MAB Community Services

What MAB Community Services does

MAB Community Services is a Massachusetts-based registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1903 as the Massachusetts Association for Promoting the Interests of the Adult Blind (with Helen Keller on its first advisory board), now operating as the parent organization for three specialized disability services divisions. Its Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI) division serves 1,200+ blind and visually impaired adults annually through vision rehabilitation, the Adjustment to Vision Loss Counseling program (the only peer-led clinical counseling program of its kind in Massachusetts), Peer Empowerment Support Groups, the Volunteer Services Program, and the Access Technology Training Program. MAB Adult Disability Services provides residential, day, vocational, and occupational therapy supports to over 300 individuals with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries annually, operating more than 25 community residential homes across Greater Boston, Southeast Boston, and Central Massachusetts, plus the Training and Rehabilitation Center (TRC) and Café Nine in Westborough. Ivy Street School, founded in 1993, is a special education residential and day high school serving up to 45 neurodivergent youth ages 13-22, with the Skills for Life community-based in-home skill development program that has supported 60+ young adults.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid of Massachusetts state agency contracts (DDS, MCB, MRC, SHIP, BI&SSCS — which refer and fund residential/day services at approximately $17/hour for direct-care workers), multi-year foundation grants from a deep network of funders (Cummings Foundation, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Point32Health Foundation, Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation, NextFifty Initiative, Gibney Family Foundation, George E. Curtis Trust), corporate giving, individual donations (monthly sustainer, planned giving, bequests, stock gifts, matching gifts), and event-based fundraising through the annual Team With A Vision Boston Marathon charity team. Strategic assets include $13M in Rockland Trust financing used to acquire 16 group homes, a paid accessibility consulting relationship with MEDITECH for healthcare portal testing, and a 120+ year brand legacy. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and currently employs 600+ staff and nearly 300 volunteers supporting 1,800 individuals annually.

Under new CEO Michael Panicola, PhD (appointed January 2025, succeeding Barbara Salisbury who retired February 2024 after growing annual revenue from $10M to $50M over 17 years), the organization has refreshed senior leadership across the MABVI division and advancement functions while continuing to expand residential capacity, geographic reach into Central Massachusetts, and new programs (TRC, Café Nine, accessibility consulting). Revenue is concentrated in state government contracts and a relatively small number of large institutional funders; the customer base is non-paying participants referred via state agencies, supplemented by individual donors. The organization is not a venture-backed or equity-funded entity and has no cap table; all capital comes from earned state contracts, foundation grants, institutional financing, and donations.

Name

MAB Community Services

Legal name

MAB Community Services

Website

https://mabcommunity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MAB Community Services is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating three divisions — MABVI (vision rehabilitation for 1,200+ blind/visually impaired adults), Adult Disability Services (residential/day programs for 300+ individuals with brain injury and developmental disabilities), and Ivy Street School (special education for neurodivergent youth) — funded by state contracts, foundation grants, and donations, serving 1,800 individuals annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Human Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Vision rehabilitation services
• Disability support services
• Special education programs
• Community residential care
• Developmental disability services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookline

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State government contracts (MassHealth/DDS waiver funding): Referrals and contracts with the Mass. Department of Developmental Services and Brain Injury and Statewide Specialized Community Services fund MAB's residential and day programs. State contracts pay approximately $17/hour for direct-care workers.
2. Foundation grants and corporate giving: Multi-year and annual grants from foundations (NextFifty Initiative $250K, Gibney Family Foundation $50K + $581,600 since 2011, Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation $250K, Point32Health Foundation $300K, CTA Foundation, Cummings Foundation, etc.) plus funding partners like the Boston Foundation, Brookline Bank, Liberty Mutual Foundation, and Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation.
3. Individual donations and matching gifts: Individual giving via donate page, monthly sustainer program, stock gifts, bequests, planned giving, memorial gifts, car donations, donor advised funds, and employer matching gift programs.
4. Charity event fundraising (Team With A Vision): Annual Boston Marathon charity team with visually impaired runners, sighted guides, and volunteers raising funds for MABVI's statewide vision rehabilitation services.
5. Institutional financing (Rockland Trust $13M): Rockland Trust provided $13M in financing to MAB Community Services to purchase sixteen group homes, supporting capital infrastructure for adult disability services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MAB Community Services operates as a parent 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering a continuum of disability services through three specialized divisions: MABVI (vision rehabilitation and adjustment counseling for blind/visually impaired adults), MAB Adult Disability Services (residential, day, and vocational supports for adults with developmental disabilities and brain injuries across 25+ community homes), and Ivy Street School (special education residential and day high school for neurodivergent youth ages 13-22). The organization serves approximately 1,800 individuals annually through 600+ employees and nearly 300 volunteers, funded by state government contracts, foundation grants, and individual donations.

