Lifesight
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 44% of its spending went to programs.
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 87 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
To protect and preserve vision restore sight and support eye related research to promote eye health for all.
- Income
- $259,141
- Spending
- $361,000
- Spent on programs
- 44%
- Reserves
- 13.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 74%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 55
- Highest pay
- $98,182, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 13.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 39% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 72% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1544% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 87 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 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 (4)
- $62,881 spent. Kids are unaware of how they should see and do not know if they have poor vision - and often parents are unaware their child is having difficulty seeing. Thus many childrens vision problems go undetected. LifeSights KidsFIRST free vision screening program identifies vision problems by providing free on-site vision screenings to children age 6 months to 5th grade in schools childcare centers and family-friendly community events. LifeSights trained team uses state-of-the-art equipment called SPOT vision screeners to detect common vision problems such as nearsightedness farsightedness astigmatism and risk factors for amblyopia-the leading cause of vision loss in U.S children. The screenings are quick and non-invasive. Parents receive follow-up reports and children who require further evaluation are referred to local eye care providers for comprehensive eye exams. LifeSight presently administers 7,500 KidsFIRST free vision screenings yearly and the number continues to grow. Since inception in 2012 LifeSight has administered over 65,000 free childrens vision screenings in the Rapid City and Black Hills region of South Dakota. Nearly 15% of children screened - over 9,500 to date - are found to have risk factors that may inhibit proper visual development. Left untreated vision issues impact learning behavior and self-esteem. By identifying vision issues early in life LifeSight helps ensure every child has the visual tools they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
- $40,849 spent. Gift of Sight a charitable program launched in 2008 as Christmas Gift of Sight awards sight-saving surgery to individuals without the financial means to afford the necessary care. In 2015 LifeSight expanded its Christmas Gift of Sight program from annual to semi-annual surgery awards and due to this in 2017 renamed the program "Gift of Sight". In 2018 the Gift of Sight service area was expanded from eye care clinics and their patients in the Black Hills of South Dakota to include eye care clinics and their patients located east of Rapid City in the Mobridge Pierre Winner all in South Dakota and Chadron Nebraska communities. Since its inception LifeSight and its program partners have provided 109 sight-saving surgeries through Gift of Sight helping those underserved in our community regain their vision and most importantly independence mobility and quality of life.
- $29,848 spent. Much of vision loss can be prevented and treated through routine comprehensive eye exams and a simple pair of prescription glasses. For someone with uncorrected vision daily tasks like reading signs while driving completing work assignments or navigating a store can become daunting or even dangerous. But due to lack of resources many medically underserved adults in our community have limited-to-no access to any type of vision care services. To close this gap at the end of 2019 LifeSight launched VisionCARE to provide no-cost eye exams and glasses to low-income adults by way of collaboration with LifeSight program partner Complete Health formerly Community Health Center of the Black Hills. Services for eye exams and glasses are delivered through a trusted network of VisionCARE provider optometrists. LifeSight underwrites the costs for VisionCARE eye exams and glasses at negotiated reimbursement rates with 200 individuals having received essential VisionCARE services to date - providing a simple but powerful path to helping people see better to live better.
- $25,084 spent. A. Medical student volunteers from the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine have conducted research much of it in conjunction with KidsFIRST Free Vision Screenings resulting in the following published manuscripts: 1. Results of a Pediatric Vision Screening Program in Western South Dakota published March 2015 in South Dakota Medicine; 2. Childhood Vision Screening in Western South Dakota; Examining Barriers to Post Vision Screening Followup Referral published January 2017 in South Dakota Medicine; 3. An Evaluation of SPOT Screening Efficacy for Children in South Dakota published May 2018 in South Dakota Medicine; 4.A Review of Childhood Vision Screening Laws and Programs Across the United States published July 2019 in South Dakota Medicine; 5.Multi clinic Evaluation of the SPOT Photoscreeners Efficacy for Detecting Amblyopia Risk Factors as Compared to Same Day Optometrists Examinations in 305 Western South Dakota Children published July 2021 in Aesculapius Journal Health Sciences and Medicine; 6.A Survey of Eye Care Needs Among Community Health Center Patients in Western South Dakota published October 2022 in South Dakota Medicine; 7. Poverty and Vision: The Effect of Title 1 Status on Vision Screening Referral Rates in School Aged Children in Western South Dakota published August 2024 in Ophthalmic Epidemiology. B. LifeSight Dr. Paul L. Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship Endowment established with the University of South Dakota Foundation awards a scholarship to a fourth year University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine student with expressed interest in ophthalmology. C. Sponsorship of eye care professional Continuing Education at Black Hills Regional Eye Institute. D. South Dakota Optometric Society exhibit. E. Newsletter. F. Resource center for eye related information and needs.
Source: Form 990 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 February 1983.
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.
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.