Minnesota Eye Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
VISION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, EYE CARE FOR THE NEEDY
- Income
- $145,942
- Spending
- $179,721
- Reserves
- 5.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 51 out of 100. Higher than 15% of charities in its peer group (medical research, under $250k).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 29% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 23% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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)
- $169,965 spent. THE MINNESOTA EYE FOUNDATION PROVIDES EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR OPTOMETRIC AND OPHTHALMOLOGY POST-GRADUATES ASSISTING INDIGENT COMMUNITIES.
- $2,451 spent. IN 2024, MINNESOTA EYE FOUNDATION (MEF) CONDUCTED ITS MISSION OF ENRICHING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH CHARITABLE OUTREACH AND CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF EYE CARE. MEF DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE DELIVERY OF EYE CARE SERVICES TO THOSE IN NEED AND THROUGH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OPTOMETRISTS, AS WELL AS THE MISSION TRIP EXPERIENCES FOR OUR FELLOWS WHO SERVE PATIENTS IN HONDURAS. MEF EXHIBITS ITS MISSION THROUGH THREE KEY PROGRAMS: THE VISION PROJECT (TVP), PERSPECTIVES IN EYE CARE (ODP) AND STRIDES 4 SIGHT (S4S).THROUGH THE VISION PROJECT (TVP) WHICH PROVIDES MEDICALLY NECESSARY VISION CARE EVALUATIONS AND SURGERIES AT NO COST FOR UNINSURED, LOW-INCOME PATIENTS IN NEED, MEF COMPLETED A TOTAL OF 41 VISION PROJECT SURGERIES AND NINE (9) CROSSLINKING PROCEDURES FOR 37 PATIENTS DURING 2024. TVP IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF VOLUNTEER NURSES, STAFF, SURGEONS, FELLOWS, ANESTHETISTS, AND TEAM MEMBERS WHO ARE WILLING TO DONATE THEIR TIME, EXPERTISE, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT.50 SURGERIES IN TOTAL FOR 2024: - 41 SURGERIES INCLUDING GLAUCOMA/CATARACT/CORNEA RELATED PROCEDURES - 9 CROSS-LINKING SURGERIES - 37 PATIENTS DURING 2024 VISION PROJECT SURGERY DAYS: - 32 SURGERIES WERE COMPLETED WITH 22 PATIENTS - 13 VOLUNTEER PHYSICIANS, 45 VOLUNTEER STAFF AND 6 INTERPRETERS (SPANISH, FRENCH, AND HMONG) = 64 INVOLVEDTHE NEED FOR VISION SURGERIES FOR THOSE WITHOUT INSURANCE HAS GROWN IN NEED EACH YEAR. TVP DID PERFORM ADDITIONAL SURGERIES OUTSIDE OF THE TRADITIONAL DESIGNATED WINDOW OF SURGERY DAYS PROVIDING 9 PROCEDURES FOR 6 PATIENTS. THROUGH THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, MEF WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE A TRAVEL GRANT TO ONE OF THE MD FELLOWS WHO WAS INTERESTED AND AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCE IN MAY 2024. MD FELLOW DR. MARK LARSON TRAVELLED AND ASSISTED DR. MARK S. HANSEN ON HIS ANNUAL HONDURAS MISSION TRIP. THE WEEK-LONG JOURNEY FROM SUNDAY 5/26/24 THROUGH FRIDAY 5/31/24 WAS AIMED AT BRINGING SUPPLIES, KNOWLEDGE, AND SURGICAL SKILLS TO THE RESIDENTS, FELLOWS, AND PATIENTS. CLINICAL ASSESSMENTS AND SURGICAL PLANNING WITH THE LOCAL TEAM TOOK PLACE DAILY. SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING CASES SEEN AT THIS HOSPITAL WERE DESIGNATED FOR THIS MISSION TRIP, AND EACH SURGERY DAY WAS RIGOROUS. POST-OPERATIVE EVALUATIONS WITH PATIENTS AND STAFFING CLINIC PATIENTS WITH FIRST- AND SECOND-YEAR RESIDENTS TOOK PLACE DURING THE SPAN OF THIS MISSION TRIP.
- $4,167 spent. ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2024, THE ANNUAL FUNDRAISER, STRIDES 4 SIGHT, WAS HELD ONCE AGAIN AT THE BLOOMINGTON, MN NORMANDALE LAKE BANDSHELL. THIS 5K FUN RUN/WALK, KIDS FUN RUN AND SILENT AUCTION IS THE MAIN FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR THE MEF ORGANIZATION. 56 RACERS AND 10 FUN RUNNERS TOTALING 66 PARTICIPANTS THE 2024 STRIDES 4 SIGHT SPONSORS GENERATED $33,454 FROM SPONSORSHIP, CLINIC, AND INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS. 38 ITEMS WERE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE ANNUAL SILENT AUCTION AND GENERATED $4,215THE MINNESOTA EYE FOUNDATION ALSO WAS A RECIPIENT OF AN ASCRS GRANT (AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY) TOTALING $6,500 IN 2024. THE GRANT WAS DISBURSED IN TWO (2) SEPARATE ALLOCATIONS OF $3,250; ONE IN MARCH AND ONE IN SEPTEMBER 2024. THIS ANNUAL GRANT ASSISTS WITH FUNDING OF CATARACT SURGERIES FOR UNINSURED INDIVIDUALS.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 September 7, 2026.
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 September 30, 2026.
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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 2005.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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 October 7, 2026.
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