Product overview

MAB Community Services operates as a parent non-profit organization that delivers a unified continuum of disability services through a platform-plus-modules architecture spanning three distinct operating divisions. The flagship division is the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI), the oldest U.S. social service agency serving blind and visually impaired people, which provides vision rehabilitation, the Adjustment to Vision Loss Counseling (AC) program, Peer Empowerment Support Groups (PEP), the Volunteer Services Program (VSP), and the Access Technology Training Program. The second division, MAB Adult Disability Services, operates more than 25 community residential homes plus the Training and Rehabilitation Center (TRC) in Westborough, the Café Nine vocational café, and residential, day, and vocational supports for adults with developmental disabilities and brain injury. The third division, Ivy Street School, is a residential and day high school for neurodivergent youth (ages 13-22) and includes the Skills for Life community-based program for young adults. Supporting the divisions are sub-brands such as Team With A Vision (Boston Marathon charity team), United in Stride (online runner-guide matching), the Dangerous Vision Podcast, and various MABVI outreach programs. The portfolio reflects a non-profit human services platform rather than a single commercial product, with programs that intersect with assistive technology, accessibility consulting, and community-based rehabilitation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ivy Street School: Special education residential and day high school for neurodivergent youth, including students with brain injuries, autism, and other cognitive disabilities, located in Brookline, MA. Founded in 1993.
• MAB Adult Disability Services
• Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI)
• Café Nine
• Team With A Vision

Products and services

• Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI) Vision rehabilitation and support services throughout Massachusetts serving more than 1,200 adults, primarily older adults, who are blind or visually impaired. Includes access to low-vision clinics, peer empowerment support groups, one-to-one volunteer assistance, in-home vision rehabilitation, adjustment counseling/mental health support, and access/assistive technology training. Delivered across Greater Boston and Central Massachusetts regional offices plus community/senior center partnerships.
• MAB Adult Disability Services Residential supports, community living supports, transitional assistance, occupational therapy, and vocational services for individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injury, and other disabilities in Greater Boston, Southeast Boston, and Central Massachusetts. Operates more than 25 community residential homes and a community-based day activity center, supporting over 300 people to live as independently as possible in their communities each year.
• Ivy Street School Special education residential and day high school for neurodivergent youth, including students with brain injuries, autism, and other cognitive disabilities, located in Brookline, MA. Prepares students for adulthood through a disability-justice lens and a student-first model, including the Skills for Life community-based in-home skill development program that has helped over 60 young adults gain independence.
• Training and Rehabilitation Center (TRC) Statewide day services facility in Westborough, MA providing community-based day activity and rehabilitation programming for adults with brain injuries and developmental disabilities, with a structured Summer Course Catalog covering June through August.
• Café Nine Community café in Westborough, Massachusetts serving breakfast and lunch to the local community while operating as a hub for empowerment, training, and employment opportunities for people with disabilities, supporting vocational programming.
• United in Stride Online database that matches runners who are blind or visually impaired with sighted guides across North America, coordinated by MABVI's Team With A Vision charity program supporting inclusive running and physical activity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual revenue grew from $10 million to $50 million under former CEO Barbara Salisbury (17 years)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core, flagship and minor.

