VISION TO LEARN
Focus on the Future
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
A staggering two million children in America need glasses and cannot access them because of inequities driven by race, immigration/language status, rural isolation, and poverty. One in four kids naturally needs glasses yet, in underserved communities, 95% of kids who need glasses do not have them. Students with uncorrected vision problems often avoid reading, suffer headaches, and have trouble focusing in class, as 80% of learning during a child’s first 12 years is visual. Students with uncorrected vision problems are more likely to fail at least one grade, less likely to read at grade level by third grade – a milestone critical to preventing dropout – and more likely to engage in antisocial and delinquent behavior. In fact, up to 70% of juvenile offenders have uncorrected vision issues.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Free Vision Screenings, Eye Exams, and New Prescription Glasses for Children
Vision To Learn solves a problem affecting as many as 2 million children nationwide who lack the glasses they need to see the board, read a book, study math or participate in class. Children in underserved communities and children of color are disproportionately affected. The problem is one of access as most of the children, for a host of reasons, do not get to an eye doctor. Vision To Learn solves this problem by bringing mobile vision clinics directly to the children at schools and community organizations, and providing vision screenings, eye exams, and new prescription glasses, free of charge.
Since our founding in 2012, Vision To Learn has helped provide more than 1.5 million children with vision screenings, 325,000 with eye exams, and 260,000 with glasses in more than 500 underserved communities across the country. VTL currently operates in 13 states: CA, CT, DE, GA, HI, IA, MD, MI, NJ, NC, OH, PA, SC and the District of Colombia.
Where we work
Awards
The Pacesetter Award 2014
The Campaign For Grade- Level Reading
Resolution 222 - Recognizing VTL as a national leader in providing childen with prescription glasses 2019
United States Congress
Annual Kristof Holiday Prize 2022
Annual Kristoff Holiday Prize
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of children who received prescription eyeglasses
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Free Vision Screenings, Eye Exams, and New Prescription Glasses for Children
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
All children prescribed glasses by Vision To Learn receive a free , brand new pair of prescription glasses. They choose their own frame. Lost or broken glasses are replaced - free - within one year.
Number of children provided an eye exam.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Free Vision Screenings, Eye Exams, and New Prescription Glasses for Children
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Vision To Learn provides non-dilated eye exams to every student who fails a vision screening at targeted low-income schools. *3/2020: operations suspended due to the COVID, and resumed 8/2020
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Vision To Learn has developed a low-cost model to equip children in underserved communities with vision care. Our goal is to ensure that every child in America has the glasses they need to succeed in school and in life.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
*Serve children in underserved communities throughout the nation.
*Continue to provide access to basic vision care and deliver consistent high-quality vision services.
*Ensure program remains cost effective.
*Continue to support independent research on the impact of Vision To Learn.
*Build additional partnerships so that Vision To Learn reaches as many children as possible.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
In our nearly ten years of operation, Vision To Learn (VTL) has grown from a single clinic in Los Angeles to a nationwide organization with 31 clinics operating in 13 states plus the District of Columbia. Along the way, we have developed key capabilities, which we highlight below.
• Proven Service Model – VTL has established a scalable, low cost, high-quality service delivery model.
• Extensive Community Based and Local Philanthropic Relationships – To achieve our rapid growth, VTL has stewarded partnerships with school districts nationwide, major sports organizations, medical partnerships, Rotary Clubs, Boys and Girls Clubs, local funders and champions, and coalitions of private and public funders.
• Measurement - Vision To Learn tracks vision screenings, eye exams, glasses dispensed, and vision correction in a secure, cloud-based Electronic Medical Records (EMR) database, updated in real-time by optometric staff in our mobile clinics. We use this data to support reporting requirements to our funders and internally against geographic goals for the number of exams and glasses provided across all our clinics operating in the region.
• Evidence of Impact – Two rigorous independent studies have validated the impact of our work.
UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital Study found that children helped by VTL can expect to receive the following benefits:
• Improved Access to Care: 92% of teachers and 90% of parents surveyed felt their students would not have received glasses without Vision To Learn.
• Prevention of Blindness: Students with more serious eye conditions like amblyopia and strabismus were referred to follow-up care, reducing their future risk of permanent blindness.
• Academic Improvement: Students receiving glasses from Vision To Learn showed improvements in math and reading GPAs in the year following the intervention.
• Higher Self Esteem: Group screening and exams reduced the stigma traditionally associated with wearing glasses for students and encouraged children to wear and protect their glasses.
Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University Study
Students with glasses made higher gains in reading and math, at levels exceeding the gains of other common educational interventions like charter schools, extended school days, or one-on-one technology. In fact, on average, students made additional gains on the level that would be expected from adding an additional two to four months of class time. For students previously scoring in the lowest quadrant of test scores, and those taking Special Education classes, the gains were even larger – comparable to adding four to six months of additional class time.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since our founding in 2012, Vision To Learn (VTL) has helped provide more than 1.5 million children with vision screenings, 328,000 with eye exams, and 262,000 with glasses in more than 500 underserved communities across the country. VTL currently operates in 13 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina), and the District of Colombia.
VTL has received national recognition for our work helping children in underserved communities. In 2013, VTL received the "State Gold Award" from the California Teachers Association. VTL was recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics by President Barack Obama, named one of the Initiative's 2015 "Bright Spots In Hispanic Education." In addition, VTL was called a "Pacesetter Program" by Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, reflecting VTL's commitment to improving academic achievement and a child's life prospects. In 2019, Senator Chris Coons (D-CT) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) presented bi-partisan Senate Resolution 222, co-signed by 43 U.S. Senators, recognizing VTL's contributions. Additionally, The Washington Post, PBS, NBC Nightly News, and ESPN have all spotlighted our critical role in supporting children's health and education.
What’s next? Currently, we have an urgent plan to provide children in need with vision services so that they can recover from learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, we believe that Vision To Learn has the opportunity and the potential to serve the majority of the two million children who need glasses and cannot access them today.
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
VISION TO LEARN
Board of directorsas of 02/02/2023
Mr. Austin Beutner
Founder and Chair - Vision To Learn
Term: 2012 -
Mr. Mickey Kantor
Co-Chair - Vision To Learn; Partner, Mayer Brown
Term: 2015 -
Austin Beutner
Founder, Vision To Learn
Mickey Kantor
Partner, Mayer Brown
Virgina Beutner
Co-Founder, Vision To Learn
Cynthia Watts
Vice Chair, Vision To Learn; Partner, Blue Waters Research
Dr. Glenville March
Former President and CEO of March Vision Care
Steve Shafran
Senior Advisor, Centerbridge Partners
Renee McColl
Co-Founder, Vision To Learn, Charlotte
Denita Willoughby
CEO of The Willoughby Group
Jake Weinbaum
Founder and CEO, Brighter.com
Dan Rabinow
Co-Head, Creative Artists Agency Motion Picture Literary Department
Laphonza Butler
President, EMILY's List
Dr. Thomas Lee
Director, Vision Center, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Ann Hollister
President, Vision To Learn; Ex-Officio Board Member
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data