Awarded Grants
Search & Filter Awarded GrantsThe 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
For the Music Transcription project.
Amount
$10,000Term
7 monthGrant Regions
NYC Metro AreaThe 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
$50,000Term
12 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
To support a comprehensive needs assessment initiative for blind or visually impaired students with other disabilities, to be conducted under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Lieberman.
Amount
$67,693Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYVIA
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 (1) implement the Lavelle-BENNY Initiative in VIA’s Western New York catchment area, using new employer-partnership strategies to increase the number of working-age adults who are blind that are placed in competitive paid jobs, and (2) underwrite the Master’s-level education of an incumbent VIA staff member as an Orientation and Mobility trainer who can prepare newly placed workers to commute safely to and from work.
Amount
$2,000Term
2 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro Area, 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 build, deliver, and sustain: (1) comprehensive vision rehabilitation and low vision services for consumers of all ages who are blind and visually impaired in Westchester County and (2) assistive technology and residential (only) vision rehabilitation services for eligible residents of all Lower Hudson Valley counties.
Amount
$525,000Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State 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
In support of the Lavelle Scholars Assistance Program providing job preparation and placement services to Lavelle Brother Kearney Scholars interested in obtaining permanent paid employment in fields corresponding to their degrees, experience, interest and expertise.
Amount
$483,390Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State AreaAmerican Printing House for the Blind
Louisville, KY, USAAbout the Grantee
The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is the world’s largest nonprofit organization creating educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are visually impaired.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the further development and operation of the FamilyConnect Information & Referral website within APH’s national ConnectCenter: a center offering a consolidated mix of expertly moderated I & R websites, a 1-800 phone service, and a national data base of services for people who are blind – all for the purposes of connecting blind/v.i. Americans of all ages with needed services, expert guidance, and peer support.
Amount
$350,000Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateAravind Eye Foundation
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
The Aravind Eye Foundation, formerly the Friends of Aravind, was founded in 2000 to support the Aravind Eye Care System in its mission to eliminate needless blindness and spread Aravind’s sustainable model of high-quality, patient-centric healthcare throughout the world.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO) in: (1) building LAICO’s capacity to provide standardized, modularized trainings in six specific organizational functions (e.g., outreach services, vision center development and operations) and (2) helping 60 three-person teams from existing South Asian eye hospitals to lead their respective hospitals in strengthening one of these competency areas.
Amount
$607,758Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
International, South AsiaCentral 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 expand awareness and utilization of the agency’s vision rehabilitation and health and wellness services among Central New York residents who are blind and visually impaired.
Amount
$268,506Term
24 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYChristian Blind Mission (USA)
Washington, DC, USAAbout the Grantee
Christian Blind Mission International, Inc. is committed to the education and rehabilitation of persons with visual impairment and disabilities. The organization provides sight preventing NTD treatments to 61 million and serves about 10 million disabled people worldwide.
Purpose of the Grant
To partner with the University of Cape Town to provide simulation-based surgical training in cataract and/or glaucoma surgery for a total of 28 sub-Saharan African ophthalmologists and ophthalmic clinical officers – and also to educate two sub-Saharan ophthalmologists as trainers of future eye surgeons.
Amount
$102,500Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
Africa, InternationalCommunity Health Care Association of New York State
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Established to give a voice to the state’s network of community health centers as leading providers of primary care, the Community Health Care Association of New York State’s (CHCANYS) mission is to champion community-centered primary care in New York State through leadership, advocacy, and support of Community Health Centers.
Purpose of the Grant
To undertake feasibility study and planning grant work to advance the building of sustainable primary eye care services at selected Community Health Centers (CHCs) in NYS.
Amount
$10,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro Area, Upstate NYFJC – A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds
New York, NY, USAAbout 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 support the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School’s sustainability planning, fundraising and associated activities in 2019.
Amount
$26,000Term
9 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
For general operating support, including the provision of vision screenings and eyeglasses for 200 homeless, school-aged youth in New York City.
Amount
$12,400Term
2 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 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, charter, 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 runaway and homeless youth, and (2) purchasing new optical examination equipment — mostly to replace old and worn equipment.
Amount
$1,500,000Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
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’s iSee Campaign.
Amount
$10,000Term
12 monthsGrant Regions
NYC Metro AreaLearning Ally
Princeton, NJ, USAAbout the Grantee
Learning Ally is dedicated to helping students with print disabilities, including blindness, visual impairment, and dyslexia. Learning Ally improves the way students learn at home and in the classroom.
