Amy Wurf
When modern vision services began in America, this vital work was done for little-to-no pay. Performed mostly by women who themselves were blind or low vision, it was seen more as mutual aid than as a true “profession.” These workers were often paid just $1 per day (or around $38 per day in today’s money).
We’ve grown a lot as a society over the past 100 years, and today those who perform vision services, like our team at the Council, are highly trained professionals. Yet to some, there is still a perception that these services should be performed for free. The Council will never turn away a client due to their inability to pay. But there are costs involved in providing these services. That’s why we ask those who are able to pay to do so. While those fees do not cover the full cost of our services, they enable us to continue serving all clients regardless of their financial situation.
Like for-profit corporations, nonprofits have many overhead expenses. Last year, our total expenses came out to over $1.6 million! That includes things like building upkeep, utilities, office supplies, staff salaries and everything else an organization needs to operate.
The vision services professionals at the Council are all highly trained and certified, and the skills they have acquired required a significant financial investment. Members of our vision services team have all earned a Master’s degree or the equivalent, and they must pursue continuing education to retain their certification. Nonprofit workers earn less than their counterparts with similar qualifications in other sectors. The vision services professionals at the Council choose to work for a nonprofit organization despite the pay gap because they know they are making a difference. The Council honors that commitment by offering competitive salaries.
Also, the Council is not just made up of vision services professionals. Our staff includes our development team that seeks grants and donors to keep our doors open; a communications team to spread the word of the Council; and an administrative team that helps our day-to-day operations run smoothly. Every member of the staff deserves a competitive salary. After our staff is paid, administrative and insurance costs are taken care of, and all other expenses we might encounter are addressed, any remaining funds are tucked away to ensure the Council can stay afloat in the event of unexpected reductions in our revenue.
Despite the vital nature of our work, the vision services provided by the Council are not covered by Medicaid, Medicare or most private insurances. The state’s Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired (OBVI) does not directly charge their clients for vision services, but they receive funding from the federal government, along with a 10% match from the state, to serve Wisconsin residents. So while clients are not paying for OBVI services directly, taxpayer dollars are covering the cost. Since the Council does not receive government funding, we rely on grants and donations to cover most of our costs. But those funding sources alone are not enough to pay all our bills.
The Council works hard to keep our costs down. We use a sliding fee scale to accommodate clients with a limited income. In the Sharper Vision Store, we keep our profit margins significantly smaller than the average for retail stores. This lets us sell items for the lowest possible price to anyone who walks through our doors while still helping to cover administrative costs. Additionally, the store carries some used or donated items for sale at a significantly lower price.
Sometimes, a client will donate unused equipment to the Council when they are unable to pay for services. A few months back, a member of our vision services team met with a woman who was seeking services. While she was unable to pay for these services directly, she had several magnifiers that no longer suited her level of vision loss, and she donated them to the Council. She recognized that it costs the Council money to provide services and knew she could help the Council serve others in need by donating these magnifiers in lieu of payment.
We understand that many of the Council’s expenses are invisible to our clients. We hope that everyone can recognize the value of our services. It’s impossible put a price tag on the independence our services promote, but there is still a cost to the Council for providing these services. We appreciate everyone who supports the Council in whatever way that they can.