Nonprofit · EIN 95-1641426
BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC
Tax-exempt · LOS ANGELES, CA 90029
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2025 | 990 | $83,635,133 | $29,987,571 | $53,647,562 | $311,341,920 | $5,318,880 | $306,023,040 |
| June 30, 2024 | 990 | $34,154,981 | $25,302,773 | $8,852,208 | $296,457,223 | $5,725,011 | $290,732,212 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $10,512,290
- of which government grants
- $247,500
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $69,200,289
- Royalties
- $3,315,449
- Net rental income
- $267,257
- Net gain from sales of assets
- $63,274,730
- Other revenue
- $3,922,554
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $1,886,297
- Other salaries and wages
- $14,090,081
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $19,446,067
- Professional fundraising fees
- $1,340,325
- Legal fees
- $106,962
- Accounting fees
- $122,256
- Occupancy
- $2,016,084
- Depreciation
- $1,200,190
- Program services (functional)
- $21,516,098
- Management and general (functional)
- $4,304,561
- Fundraising (functional)
- $4,166,912
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $296,457,223
- Total assets, end of year
- $311,341,920
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $5,318,880
- Net assets, end of year
- $306,023,040
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $23,497,201
- Publicly traded securities
- $280,843,194
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $255,437,197
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $50,585,843
- Gross unrelated business income
- $10,405
- Gross receipts
- $227,494,033
- Employees
- 220
- Volunteers
- 1,405
- Year formed
- 1961
- State of legal domicile
- CA
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES D KALES | CEO Officer | 38 | $426,599 | $42,514 |
| DEBRA MARTIN | CFO Officer | 38 | $350,104 | $23,785 |
| ANTHONY TAKETA | SECRETARY Officer | 38 | $250,835 | $24,507 |
| SANDY SHIN | VP MARKETING & COMMUN. Highest-paid employee | 38 | $237,936 | $33,386 |
| GARY JIMENEZ | VP DEVELOPMENT Key employee | 38 | $245,079 | $23,998 |
| WILLIAM NELSON | VP PEOPLE AND CULTURE Key employee | 38 | $238,048 | $26,902 |
| LISA JIMENEZ | VP PROGRAM & SERV. Highest-paid employee | 38 | $212,103 | $18,945 |
| MARIA VALDIVIA | VP TECHNOLOGY Highest-paid employee | 38 | $203,187 | $21,153 |
| DHAVAL SHAH | DIRECTOR OF IT Highest-paid employee | 38 | $161,714 | $21,765 |
| JAMIE AUNG | CONTROLLER Highest-paid employee | 38 | $158,012 | $17,200 |
| SERGIO OLIVA ALFARO | VP PROGRAM & SERV. (THRU 1/24) Former | 38 | $147,244 | $1,255 |
| DIANE WILKINSON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| DONALD WHINFREY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| GEORGE E THOMAS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| HARVEY STRODE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
14 more people on this return
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES H JACKSON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| JAMES J RHODES | CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| JEANNE OLENICOFF | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| JOHN G NUANES | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| LESTER M SUSSMAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| LINDA A LAM | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MADHU AYYAGARI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MICHAEL C CORLEY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| PATRICIA BRAMHALL | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| PERCY DURAN III | DIRECTOR (THRU 07/24) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| WILLIAM J LINK | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| RUSSEL HARDER | DIRECTOR (AS OF 09/24) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| ROBERTO MEDRANO | DIRECTOR (AS OF 06/25) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| EFFIE D SILVA | DIRECTOR (AS 05/25) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended June 30, 2024: 28 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAMES KALES | PRESIDENT Officer | 38 | $403,465 | $64,070 |
| ANTHONY TAKETA | SECRETARY Officer | 38 | $242,431 | $32,029 |
| GARY JIMENEZ | VP DEVELOPMENT Key employee | 38 | $236,529 | $30,967 |
| SANDY SHIN | VP MARKETING & COMMUN. Highest-paid employee | 38 | $188,882 | $61,617 |
| LISA JIMENZ | VP PROGRAM & SERV. Key employee | 38 | $186,452 | $24,507 |
| SERGIO OLIVA ALFARO | VP PROGRAM & SERV. Key employee | 38 | $182,614 | $22,612 |
| MARIA VALDIVIA | VP TECHNOLOGY Highest-paid employee | 38 | $177,741 | $24,060 |
| DHAVAL SHAH | DIRECTOR OF IT Highest-paid employee | 38 | $146,286 | $33,485 |
| JAMIE AUNG | CONTROLLER Highest-paid employee | 38 | $151,516 | $19,626 |
| KIRSTEN JASNA | DIR. OF DEVELOPMENT Highest-paid employee | 38 | $141,527 | $22,657 |
| DEBRA MARTIN | CFO Officer | 38 | $149,753 | $6,616 |
| REZAUR RAHMAN | FORMER CFO Former | 0 | $123,855 | $8,653 |
| DIANE WILKINSON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| DONALD WHINFREY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| GEORGE E THOMAS | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| HARVEY STRODE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JAMES H JACKSON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JAMES J RHODES | CHAIRMAN Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JEANNE OLENICOFF | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| JOHN G NUANES | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| LESTER M SUSSMAN | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| LINDA A LAM | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| MADHU AYYAGARI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| MICHAEL C CORLEY | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| PATRICIA BRAMHALL | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| PERCY DURAN III | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| RICHARD NELSON | DIRECTOR (UNTIL 1/2024) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| WILLIAM J LINK | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 741 N VERMONT AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90029-3514
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- JAMES P KALES, 741 N VERMONT AVENUE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90029
- Signed the 990
- DEBRA MARTIN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
- Phone
- (323) 663-1111
- Website
- WWW.BRAILLEINSTITUTE.ORG
- Return prepared by
- GRANT THORNTON ADVISORS LLC
California records
California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 95-1641426 or by the name BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC.
- Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
- Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)
- Secretary of State, bizfile Online
- Corporation status, entity number, agent for service
- Franchise Tax Board
- Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)
Mission
To positively transform the lives of those with vision loss. (See Schedule O)
Program accomplishments
- (SEE SCHEDULE O)A. Through BIA's Educational Services, 2,186 adults, ages 18 and older, participated in more than 82,000 hours of group classes in two core areas: 1) Daily Living Skills, which teaches adaptive techniques for completing everyday tasks that are critical to staying independent and maintaining quality of life, and 2) Arts & Healthy Living classes, which support emotional and mental well-being. These include classes on topics such as exercise, art, fall prevention, diabetic management, book clubs, discussion groups, and more. 2,800 individuals (including BIA students, low vision professionals, and other community members) attended a variety of seminars, workshops, and professional trainings. Independent Living Skills Instructors provided one-on-one instruction to 347 adults on adaptive techniques for completing routine tasks in the home on their own.B. BIA's Youth Program helped 106 young people (ages 7-19) cultivate self-confidence, independence, and set goals for the future.C. BIA's Child Development program for blind and visually impaired children (ages birth to 6) provided one-on-one services to 213 children and their families.D. BIA's Low Vision Occupational Therapists provided 11,239 one-on-one low vision consultations to 2,800 adults.E. BIA's Orientation and Mobility Specialists provided 4,045 one-on-one training sessions to 909 adults on how to prevent falls and safely navigate their environment using a white cane and sensory awareness.F. BIA's Access Technology staff provided 3,572 one-on-one training sessions in the use of mainstream devices with adaptive features and specialized technologies designed for people with a vision impairment to 1,412 students.Expenses $14,875,614
- (SEE SCHEDULE O)BIA's award-winning Library is the official Southern California branch of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, a division of the Library of Congress. With a collection of more than 170,000 titles in digital cartridge and braille formats, the Library is BIA's most used service, with 7,886 patrons receiving books and other support. In addition to checking out 792,972 books, Library patrons received one-on-one and group training in the use of accessible reading technologies, and BIA hosted a variety of clubs, classes, and other events. BIA's comprehensive Library services are available through the main library in our Los Angeles headquarters and through our six centers (Anaheim, Coachella Valley, Laguna Hills, Riverside, San Diego, and Santa Barbara) and through partner institutions.Expenses $3,637,219
- (SEE SCHEDULE O)A. BIA's Special Collection produced and distributed 1,478 "Dots for Tots" braille storybook kits (for children ages 0-6) free to subscribers.B. BIA's award-winning national Braille Challenge competition, which tests braille competency skills, reached 1,320 students in grades 1-12 across more than 50 media markets in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.C. BIA's national orientation and mobility competition, Cane Quest, reached 378 students in grades 3-12.Expenses $3,003,265
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in June, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | June 30, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | Not due yet |
| 2024 | June 30, 2025 | November 17, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | June 30, 2024 | November 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 95-1641426
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 1963
- Accounting year ends
- June
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Human services (P860)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $311,341,920
- Income (IRS master file)
- $227,494,033
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | June 2025 | $83,635,133 | $29,987,571 | $311,341,920 | XML |
| 990-T | June 2025 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2024 | $34,154,981 | $25,302,773 | $296,457,223 | XML |
| 990 | June 2023 | $29,582,081 | $23,614,561 | $267,484,419 | IRS |
| 990 | June 2022 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | June 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 95-1641426).
Questions about BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC
- What is the EIN of BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC is 95-1641426.
- Is BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1963.
- Are donations to BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending June 30, 2026) is due November 16, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended June 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 names JAMES P KALES.
- Who are the officers and directors of BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC?
- The 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 lists 29 people; 11 received compensation from the organization, the highest $426,599 (JAMES D KALES, CEO).
- How much revenue does BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA INC have?
- On its 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $83,635,133, expenses of $29,987,571 and total assets of $311,341,920 at year end.
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