Christian Blind Mission

What Christian Blind Mission does

Christian Blind Mission (CBM), founded in 1908 and headquartered in Bensheim, Germany, is an international development and humanitarian organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in the world's poorest countries. CBM is registered in Germany as CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e.V. (association register VR 20949) and operates a US affiliate, Christian Blind Mission International, Inc., under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The organisation reports supporting 69.8 million people across Africa, Asia, and Latin America in 2025 through 385 aid projects in 35 countries, with a programme portfolio spanning eye health, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), inclusive education, livelihoods, physical rehabilitation, ear and hearing care, disability-inclusive humanitarian action, and community-based inclusive development.

CBM delivers services through field-based implementation via a network of local and national implementing partners, including Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, rather than through commercial product distribution. Its principal technology tool is the PEEK Vision mobile application, used for eye screening and vision testing within eye health programmes. The organisation does not sell software products, APIs, or AI-powered platforms, and there is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities in its offering.

CBM's revenue model is grant-funded rather than commercial. Income is sourced from institutional donors (the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the German Federal Foreign Office, the European Commission's DG ECHO, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, RTL/Lions Deutschland) and multilateral partners (UNICEF, Sightsavers, WHO), supplemented by private donations via cbm.org. Recent multi-year commitments include a €15 million SightQuest Nigeria Programme (2026-2035), a €2.1 million ECO-FOOD Uganda grant, a €1.5 million BMZ Sierra Leone project, and a €1,149,318 Ethiopia paediatric eye unit. CBM has 501-1000 employees and is governed by a Board led by Dr. Rainer Brockhaus (Communication and Programmes) and Hans-Peter Lauffs (Fundraising and Administration).

Name

Christian Blind Mission

Legal name

CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e.V.

Website

https://cbm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Christian Blind Mission (CBM) is a Germany-based international non-profit founded in 1908 that delivers disability-inclusive development and humanitarian programmes — eye care, neglected tropical disease treatment, rehabilitation, education, and humanitarian response — across 35 countries, funded by institutional donors and individual giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian and Disability-Inclusive Development Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

Keywords

• Disability inclusive development
• Humanitarian assistance programs
• Eye health services
• Tropical disease treatment
• Inclusive humanitarian action

Headquarters

HQ city

Bensheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Donor Funding: CBM receives funding from institutional donors including governments (Germany, Italy), EU institutions (DG ECHO), and multilateral organisations to fund development and humanitarian programmes globally.
2. Private Donations: Individual donors contribute to CBM's work through the website and direct giving programmes. CBM processes donations and maintains donor information for ongoing engagement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Christian Blind Mission (CBM) is an international development and humanitarian organisation that delivers disability-inclusive programmes to persons with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries. Its core offerings include eye care services (cataract surgeries, refractive error correction, paediatric ophthalmology), neglected tropical disease treatment and elimination, physical rehabilitation, ear and hearing care, inclusive education, livelihoods support, and disability-inclusive humanitarian action. Services are funded by institutional donors (governments, EU, multilaterals) and private donations, and delivered through partnerships with local organisations and government health systems.

Product overview

Christian Blind Mission (CBM) operates as an international development and humanitarian organisation offering a portfolio of disability-inclusive programmes rather than a unified software product. The organisation provides direct service delivery programmes in eye health (including cataract surgeries, paediatric ophthalmology, and refractive services), neglected tropical diseases treatment (NTDs including river blindness and trachoma), physical rehabilitation, ear and hearing care, inclusive education, livelihoods and economic inclusion, and disability-inclusive humanitarian action. Key programmatic initiatives include the SightQuest Nigeria Programme (€15 million eye care investment across 14 states), Empower Ukraine (disability-inclusive humanitarian response), ECO-FOOD Uganda (disability-inclusive farming), and various country-specific projects. Technology tools such as the PEEK Vision app are employed for eye screening purposes. The organisation does not offer a commercial software product, API, or AI-powered technology platform, but rather delivers humanitarian and development services through partnerships with local organisations, governments, and institutional donors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SightQuest Nigeria Programme: A major eye care initiative in Nigeria focused on strengthening eye care services across 14 Nigerian states, targeting cataract surgeries and refractive error services.
• Empower Ukraine

