2006 Report to the Community Annual Report

Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation Report: Message from the Foundation Chairman

Thank you to our supporters for helping to create and enhance opportunities for people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities.

Our mission at The Lighthouse for the Blind centers on creating opportunities for people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities to lead independent, self-sufficient lives. We couldn’t succeed in our mission without your support. As the 2006 Chairman of the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation, I am proud to be part of such a generous group of people dedicated to creating opportunities for blind and Deaf-Blind people to succeed.

Community donors like you have helped make great strides towards the goal of supporting all Lighthouse training programs and support services through community donations.  Generous financial contributions from individuals and organizations had a tremendous impact on sustaining and growing our programs this past year. I am pleased to report that revenues from philanthropic donations to the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation increased by 43% with gift totals rising from $284,188 in 2005 to over $489,707 in 2006.

In December of 2002, we announced the formation of the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation as the fundraising arm of The Ligthouse for the Blind, Inc. Our sole purpose is to gather and steward community support to further the Lighthouse mission. We accomplish this through raising annual operating funds for our programs and services as well as building an endowment fund to support the Lighthouse mission in perpetuity.

Our long-term goal is to gather enough community support to cover all training program and support service costs. Not only will this help us to better serve the blind and Deaf-Blind communities through our programs, it will also allow all of our earned income to go directly into increasing Lighthouse employment opportunities for people with visual disabilities.

By making an investment in the Lighthouse, the donors on the following pages expanded and sustained significant training opportunities for blind and Deaf-Blind members of our community and allowed earned income revenues to go back into operations --- directly resulting in new Lighthouse jobs for blind and Deaf-Blind individuals.

In 2006, philanthropic contributions funded a range of crucial programs and services including:

• Orientation and Mobility training for blind and Deaf-Blind people
• A new Computer Training Program for blind adults
• Technology Training Center classes for Deaf-Blind individuals,
• Over 6,000 hours of American Sign Language interpreting services  
• Our Annual Retreat at Seabeck for members of national and international Deaf-Blind communities
• Equal access to Braille materials for blind adults

As you can see, community support is integral to funding our programs and creating new opportunities for people who are blind, Deaf-Blind, and blind with other disabilities. In the years ahead, we expect philanthropy to play an increasing role in furthering our mission and serving the community. To all of you who have made an investment in the Lighthouse mission, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Patrick W. Sullivan, Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation Chairman

Funds Raised for Programs and Services

Unrestricted/Where Need Most: 32.8%
Technology: 30.3%
Deaf-Blind Program: 16.7%
Computer Training Program: 8.5%
Orientation and Mobility: 3%
Facilities and Garden: 2.6%
School Tours: 1.9%
Employee Support: 1.6%
Employee Awards and Recognition: 0.9%
Machine Equipment: 0.8%
Helen B. Blumenthal Fund for Braille Services: 0.5%
Endowment Fund: 0.4% 

Donations by Source

Corporations: 39%
Individuals: 25%
Foundations and Service Organizations: 20%
Trusts and bequests: 15%
Workplace Gifts: 1%

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