Know Before You Give

During this season of giving, many people seek to contribute to charities whose causes they deem worthy. Here, we spotlight the financial activities of San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (LightHouse) to provide transparency and help potential donors make informed decisions.

Why it matters

LightHouse is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. In 2022 and 2023, LightHouse received $10,606,777 and $4,550,489, respectively, in contributions. Potential donors and the public have the right to know how tax-exempt donations are being used. Such contributions do not include government grants that derive from taxes paid by the public. Additionally, many other 501(c)(3) nonprofits, such as DeafBlind Citizens in Action and Northern California Association of DeafBlind do not pay their officers anything. 

LightHouse’s financial records for 2022 and 2023

 The following data was provided by ProPublica, an investigative journalism organization. All data was based on information LightHouse furnished to the IRS. LightHouse provides copies of its Form 990 on its website; however, these forms are difficult for the average blind person to read because LightHouse, it seems, does not prioritize transparency and accessibility.

• For tax year 2023, the top-earning individual at LightHouse was Brandon Cox, Chief Operating Officer (COO): $306,479. For tax year 2022, it was $225,575.

• The 2nd top-earning individual for tax year 2023 was Michelle Knapik, Chief Financial Officer (CFO): $225,722.

• The third highest earning person at LightHouse, at least according to the filing, was Bryan Bashin, with $220,558. For 2022, Bashin made $334,723. NOTE: Bashin is listed as “Former CEO” on the 2023 tax form, having left LightHouse on September 1, 2022, so it looks like he was still collecting a huge paycheck in 2023. Furthermore, his 2022 compensation would have been higher if he stayed until the end of the year. 

• The current CEO, Sharon Giovinazzo, oddly listed $52,975 for 2023, but she wasn’t included in the 2022 filing even though she officially joined LightHouse in October 2022. Seems dubious, given that she had told employees she made over $300,000 in 2023.

• HR (and the one seemingly eager to fire and upend the life of a blind, visually impaired, DeafBlind or Deaf worker who dares to speak up) is not listed in the 2022 and 2023 tax records, even though she joined LightHouse in October 2022. Instead, her predecessor, Mario Burton, appears in both 2022 and 2023 records: $163,157 and $114,393, respectively. Is Lee hiding something? Or is LightHouse trying to deceive the public into thinking Burton wasn’t pushed out in late August 2022 for disclosing to employees management misconduct? 

• The revenue for 2022 was $18.3 million, and expenses $18.5 million (net -$165k). 2023 revenue: $22.1 million, and expenses $23.8 million (net -$1.7 million.)

• LightHouse put $1,200 as rent income for 2022 and $1,300 for 2023 tax filings. But we know they leased the 8 floors of the organization’s downtown San Francisco building to the city for millions, according to The Real Deal.  

• Total executive compensation for 2022 was $1,216,293, while it was $1,501,499 for 2023 (that is nearly double the $832,853 the Federal Communications Commission gave LightHouse for fiscal year 2024-2025 for iCanConnect  covering all of CA.)

• 2022 total liabilities: $51.8 million. For 2023: $60.9 million. 

Context

1. According to @CBS, the US Vice President’s salary is $235,100.

2. The second highest earning person in the US government (after the President) is the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court: $300,000.

3. According to the Congressional Research Service, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives earns $223,500, while the Majority Leader of the US Senate makes $193,400.

Additional notes

The records show the salaries of various directors. But, in addition to Lee, one notable omission is the Chief of Staff. Additionally, Diana McCown joined LightHouse in September 2023 as the Chief of Rehabilitation and Clinical Services, but she is not mentioned in the 2023 information return, which was filed on August 16, 2024.

As the financial data shows, the people who benefit the most from LightHouse’s revenue are the few top executives such as the CEO, COO and CFO. We should note that the total executive compensation for 2023 does not include the full salary of the CEO, Lee, and several other key employees. It is also worth mentioning that LightHouse relies on hundreds of volunteers to provide services.

We cannot say that despite the damage done to LightHouse by the top executives by abusing power, getting comfortable in the habit of shameless lying, and maintaining a highly toxic work culture, the LightHouse Board should be rewarding management with huge compensations. If the executives had managed the organization with honesty and integrity, practiced transparency, and meaningfully responded to the needs of the people LightHouse serves, consistent with the organization’s core values, they would have deserved fair compensation.