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Combat Blindness International Inc

EIN 39-1531546 · Middleton, WI

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair65 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

COMBAT BLINDNESS INTERNATIONAL, INC. (CBI) ELIMINATES PREVENTABLE BLINDNESS WORLDWIDE BY PROVIDING SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE SOLUTIONS FOR SIGHT THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND INNOVATION.

Income
$1.0 million
Spending
$998,661
Spent on programs
78%
Reserves
2.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 98%
Employees
3
Volunteers
14
Highest pay
$63,850, president/executive director

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: 65 out of 100. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 8% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 23% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    78% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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 61% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    10 of 10 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 (4)
  1. $573,866 spent. CATARACTS - CBI SUPPORTS FREE CATARACT OPERATIONS FOR THE POOR IN INDIA, PAKISTAN, SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA, AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. CBI ALSO PROVIDES EQUIPMENT, MEDICAL CONSUMABLES, AND INTRAOCULAR LENSES (IOLS) FOR FREE EYE OPERATIONS FOR THE POOR IN AREAS OF INDIA. DURING 2025, CBI HELPED SUPPORT OVER 16,000 SURGERIES AND 700,000 SCREENINGS.FOR THE CATARACT PROGRAM, COMBAT BLINDNESS INTERNATIONAL, INC. (CBI) COLLABORATES WITH HOSPITALS IN INDIA (BHUBANESWAR LV PRASAD EYE HOSPITAL; SHREE JALARAM EYE HOSPITAL - MEGHRAJ,GUJARAT; SHROFF'S CHARITY EYE HOSPITAL - DARYAGANJ, NEW DELHI; JAYAPRIYA MEDICAL FOUNDATION - HUBLI, KARNATAKA; NAV BHARAT JAGRITI KENDRA - HAZARIBAG, JHARKHAND), SOUTH AMERICA (FUNDACION VISION - PARAGUAY), PAKISTAN (LAYTON RAHMATULLA BENEVOLENT TRUST - KARACHI), AND AFRICA (LIONS SIGHTFIRST EYE HOSPITAL - NAIROBI, KENYA) TO PROVIDE CATARACT OPERATIONS FOR THE POOR. CBI COLLABORATES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOSPITALS AND CLINICS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF OPTHALMOLOGY AND VISUAL SCIENCES TO PROVIDE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LEVEL OF EYE CARE FOR THE UNDERINSURED AND UNINSURED RESIDENTS OF DANE COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
  2. $89,270 spent. PEDIATRIC EYE CARE - CBI SUPPORTS PROGRAMS IN INDIA AND PARAGUAY TO SCREEN CHILDREN AND PROVIDE FREE PEDIATRIC EYE SURGERIES AND GLASSES. IN ADDITION, CBI SUPPORTS A SCHOOL SCREENING PROGRAM IN MADISON, WISCONSIN FOR FOUR- AND FIVE-YEAR-OLD KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS. DURING 2025, CBI HELPED SUPPORT OVER 350,000 PEDIATRIC SCREENINGS AND 150 SURGERIES.FOR THE PEDIATRIC PROGRAM, CBI COLLABORATES WITH HOSPITALS IN INDIA (SHREE JALARAM EYE HOSPITAL - GUJARAT, INDIA; USHA KIRAN EYE HOSPITAL - MYSORE, INDIA) AND PARAGUAY (FUNDACION VISION) TO ORGANIZE AND FUND PROGRAMS TO SCREEN CHILDREN FOR GLASSES AND OPHTHALMIC SURGERY FOR THE POOR. IN ADDITION, CBI COLLABORATES WITH THE MADISON METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT IN MADISON, WISCONSIN, TO ORGANIZE AND FUND SCHOOL SCREENING FOR ALL 4K AND 5K STUDENTS.
  3. $85,693 spent. EYE CARE PERSONNEL TRAINING - CBI SUPPORTS THE TRAINING OF DOCTORS, NURSES, AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL TO INCREASE EYE CARE CAPACITY. CBI COLLABORATES WITH HOSPITALS IN INDIA (DR. SHROFF'S CHARITY EYE HOSPITAL IN DELHI AND JAYAPRIYA MEDICAL FOUNDATION IN HUBLI) TO PROVIDE STIPENDS AND SALARY FOR OPHTHALMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL. IN 2025, CBI HELPED SUPPORT THE TRAINING OF 70 OPHTHALMIC PERSONNEL.
  4. $34,535 spent. EYE CARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT - CBI SUPPORTS THE BUILDING OF EYE CARE CENTERS AND THE DONATION OF EQUIPMENT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY, SIGHT-RESTORING EYE CARE.DURING 2025, CBI PROVIDED FUNDING FOR EYE CARE EQUIPMENT TO AN EYE CLINIC IN LEBANON.

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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since February 1986.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 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.