Purpose of the Grant
To enhance the College Success Program through: (1) more deeply engaging non-mentored students, (2) pilot-testing a pre-college program with Tri-State New York area students who are blind, ages 14-18, (3) winning service contracts from three additional state commissions for the blind, and (4) annually recruiting and serving 500 new participants.
Amount
$600,000Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
USA Multi-StateNew York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
With 69 certified beds, the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is one of the world’s leading facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of all diseases of the eyes, ears, nose, and throat, as well as related conditions. Founded in 1820 as the nation’s first specialty hospital, NYEE manages more than 30,000 surgical cases and 225,000 outpatient visits per year. NYEE is regularly ranked as one of the best hospitals in America, according to U.S. News & World Report, and was awarded Magnet status for excellence in nursing care.
Purpose of the Grant
To strengthen services for patients with irreversible vision loss by launching: (1) a sustainable cross-referral service between NYEE’s Low Vision Optometry Clinic and NYC vision rehabilitation agencies like VISIONS and (2) a sustainable low vision optical shop adjacent to NYEE’s Low Vision Optometry Clinic.
Amount
$238,778Term
36 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 support Orbis-India’s work in testing and strengthening the organization-wide alignment of Sitapur Eye Care System’s governance, management, and employees – and training and coaching its Board, top management, and staff in preparing for a transformative hospital change process.
Amount
$35,000Term
6 monthsGrant Regions
International, South AsiaSt. Joseph’s School for the Blind
Jersey City, NJ, USAAbout the Grantee
St. Joseph’s School for the Blind has been providing specialized care, education, and human services to individuals with visual impairments since its founding in Jersey City in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. St. Joseph’s School for the Blind is a nonprofit, non-sectarian agency accepting children of every race, creed and national origin and is licensed by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities and has the approval of the New Jersey State Department of Education.
Today, St. Joseph’s remains the only private school for the blind in New Jersey. The school continues its founding mission to serve individuals with visual impairments and has expanded services to include individuals with multiple disabilities from birth through adulthood.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the buildout and equipping of a new Multi-Sensory Room at St. Joseph’s School for the Blind.
Amount
$50,000Term
6 monthsGrant Regions
Entire NY Tri-State AreaThe Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Rochester, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), founded in 1911, is a premiere provider of vision rehabilitation services to people who are blind or visually impaired throughout the Greater Rochester, Finger Lakes, and Southern Tier areas of New York.
As part of its mission-focused work, ABVI empowers people with vision loss to engage in fulfilling careers by offering a variety of entrepreneurial businesses, including a state-of-the-art contact center, and manufacturing and fulfillment services.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the implementation of the Lavelle-BENNY Initiative in ABVI’s West-Central New York catchment area, using new employer-partnership strategies to increase the number of working-age adults who are blind that are placed in competitive paid jobs.
Amount
$237,756Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYTides Center
San Francisco, CA, USAAbout the Grantee
As a disability rights organization, DeafBlind Citizens in Action (DBCA) strives for a better world for all, and founded by young deafblind adults.
Purpose of the Grant
To help support the continued operation of the leadership program for young adults who are deafblind, nationwide.
Amount
$81,620Term
24 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
To support VIA, in partnership with Helen Keller Services for the Blind and VISIONS, in providing the training, mentoring, and evaluation services needed to help strengthen job training and placement capacity and drive increases in competitive job placements at the five Upstate New York vision rehabilitation agencies slated to participate in the Lavelle-BENNY jobs initiative.
Amount
$125,300Term
48 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYVIA
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 (1) implement the Lavelle-BENNY Initiative in VIA’s Western New York catchment area, using new employer-partnership strategies to increase the number of working-age adults who are blind that are placed in competitive paid jobs, and (2) underwrite the Master’s-level education of an incumbent VIA staff member as an Orientation and Mobility trainer who can prepare newly placed workers to commute safely to and from work.
Amount
$273,000Term
36 monthsGrant Regions
Upstate NYXavier Society for the Blind
New York, NY, USAAbout the Grantee
Since its founding in 1900 by Margaret Coffey, a devoted teacher of the blind who was blind herself and Fr. Joseph M. Stadelman, SJ, Xavier Society for the Blind has assisted blind and visually impaired persons learn about, develop, and practice their faith.
Purpose of the Grant
To support the production of up to 20 new human-narrated talking books in the Catholic tradition.