Awarded Grants
Search & Filter Awarded GrantsMy Blind Spot, Inc.
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
My Blind Spot aims to inspire accessibility for people of ALL abilities and to provide outreach, advocacy, education and services by promoting an inclusive culture and accessible digital infrastructure to ensure equal access to employment, education, recreation, and independent living opportunities for people with disabilities.
Purpose of the Grant
To advance the employability and financial success of 30 New York City area small business owners, accounting and financial professionals, and job aspirants who are blind by training them to use My Blind Spot’s accessible version of QuickBooks™ accounting software
Amount
$59,774Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro 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
(1) To build the capacity of Perkins’s Resource Center in Cordoba, Argentina to strengthen the practice of K-12 teachers and schools that serve children who are blind and multiply disabled in targeted Spanish-speaking South American countries and (2) to help stabilize and strengthen the financial management of three model schools for such children in Sao Paulo, Brazil (Ahimsa and ADEFAV) and Lima, Peru (Helen Keller Association – Peru)
Amount
$330,062Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
International, Latin America & CaribbeanSeva Foundation
Berkeley, CA, USAAbout the Grantee
Seva works with local communities around the world to develop self-sustaining programs that preserve and restore sight.
Purpose of the Grant
To build eye care capacity and service volume in the Seva Foundation’s Eastern Nepal eye care network
Amount
$405,000Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
International, South AsiaThe CRUDEM Foundation, Inc.
St. Ludlow, MA, USAAbout the Grantee
At CRUDEM and Hôpital Sacré Coeur, they aim toward a higher calling with a vision for a better world, to exemplify their Christian heritage of service and compassion by:
- Providing accessible quality health care,
- Embracing all people in need regardless of their
religion, economic status or medical condition, - Responding with faith, integrity, respect
and excellence, - Meeting others with an open heart and open mind, calling forth the self-empowerment of the people and communities we serve, and
- Upholding, at all times, and in all endeavors, the inherent dignity of every individual.
Purpose of the Grant
To help the Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti launch and sustainably operate full-time eye care service
Amount
$94,395Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
International, Latin America & CaribbeanVIA
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
To increase VIA’s financial sustainability and generate permanent jobs for people who are blind by partnering with the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired to win preferred-source government contracts and business contracts for both manufactured goods and contact center services
Amount
$655,000Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro AreaVISIONS/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 provide, each year, job preparation and placement services to between 15 and 30 incumbent Lavelle – Brother Kearney Scholars interested in obtaining permanent paid jobs in New York City
Amount
$418,365Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro AreaAmerican Foundation for the Blind
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
The mission of the American Foundation for the Blind is to create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired. We mobilize leaders, advance understanding, and champion impactful policies and practices using research and data.
Purpose of the Grant
To sustain AFB’s FamilyConnect® online information service for American families with children who are blind and visually impaired, strengthen and expand the program’s partnership with the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments and its parent organization (Lighthouse Guild International), and hire an independent evaluator to assess program services and outreach and recommend needed program improvements
Amount
$205,500Term
18 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateBrother James Kearney Scholarship Program
Multiple LocationsAbout the Grantee
The Brother James Kearney Scholarship Program for the Blind (formerly, the Lavelle Fund College Scholarship Program) aims to help make quality undergraduate and graduate education affordable for U.S. residents who are legally blind, financially needy, and attending any of 12 selected private colleges in New York State, Northeastern New Jersey, and Southwestern Connecticut. The program is currently authorized to admit new students through June 30, 2019.
Purpose of the Grant
To provide financial assistance to U.S. residents who are legally blind, financially needed, and studying at any of 12 partnering private colleges and universities located in New York State, Northeastern New Jersey, and Southwestern Connecticut (Phase 3)
Amount
$281,949Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State AreaCatholic Charities Community Services
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Since 1917, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York has been supporting New Yorkers in need by
- Protecting & Nurturing Children & Youth
- Feeding the Hungry & Sheltering the Homeless
- Strengthening Families & Resolving Crises
- Supporting the Physically & Emotionally Challenged
- Welcoming & Integrating Immigrants & Refugees
Purpose of the Grant
To expand the Catholic Guild for the Blind’s outreach and independent living skills training for seniors who are blind and reside in one of three target Lower Hudson Valley counties.
Amount
$215,633Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYCentral Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Utica, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
CABVI operates as a not-for-profit agency that serves people who are blind or visually impaired, from newborns to the elderly, offering comprehensive vision rehabilitation, employment and technology services personally tailored to meet an individual’s needs.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the expansion of the Dwyer Avenue warehouse
Amount
$139,044Term
60 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYCentral Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Utica, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
CABVI operates as a not-for-profit agency that serves people who are blind or visually impaired, from newborns to the elderly, offering comprehensive vision rehabilitation, employment and technology services personally tailored to meet an individual’s needs.
Purpose of the Grant
To help finance the building of an approximately $1.25 million warehouse extension that will facilitate the employment of more workers who are blind.
Amount
$300,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYHadley School for the Blind
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 the updating of key distance-learning braille courses to comply with the Unified English Braille Code: the new code that, beginning in 2016, will set the standard for all braille writing in the U.S.
Amount
$100,000Term
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 support Helen Keller International’s ChildSight® Program in (1) continuing to provide free vision screenings and examinations, prescription eyeglasses, and needed referrals to advanced eye care to students in public and parochial middle schools located in low-income neighborhoods of New York City, together with at-risk students in NYC’s alternative high schools, and (2) purchasing new optical equipment to replace old and worn equipment and implementing an electronic data collection system to record all clinical data and drive enhanced service efficiency
Amount
$1,500,000Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro AreaHelen 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 help support the purchase and implementation of a comprehensive agency-wide Enterprise Resource Planning management information system (“ERP”).
Amount
$250,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
International, South AsiaHelen 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
To underwrite the hiring of an Outreach Coordinator who will identify a combined total of 125 working-age New Yorkers who are blind and underserved and refer them to the agency’s Rehabilitation Department for employment and other rehabilitation services
Amount
$320,381Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro AreaHelen 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
To provide supervised, paid internships, adaptive job training, and job placement and support services to 9-12 working-age adults who are deafblind
Amount
$391,662Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateInternational Eye Foundation
Kensington, MD, USAAbout the Grantee
IEF’s mission is to eliminate preventable and treatable blindness by increasing affordability and access to quality comprehensive and sustainable eye care services worldwide., changing how eye care is delivered and changing systems at eye hospitals and clinics to provide quality eye care in an efficient, productive, and sustainable manner.
Purpose of the Grant
To match, dollar-for-dollar, a Rotary International challenge grant supporting the International Eye Foundation and local partner Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital in building quality, sustainable eye care capacity in the suburbs of New Delhi, India
Amount
$200,000Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
International, South AsiaInternational Eye Foundation
Kensington, MD, USAAbout the Grantee
IEF’s mission is to eliminate preventable and treatable blindness by increasing affordability and access to quality comprehensive and sustainable eye care services worldwide., changing how eye care is delivered and changing systems at eye hospitals and clinics to provide quality eye care in an efficient, productive, and sustainable manner.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the International Eye Foundation (IEF) and its Lima, Peru-based partner, the Clinica Divino Nino Jesus (DNJ), in building, equipping, and operationally launching a DNJ satellite eye clinic in Loreto, Peru
Amount
$235,614Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
International, Latin America & CaribbeanL.V. Prasad Eye Institute of the Indo-American Eye Care Society
Rochester, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Established in 1987, L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) is a comprehensive eye health facility with its main campus located in Hyderabad, India. A World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness, the Institute offers comprehensive patient care, sight enhancement and rehabilitation services and high-impact rural eye health programs. It also pursues cutting edge research and offers training in human resources for all levels of ophthalmic personnel.
Purpose of the Grant
To build the sustainable capacity of 30 L.V. Prasad Vision Centers in the Indian state of Telangana: (1) to screen the vision of 960,000 children ages 0-16 in the centers’ respective catchment areas and (2) to provide prescription eyeglasses, advanced eye care, and low vision and rehabilitation services to those children as needed
Amount
$743,146Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
International, South AsiaNational Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments, Inc.
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Lighthouse Guild is the leading not-for-profit vision + healthcare organization, with a long-standing heritage of addressing the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities or chronic medical conditions.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the continued operation of the New York City chapter of the National Association of Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI) and the building of a sustainable NAPVI-New Jersey chapter at the St. Joseph’s School for the Blind in Jersey City, NJ
Amount
$447,090Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro AreaOrbis International
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Orbis International is an NGO that brings people together to fight avoidable blindness through a network of partners to mentor, train and inspire local teams to fight blindness in their own communities.
Purpose of the Grant
To reduce avoidable blindness and vision impairment among children in West Bengal by increasing the availability, accessibility, and sustainability of pediatric eye care services throughout the Susrut Eye Foundation’s eye care system
Amount
$543,750Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
International, South AsiaRenew International
Plainfield, NJ, USAAbout the Grantee
RENEW International has over a 30-year record in revitalizing parish life in more than 150 dioceses in the United States, touching the lives of 25 million people through its ministry services. RENEW International has also reached many thousands outside the United States, having served people in 23 countries, across six continents and in 44 languages and dialects.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the formatting, proofreading, printing, and promotion of large-print materials for visually impaired participants in a new RENEW faith-formation program entitled, “Be My Witness”
Amount
$30,000Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateThe Priory in the USA of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem
Washington, D.C., USAAbout the Grantee
The Order of St John is and has always been apolitical, and its work furthers the cause of peace in the Middle East. In a land where ethnic and religious divisions still fester and the situation changes daily, The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group has made real the ideal of peoples united, not divided, by their faiths. Inspired by Christian ideals, the hospital treats mostly Muslim patients with the help of many Jewish physicians who assist in training.
For many years the Hospital Group battled trachoma, a disease that once regularly blinded thousands and still reappears occasionally. The Hospital Group has always dealt with traumatic injuries to the eyes, whether as the result of industrial or domestic accidents or violence. It also treats inherited diseases, such as the congenital cataracts common in the Palestinian community, as well as all other diseases of the eye, from amblyopia to glaucoma.
Purpose of the Grant
To purchase the phaco-emulsification machine needed to open a second operating theater at St. John’s new eye clinic in the Gaza Strip, thereby facilitating the delivery of 400 additional cataract surgeries per annum (starting in 2015-16)
Amount
$120,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
Asia (Outside South Asia), InternationalUNRWA USA
Washington, D.C., USAAbout the Grantee
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States. UNRWA also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations, which is used mostly for international staffing costs.
The Agency’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict.
Purpose of the Grant
To ensure that approximately 7,000 refugee children will be provided with glasses annually