046 spent. BOSTONSIGHT'S CLINICAL EXPERIENCE IN OCULAR SURFACE DISEASE CREATES THE NECESSARY FOUNDATION FOR DRIVING RESEARCH AND ULTIMATELY INNOVATION IN THE DESIGN AND APPLICATION OF SCLERAL LENSES FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS AROUND THE WORLD. THE ORGANIZATION'S PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM IS UNIQUE AS WE DRAW FROM OUR HISTORY OF DIRECT PATIENT CARE, AIMING TO SOLVE NEW CLINICAL CHALLENGES WITH DIRECT IN-HOUSE ACCESS TO ENGINEERING, SOFTWARE DESIGN AND OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART MANUFACTURING FACILITY. IN 2018, BOSTONSIGHT WAS NAMED THE NUMBER ONE CONTRIBUTOR TO SCLERAL LENS PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS; AND IN 2021, AN ANALYSIS IN CONTACT LENS AND ANTERIOR EYE LISTED BOSTONSIGHT AS THE MOST IMPACTFUL INSTITUTION IN SCLERAL LENS PUBLICATIONS.
  3. $207,923 spent. ONE OF BOSTONSIGHT'S CORE VALUES IS TO EXPAND KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION TO EMPOWER PRACTITIONERS TO ELEVATE THE STANDARD OF CARE FOR PATIENTS. WE BELIEVE BY SHARING KNOWLEDGE, WE WILL MOVE THE INDUSTRY FORWARD. OPTOMETRISTS AND OPHTHALMOLOGISTS WORLDWIDE HAVE COME TO BOSTONSIGHT FOR IN-PERSON EDUCATION AT OUR CLINIC. THIS HAS RANGED FROM CLINICAL ROTATIONS TO RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPLETING OUR INTENSIVE PROSE CLINICAL TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH ADDRESSES THE MOST ADVANCED CASES OF OCULAR SURFACE DISEASES. FITACADEMY EVENTS ARE SOME OF BOSTONSIGHT'S MOST RECOGNIZED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. FITACADEMY OFFERS OPTOMETRISTS EXPERT TRAINING IN FITTING AND HANDLING SCLERAL LENSES IN BOTH A DIDACTIC AND EXPERIENTIAL SETTING. THE TRAINING COMBINES BOSTONSIGHT'S 30 YEARS OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE EXPERTISE OF THE INDUSTRY'S TOP PROFESSIONALS. BEGINNING IN 2024, WE COLLABORATED WITH OUR PARTNERS IN LATIN AMERICA AND HELD OUR FIRST GLOBAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 1993.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.