Awarded Grants
Search & Filter Awarded GrantsFreedom Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.
Cassville, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Started by husband and wife team, Eric & Sharon Loori, over 25 years ago, they run a state-of-the-art kennel facility with all the amenities to make guide dogs as comfortable as possible, and structured for training staff.
Purpose of the Grant
To provide general operating support for Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind, the Northeast’s lowest-cost provider of guide dogs for people who are blind.
Amount
$216,000Term
24 MonthsGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State AreaFUNDAL
Mixco, GuatemalaAbout the Grantee
FUNDAL acts as a bridge to inclusion for students with deafblindness, visual and other impairments who need more specialized intervention in the beginning and then need support in the transition to mainstream education.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the “Forging Paths towards Inclusion and Sustainability” project.
Amount
$399,000Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
International, Latin America & CaribbeanHadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Winnetka, IL, USAAbout the Grantee
The mission of Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired is to create personalized learning opportunities that empower people to thrive – at home, at work and in their communities.
Purpose of the Grant
To support development of its new tactile braille workshop series, Braille for Everyday Use.
Amount
$225,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateHelen Keller International
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Founded in 1915, Helen Keller International is dedicated to saving and improving the sight and lives of the world’s vulnerable by combating the causes and consequences of blindness, poor health and malnutrition.
Purpose of the Grant
To initiate the third phase of its “Scaling up Diabetic Retinopathy Services in Bangladesh” (SDRSIII) project.
Amount
$648,069Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
Asia (Outside South Asia), InternationalHelen Keller Services
Brooklyn, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Since 1893, Helen Keller Services (HKS) has been committed to improving the lives of individuals who are blind, visually impaired or have combined hearing and vision loss.
Purpose of the Grant
In support of the “Feeling Through” curriculum development project which plans to take advantage of and build on the enormous popularity of the “Feeling Through” Academy-award nominated short film, to build a robust, already-in demand professional training curriculum.
Amount
$347,580Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
InternationalHimalayan Cataract Project
Waterbury, VT, USAAbout the Grantee
The Himalayan Cataract Project works to eradicate preventable and curable blindness in the developing world.
Purpose of the Grant
To cover equipment costs for the Community Eye Hospital currently under construction in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
Amount
$70,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
International, South AsiaLavelle School for the Blind
Bronx, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Located in Bronx, New York, the Lavelle School for the Blind is a multi-cultural educational institution committed to teaching and training students with visual impairments and additional disabilities. Founded in 1904, Lavelle School for the Blind was originally a Catholic institution, based on the Catholic tradition and the compassion and dedication of the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt.
As a private, state approved and supported institution, Lavelle School for the Blind educates approximately 150 enrolled students annually from all five New York City boroughs as well as surrounding school districts outside of New York City. Students may enroll as early as age 3 and can continue until age 21.
Purpose of the Grant
For support of the School’s gala.
Amount
$5,000Term
1 monthGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State Area, NYC Metro AreaLavelle School for the Blind
Bronx, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Located in Bronx, New York, the Lavelle School for the Blind is a multi-cultural educational institution committed to teaching and training students with visual impairments and additional disabilities. Founded in 1904, Lavelle School for the Blind was originally a Catholic institution, based on the Catholic tradition and the compassion and dedication of the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt.
As a private, state approved and supported institution, Lavelle School for the Blind educates approximately 150 enrolled students annually from all five New York City boroughs as well as surrounding school districts outside of New York City. Students may enroll as early as age 3 and can continue until age 21.
Purpose of the Grant
To provide discretionary funds which will enable the School’s Executive Director to explore and expand services offered at the School, examples of which were provided in the grant request dated April 5, 2021.
Amount
$50,000Term
12 monthGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State Area, NYC Metro AreaLavelle School for the Blind
Bronx, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Located in Bronx, New York, the Lavelle School for the Blind is a multi-cultural educational institution committed to teaching and training students with visual impairments and additional disabilities. Founded in 1904, Lavelle School for the Blind was originally a Catholic institution, based on the Catholic tradition and the compassion and dedication of the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt.
As a private, state approved and supported institution, Lavelle School for the Blind educates approximately 150 enrolled students annually from all five New York City boroughs as well as surrounding school districts outside of New York City. Students may enroll as early as age 3 and can continue until age 21.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the Lavelle School Fire Alarm Project.
Amount
$240,000Term
12 monthGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State Area, NYC Metro AreaLutheran Braille Workers, Inc.
Yucaipa, CAAbout the Grantee
In its 78-year history, LBW has produced and distributed over 14 million volumes of the Bible and other Christian resources to blind and visually impaired people in 164 countries.
Purpose of the Grant
For the purchase of a new Braillo digital braille embossing printer and a new internal kit to upgrade the existing Braillo printer at its Southern California headquarters.
Amount
$99,254Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
International, Latin America & CaribbeanNew York Public Library
New York, NYAbout the Grantee
The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library provides free accessible reading material for patrons who are blind, visually impaired, or are otherwise physically unable to read standard print. Heiskell Library offers materials to borrow in a wide range of formats, including braille, talking books, and magazines, for users of all ages, as well as players and apps. Patrons can also find accessible programming and events, individual coaching in assistive technology, group tech workshops, braille study groups, and more.
Purpose of the Grant
For four months of bridge funding for the Heiskell Library’s “Translating Access” project.
Amount
$12,774Term
4 monthsGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State Area, NYC Metro AreaNortheastern Association of the Blind at Albany
Albany, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
NABA provides a wide range of services to individuals with visual impairments, including training and placing legally blind adults in professional employment, and providing rehabilitation services to seniors with age-related vision loss. NABA, with over a century of experience, continues to help individuals overcome the challenges of vision loss, enabling them to lead more productive, independent lives. NABA also provides free vision screening for children 18 months to 4 years old through our KidSight Program.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the Lower Hudson Valley project.
Amount
$10,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State Area, Upstate NYOur Space Our Place, Inc.
Boston, MAAbout the Grantee
Our Space Our Place, Inc. prepares blind youth for their future as productive and successful adults by promoting their self-confidence, determination and social and independent living skills through activities which support self-exploration, social integration and the investigation of college and career opportunities.
Purpose of the Grant
For Our Space Our Place programming for the 2021 – 2022 school year.
Amount
$10,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
Out of Tri-State AreaPerkins School for the Blind
Watertown, MA, USAAbout the Grantee
Perkins is a progressive, multi-faceted organization committed to improving the lives of people with blindness and deafblindness all around the world.
Purpose of the Grant
To support scholarships for four special education teachers from Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Guatemala) to participate in the Perkins Educational Leadership Program (ELP) for advanced training in the education of blind children with multiple disabilities, program development and leadership.
Amount
$200,000Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
International, Latin America & CaribbeanRutgers University Foundation
Brunswick, NJ, USAAbout the Grantee
Created in 1973, the Rutgers University Foundation advances Rutgers’ pursuit of excellence in education, research, and public service. The foundation provide sthe bridge between donors and the schools and programs, faculty, and students that make up this university to help to match caring people with satisfying and meaningful opportunities to make gifts that have an impact on Rutgers.
Purpose of the Grant
To continue support of the Eye2Eye Peer Support Program for Individuals and Families Coping with Vision Loss.
Amount
$387,514Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateSafe Toddles
New York, NYAbout the Grantee
Safe Toddles’ mission is to provide the first effective system of detecting clear/unclear paths for babies born with mobility visual impairment and blindness (MVI/B) learning to walk and explore with growing confidence
Purpose of the Grant
To support a research study designed to determine the efficacy of the Pediatric Belt Cane (PBC) designed by Dr. Grace Ambrose-Zaken to improve independent walking in learners aged five and younger with visual impairments.
Amount
$335,544Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateSense Internacional Perú
Lima, PeruAbout the Grantee
Sense Internacional Perú works in cooperation with families, professionals, public and private associations and institutions in order to promote the rights and access of people with deafblindness and multiple disabilities to opportunities, services and specialized programs.
Purpose of the Grant
In partnership with the Ministry of Education, to improve the quality of inclusive education for children with deafblindness in Peru.
Amount
$69,566Term
24Grant Regions
International, Latin America & CaribbeanThe Carroll Center for the Blind
Newton, MAAbout the Grantee
Established in 1936, the Carroll Center for the Blind is known nationally as a premier vision rehabilitation center and serves over 4,000 clients annually.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the Carroll Center for the Blind’s (CCB) year-round internship program for VRT’s, TVIs, certified O&M specialists (COMS) and social workers who are interested in working with individuals with visual impairments.
Amount
$214,514Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateThe Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School
New York, NYAbout the Grantee
A celebrated community music school with 100 students ranging in age from five to ninety-five, The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School (‘FMDG’) Music School, is dedicated to helping people pursue music in the context of living with challenges posed by vision loss. Since its inception in 1913, the FMDG Music School has consistently proven valuable to individuals with vision loss because of its core mission of providing accessibility, fostering inclusion and adhering to standards of excellence in the world of music education, performance, technology and teacher training. It is the only community music school with a comprehensive, sequential music curriculum in the United States.
Purpose of the Grant
To provide general support for the Grantee.
Amount
$150,000Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateThe Fred Hollows Foundation USA
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
The Fred Hollows Foundation is committed to tackling the causes of blindness and vision loss in the developing world and growing their movement to end avoidable blindness.
Purpose of the Grant
To support Alina Vision Vietnam’s provision of free and subsidized cataract surgeries for 500 low-income patients in the Greater Hanoi, Vietnam area – and so also to advance the program towards break-even, sliding-scale fee revenue.
Amount
$200,000Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
Asia (Outside South Asia), InternationalThe Research Foundation for SUNY
Brockport, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
The Research Foundation works with the academic and business leadership of campuses to support research and discovery at SUNY through efficient and skillful administration of sponsored projects and adept transfer and sharing of intellectual property for public benefit and economic growth.
Purpose of the Grant
In support of Dr. Lauren Lieberman’s project to develop trainings and training materials for parents, teachers and paraeducators designed to teach physical activity to children with visual impairments and other disabilities.
Amount
$319,845Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State Area, Upstate NYUniversity of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PAAbout the Grantee
The University of Pittsburgh will host the forum in conjunction with the Personnel Preparation Division of the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
Purpose of the Grant
For the hosting of a forum focused on increasing and diversifying the professional TVI, O&M, and VRT pipeline.
Amount
$4,970Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateVIA
Buffalo, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
VIA aims to help people who are blind or visually impaired achieve their highest level of independence.
Purpose of the Grant
For critical capital improvements to VIA’s physical facilities in Buffalo, NY.
Amount
$50,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYVISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Started by six women in 1926 and pioneered racially integrated programs in the early 1920’s,VISIONS is a 501c3 nonprofit rehabilitation and social service agency celebrating over 90 years of service, assisting people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired to lead independent and active lives in their homes and communities, and educating the public to understand the capabilities and needs of people who are blind or visually impaired so that they may be integrated into all aspects of community life.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the Lower Hudson Valley project.