HelpMeSee
Standards For Charity Accountability
Governance
-
Board Oversight
-
Board Size
-
Board Meetings
-
Board Compensation
-
Conflict of Interest
Measuring Effectiveness
-
Effectiveness Policy
-
Effectiveness Report
Finances
-
Program Expenses
-
Fundraising Expenses
-
Accumulating Funds
-
Audit Report
-
Detailed Expense Breakdown
-
Accurate Expense Reporting
-
Budget Plan
Fundraising & Info
-
Truthful Materials
-
Annual Report
-
Website Disclosures
-
Donor Privacy
-
Cause Marketing Disclosures
-
Complaints
HelpMeSee does not meet the following 7 Standards for Charity Accountability:
Standard 1 (Oversight of Operations and Staff)
Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.
HelpMeSee does not meet this Standard because its board of directors does not:
- Receive a copy of the auditor’s management letter (this letter is prepared by the auditor, and generally includes comments about the organization’s accounting policies, procedures and recommendations for improvement).
- Receive information about the financial arrangements made with outside fundraising firms and consultants hired in the past year.
HelpMeSee also does not meet this Standard because:
- The board chair also serves as the board treasurer.
Standard 2 (Number of Board Members)
Soliciting organizations shall have a board of directors with a minimum of five voting members.
HelpMeSee does not meet this Standard because:
- The organization has three voting members of the board.
Standard 6 (Board Policy on Effectiveness)
Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization's performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
HelpMeSee does not meet this Standard because:
- The board of directors does not have a written policy stating that, at least every two years, an appraisal be done assessing the organization’s performance and effectiveness and determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.
HelpMeSee does not meet this Standard because:
- The organization has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the last two years.
Standard 14 (Budget)
Have a board-approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising, and administration.
HelpMeSee does not meet this Standard because, when the organization provided 2025 budget information, it indicated that the budget:
- Did not identify total projected program expenses, broken down by major program category (public awareness and training Cataract specialists and supporting practice readiness).
Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.
HelpMeSee does not meet this Standard because the 2023 annual report did not include:
- Total income.
- Total program expenses, broken down by major program category (public awareness and training Cataract specialists and supporting practice readiness).
- Total fundraising expenses.
- Total administrative expenses.
Standard 18 (Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy)
Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.
HelpMeSee does not meet this Standard because the privacy policy on its website https://helpmesee.org, does not indicate:
- What security measures are in place to protect personal information that is collected.
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information from the organization and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard(s) for Charity Accountability: 3, 13, 15
HelpMeSee meets the remaining 10 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Stated Purpose:
"to be the world leader of innovative and scalable surgical eyecare simulation training solutions."
Year, State Incorporated:
2010, DE
HelpMeSee aims to restore vision to people living with severe visual impairment and blindness due to Cataract worldwide. The organization works globally, providing surgeries through partnerships with governments, universities, and innovators to restore sight in the United States, Latin America, Africa, Europe, India, and China. HelpMeSee's strategy is to increase surgical access by training Cataract specialists to perform Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS). HelpMeSee strives to design, develop, and deploy a virtual reality eye surgery simulator-based training system, and support a worldwide network of opthalmology surgical training centers.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, HelpMeSee's program expenses were:
Training Cataract specialists and supporting practice readiness: $12,246,072
Public awareness: $926,516
Total Program Expenses: $13,172,588
Chief Executive
Bonnie An Henderson, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Head of Global Innovation and Technology
Compensation*
$250,000
Chair of the Board
James Tyler Ueltschi
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Former Vice President and Treasurer, Flight Safety International and Co-Founder, HelpMeSee
Board Size
3
Paid Staff Size
53
*2023 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Note: Dr. Henderson started in her current role at HelpMeSee in August 2023. The former President and Chief Executive Officer, Saro Jahani, received compensation totaling $629,720 in 2023.
Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Grant proposals, Internet, Radio
HelpMeSee incurred joint costs of $3,135,180 for informational materials and activities that included fundraising materials. Of those costs, $2,528,937 was allocated to fundraising expenses and $606,243 was allocated to program expenses.
Fundraising costs were 15% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $17,630,902, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)
This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
The following information is based on HelpMeSee's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Source of Funds
| Contributions | $378,393 |
| Corporations | $64,833 |
| Foundations | $17,187,676 |
| Investment income | $213,896 |
| Training income | $141,944 |
| Other income | $21,984 |
| Total Income | $18,008,726 |
Programs: 77% Fundraising: 16% Administrative: 7%
| Total Income | $18,008,726 |
| Total expenses: | $17,139,981 |
| Program expenses | $13,172,588 |
| Fundraising expenses | $2,706,254 |
| Administrative expenses | $1,261,139 |
| Other expenses | $0 |
| Income in Excess of Expenses | $868,745 |
| Beginning Net Assets | $17,320,427 |
| Other Changes In Net Assets | $-37,103 |
| Ending Net Assets | $18,152,069 |
| Total Liabilities | $2,352,910 |
| Total Assets | $20,504,979 |
Note: In the financial section above, "other changes in net assets" refers to a foreign currency loss.
An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.
This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Meets Standards
-
Standards Not Met
-
Did Not Disclose
-
Review in Progress
-
Unable to Verify
Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance