named programs · 7 · from sources
What they call their work
CatalEYES Partnerships
Collaborates with social impact organizations and governments to integrate vision screening and eyeglasses into existing programs across sectors.
DRIVES
Upcoming trial measuring the impact of vision correction on safe driving among commercial drivers.
PROSPER
Randomized controlled trial in Indian tea gardens showing that reading glasses increase worker productivity by 22%.
PROSPER II
Randomized controlled trial demonstrating that providing near vision correction to sewing machine operators in Indian garment factories increases productivity and delivers a 16x return on investment.
See to Earn
Delivers sight tests and reading glasses to working-age adults in factories, farms, and artisan communities to improve productivity and income.
THRIFT
Upcoming trial assessing the impact of reading glasses on mobile banking usage.
THRIVE
Randomized controlled trial in rural Bangladesh showing that reading glasses distributed by community health workers increase median monthly incomes by 33.4%.
activities · 2 groups
What they do
-
Comprehensive Eye Care Access 3 activities
- Conducting rigorous research on the impact of vision correctionConducts and leads randomized controlled trials and other research studies to measure the socioeconomic and health impacts of eyeglasses. Key studies include the THRIVE trial in Bangladesh (33.4% income increase), the PROSPER trial in India (22% productivity gain), and long-term use tracking showing 93% continued use after 5–6 years.
- Distribution of eyeglasses and vision screening to underserved populationsProvides eyeglasses and vision screening services to working-age adults in low-income communities, including factory workers, farmers, and artisans, across multiple countries. Since 2001, has distributed eyeglasses to 16 million people globally, with 74% of recipients receiving their first pair.
- Generation of economic impact through vision correctionUnlocked $3 billion in cumulative income-earning potential by providing access to eyeglasses, with documented increases in productivity and earnings. For example, recipients in Bangladesh saw a 33% median monthly income increase, while tea garden workers in India experienced a 22% productivity gain.
-
-
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Building strategic partnerships to expand vision programsDevelops and manages philanthropic and institutional partnerships to scale vision initiatives across regions, including expansion into seven Sub-Saharan African countries and collaboration with organizations like CARE and Swisscontact-Katalyst to support sustainable growth and new business portfolios.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$12.89M
Contributions & grants$11.22M87%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$2.15M17%
Other revenue$-474K
expenses
Total expenses$13.41M
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising10%
Salaries & benefits$2.41M
Grants paid out$4.63M
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$28.86M
Cash$1.02M
Investments$22.29M
Liabilities$1.43M
Net assets$27.43M
Liquid reserves20.9 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +23.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 8
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELLA GUDWIN | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $355K |
| JAMES NAYLOR | DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY | 40 | $252K |
| TEOBALDO R CAMEJO | GLOBAL VP, PEOPLE & CULTURE | 40 | $230K |
| VIVEK RATHI | GLOBAL VP, FINANCE | 40 | $228K |
| HEATHER ANN KOEHN | GLOBAL DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMM. | 40 | $177K |
| DR JORDAN KASSALOW | FOUNDER/SECRETARY/VICE CHAIR | 20 | $155K |
| ERICA DEKRANES ASSOCIATE | DIRECTOR, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION | 40 | $145K |
| PERRY J SELLA | GLOBAL DIRECTOR, SUPPLY CHAIN | 40 | $127K |
board members · 16
- ANDREA CORAVOS — DIRECTOR
- BRIAN TRELSTAD — DIRECTOR THRU APR 2024
- CHERYL GREENE — DIRECTOR THRU APR 2024
- JAMIE A LEVITT — DIRECTOR THRU APR 2024
- JIM BRADY — DIRECTOR THRU APR 2024
- JUDITH AIDOO — DIRECTOR
- KAREN GUTIERREZ — DIRECTOR
- KEVIN HASSEY — DIRECTOR
- MIKE HUNDERT — DIRECTOR
- MUSHTAQUE CHOWDHURY — DIRECTOR
- NANCY ROSENZWEIG — DIRECTOR THRU APR 2024
- PENNY OUTLAW — DIRECTOR
- RAHUL SAXENA — DIRECTOR
- RAJESH DESAI — DIRECTOR
- ROBERT BO HOPKINS — DIRECTOR
- VIPUL BHAGAT — CHAIR
relationships · 26
Who they work with
- Becton, Dickinson and Company Partner — Teobaldo Camejo previously held leadership roles at Becton, Dickinson and Company.
- CARE Partner — Former employer where Nafis Islam served as Senior Director of Development
- Centre for Knowledge Equity Partner — Former Director of Research and Learning, focused on elevating lived experience in knowledge production
- Charles Koduah Partner — Senior Global Optometrist in Ghana who provides eye care services to underserved populations.
- Coors Brewing Co International Inc Partner — Teobaldo Camejo previously held leadership roles at Coors Brewing Co International Inc.
- Enron Partner — Teobaldo Camejo previously held leadership roles at Enron.
- Generac Power Systems Partner — Teobaldo Camejo previously held leadership roles at Generac Power Systems.
- GiveDirectly Partner — Former Research Director leading evaluation of cash transfer programs
- Imagine Worldwide Partner — Former employer where Nafis Islam served as Director of Development
- Ingersoll Rand Partner — Teobaldo Camejo previously held leadership roles at Ingersoll Rand.
- Lancet Global Health Partner — Published results from the PROSPER randomized controlled trial on productivity gains among tea workers in India.
- Mulago Foundation Funder — Funder that has evaluated VisionSpring's model as yielding high return on donor investment.
- PLOS one Partner — Published findings from the THRIVE randomized controlled trial on income impacts of vision correction in rural Bangladesh.
- Purnava Limited Partner — Led operations for Purnava Limited
- RANCON Partner — Led operations for RANCON, becoming first female CEO of an automotive company in Bangladesh
- Renata Limited Partner — Worked with subsidiary of Renata Limited
- SAI MedPartners LLC Partner — Teobaldo Camejo most recently served as the Global Director of Human Resources at SAI MedPartners LLC.
- Schlumberger Partner — Teobaldo Camejo previously held leadership roles at Schlumberger.
- Springer Partner — Published chapter assessing VisionSpring's delivery models for working-age adults in South-East Asia Eye Health volume.
- Swisscontact-Katalyst Partner — Collaborated to support sustainable growth of small businesses
- The New York Times Partner — Covered VisionSpring's impact in a feature article on how eyeglasses improve income in Bangladesh.
- Tupperware Partner — Launched Tupperware in Bangladesh to advance women's empowerment
- US Government Government — Funder of programs managed by Nafis Islam during tenure at CARE
- Universidad 'Santa María' Partner — Teobaldo Camejo holds a Law Degree from Universidad 'Santa María' in Caracas, Venezuela.
- Université degli Studi di Milano Partner — Conducted research cited on the importance of precise sight correction for safe driving, referenced in VisionSpring’s evidence base.
- global coalitions Coalition — Founding member and steering committee participant in global coalitions advancing vision care.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Evidence-Based Programming and Advocacymethodology: evidence-based advocacyBy generating rigorous evidence, including from randomized controlled trials, we validate the impact of vision correction on economic and social outcomes, because credible data strengthens advocacy, informs policy, and drives investment in vision as a development priority.
- Integrated Service Delivery to Expand Accessmethodology: integrated_service_deliveryBy embedding vision screening and eyeglasses distribution within existing social programs and government services, we increase uptake and sustainability, because leveraging established systems reduces barriers to access and strengthens integration into public health and development infrastructure.
- Social Enterprise Model for Sustainable Accessmethodology: social_enterprise_modelBy using a market-based social enterprise approach, we increase sustainable access to eyeglasses in low-resource settings, because affordable pricing, local entrepreneurship, and supply chain innovation extend reach beyond what aid alone can achieve.
- Vision as a Tool for Economic Empowermentmethodology: productivity-through-vision-correctionBy providing vision correction through eyeglasses, we improve productivity and economic outcomes for low-income workers, because clear vision enables better performance in income-generating activities, as demonstrated by randomized evidence.