• Boston University Sargent CollegestrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBoston University Sargent College is listed as an institutional partner of MAB. They co-host the Community Transit Design Challenge (with MABVI) for BU students and alumni to design accessible transportation solutions for older adults and people who are blind or have low vision. Brooke Howard (Ivy Street School Executive Director) earned her Master's in Occupational Therapy from Sargent College.
• Boston Medical CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as an institutional partner of MAB on the Partners page. Boston Medical Center is a major Boston-area safety-net hospital that collaborates with MAB on healthcare services for individuals with disabilities.
• Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS)flagshipOthersReferrals to MAB's residential and day programs are made through the Mass. Department of Developmental Services. DDS contracts with MAB to provide state-funded employment and residential supports; rates set at $17/hour for direct-care workers. Heller Shoop, MAB's Executive Director of Adult Disability Services, most recently served as Director of Acquired Brain Injury Waivers for DDS's Metro Region.
• Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB)flagshipOthersListed as an MAB institutional partner. Paul Saner, newly elected to MAB's Board of Directors, formerly served as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. MCB is a state agency serving people who are blind or visually impaired.
• Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC)coreOthersListed as an MAB institutional partner. State agency working with MAB on rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities, particularly brain injury and other disabilities.
• Brain Injury and Statewide Specialized Community Services (BI&SSCS)coreOthersListed as an MAB institutional partner. State program through which referrals to MAB's residential and day programs for individuals with brain injuries and other disabilities are made.
• New England Eye InstitutecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as an MAB institutional partner; eye-care organization that works with MAB on vision services.
• Holyoke Health CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as an MAB institutional partner; health center collaborating on services for individuals with disabilities.
• Blindfold ChallengeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as an MAB institutional partner; collaboration supporting awareness of blindness and visual impairment.
• MEDITECHflagshipTechnology or IntegrationMEDITECH, recognized by MABVI as one of its longest-standing institutional partners, enlisted MABVI to test the accessibility of its newly rewritten Patient and Consumer Health Portal user interface to ensure usability by people with disabilities. MEDITECH values MABVI's expertise in accessibility and is committed to producing solutions that are accessible for all users.
• Innovate@BU (Boston University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with MABVI on the Community Transit Design Challenge (2019-2021) — a venture competition for BU students and alumni to design human-centered, accessible transportation solutions for older adults and the blind/low-vision community. The 2021 challenge produced a winning proposal by BU student Sarah Hillesheim.
• Lions of Massachusetts / Lions Club InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped the Low Vision Rehabilitation Network (LOVRNET) in Massachusetts in partnership with MABVI. Recognized as MABVI's 2019 Volunteer Community Partner. Lions and Massachusetts Lions District Visual Aid Association help provide low-vision aids (e.g., magnifying devices) to legally blind individuals.
• City of Boston / Boston Public Health Commission / Age Strong Commission / Commission for Persons with DisabilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with MABVI (March 2021) to arrange COVID-19 vaccination appointments designated for seniors with vision loss at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury; 14 individuals were vaccinated through the coordinated effort.
• Franklin Senior CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranklin Senior Center partnered with MABVI to run a low-vision program and host the Stella Jeon Assistive Technology Center, with MABVI's Jerry Feliz providing direct services.
• Spaulding Rehabilitation NetworkcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as a strategic MAB partner for brain injury services and rehabilitation programming.
• AccesSportAmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting adaptive sports and recreation for MAB participants with disabilities.
• Best BuddiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting social inclusion and friendship opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities served by MAB.
• Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP)coreOthersListed as an MAB partner; state program for individuals with brain injuries.
• WGBH / GBH NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal NPR/PBS station that featured MABVI executives in news coverage (e.g., COVID test accessibility, vaccination access) and Ivy Street School on its programs.
• Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) Official Charity ProgramflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTeam With A Vision (MABVI) is part of the Boston Athletic Association's Official Charity Program for the Boston Marathon, including the 129th Boston Marathon on April 21, 2025.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vinfen: Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing community-based services for people with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, and mental health conditions — directly comparable to MAB's Adult Disability Services and brain injury portfolio, and notably the previous employer of MAB's CFO.
• Bay Cove Human Services: Boston-area nonprofit serving individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, and mental illness through residential, day, and vocational programs — directly comparable in service mix, geography, and state-contract funding model to MAB.
• Perkins School for the Blind: Watertown, MA-based nonprofit serving blind and visually impaired individuals of all ages, including assistive technology services and the HELP program for older adults — the most direct Massachusetts peer for MABVI's vision rehabilitation services.
• Seven Hills Foundation: Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing residential, day, educational, and clinical supports to children and adults with developmental disabilities and brain injuries — comparable in service portfolio, scale, and state-contract funding model.
• The Arc of Massachusetts: Statewide advocacy and service organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with chapters delivering residential, day, and family support — directly comparable for MAB's Adult Disability Services population.
• Easterseals Massachusetts: Massachusetts affiliate of Easterseals providing services for people with disabilities including autism, developmental disabilities, and brain injury across the lifespan — directly comparable in service mix, including pediatric and adult supports.
• Riverside Community Care: Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing mental health, developmental disability, brain injury, and youth services across Greater Boston and MetroWest — directly comparable in service continuum and state-agency funding mix.

Broad incumbents

• Lighthouse Guild: National nonprofit providing vision rehabilitation, behavioral health, and assistive technology services across multiple states — comparable vision rehab portfolio to MABVI but at national scale and with a broader healthcare footprint.

Emerging players

• National Braille Press: Boston-based nonprofit producing braille books, literacy tools, and digital-access resources for blind individuals — overlaps with MABVI's mission to support blind and visually impaired individuals but focuses on content and literacy rather than direct services.

Regional players

• Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL): Boston-area nonprofit supporting independent living for people with disabilities, including transition and advocacy services — overlaps with MAB Adult Disability Services' community living and transition offerings but is more advocacy-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MABCommunityS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MABcomservices
• Facebookfacebook.com/MABcommunity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mab-community-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/mabcommunityservices

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MAB Community Services