Products and services

• Eye Health Services Comprehensive eye care services including cataract surgeries, refractive error correction, paediatric ophthalmology, and vision screening programmes targeting preventable blindness in low- and middle-income countries. Designed for persons with visual impairment and blindness, particularly in resource-poor settings.
• Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Programme Treatment and elimination programmes for NTDs including river blindness (onchocerciasis), trachoma, and mass drug administration campaigns. Targets populations at risk from NTDs in low- and middle-income countries.
• Inclusive Education Programmes promoting inclusive education for children with disabilities, including partnerships with USAID and educational support services in countries such as Guatemala, Rwanda, and Gaza. Designed to ensure children with disabilities access quality education.
• Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Economic empowerment programmes supporting persons with disabilities to access income opportunities, including disability-inclusive farming initiatives in Uganda and Togo. Aimed at reducing poverty among persons with disabilities.
• Physical Rehabilitation Rehabilitation services expanding access to disability-inclusive rehabilitation in countries including Kenya and Uganda, covering prosthetic and orthotic services. Designed for persons with physical disabilities.
• Ear and Hearing Care Audiology and ear health services including neonatal hearing screening in Cameroon and hearing care advocacy across Africa. Targets persons with hearing impairments.
• Humanitarian Action Disability-inclusive humanitarian response programmes addressing crises in Ukraine, South Sudan, Malawi, Lebanon, and internally displaced populations in Nigeria. Provides cash assistance, assistive devices, mental health support, and transport to healthcare.
• Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR) Programmes integrating disability inclusion into disaster risk reduction strategies and humanitarian preparedness. Designed to ensure persons with disabilities are included in disaster planning and response.
• Disability-Inclusive Social Protection Initiatives advocating for social protection systems that cover disability-related extra costs and ensure participation of organisations of persons with disabilities.
• Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) Community-level programmes promoting inclusive development through local partnerships, technical advice on inclusion, and UN CRPD localisation efforts.
• Inclusive Health Initiative Programmes advancing disability-inclusive health systems through WHO partnerships and advocacy for integrated health services.
• SightQuest Nigeria Programme Major eye care initiative in Nigeria focused on strengthening eye care services across 14 Nigerian states, targeting cataract surgeries and refractive error services, running from 2026 to 2035.
• Empower Ukraine Disability-inclusive humanitarian support initiative in Ukraine providing essential services, medical care, and advocacy for inclusive recovery. Implemented in partnership with the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities (NAPD) and League of the Strong, with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office.
• ECO-FOOD Uganda Disability-inclusive farming project in northern Uganda funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation with a €2.1 million grant, supporting livelihoods of persons with disabilities through agricultural initiatives.
• PEEK Vision (Eye Health App) Mobile application used for eye screening and vision testing, integrated into CBM's eye health programmes. Used by community health workers to conduct vision assessments in the field.

Quantifiable outcome

• 69.8 million people supported in 2025 in Africa, Asia, and Latin America
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Nigeria Federal Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CBM's SightQuest Nigeria Programme works with Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health to strengthen eye care services across 14 Nigerian states through the €15 million initiative running from 2026 to 2035, targeting a 30% increase in effective Cataract Surgical Coverage.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026UNICEF and CBM launched a global partnership with Sightsavers to scale up support for children with disabilities and their families globally, and increase the reach of child vision and hearing services in Africa.
• SightsaverscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with UNICEF and CBM aims to scale support for children with disabilities globally and increase the reach of child vision and hearing services in Africa.
• VOICE NetworkmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Membership in VOICE places CBM inside Brussels policy talks and closer to the bloc's largest humanitarian donor. VOICE is Europe's largest humanitarian network.
• Ethiopia Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Ministry of Health partnered with CBM and RTL/Lions Deutschland for the paediatric eye unit project, contributing land, infrastructure, staffing, and operational support.
• ALERT Comprehensive Specialised HospitalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025ALERT Hospital serves as the implementing partner for the paediatric eye unit in Ethiopia, operating the first dedicated facility of its kind in the country.
• National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities (NAPD)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025NAPD leads implementation of the Empower Ukraine programme alongside League of the Strong, reaching persons with disabilities in remote rural areas with humanitarian assistance.
• League of the Strong (LoS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025League of the Strong co-implements the Empower Ukraine initiative, providing transportation, medical care, and assistive devices to persons with disabilities.
• European Disability Forum (EDF)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EDF collaborates on the Empower Ukraine initiative, with Gunta Anca, Vice-President at EDF, acknowledging the programme as a model for inclusive humanitarian action.
• European Commission DG ECHOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CBM holds official humanitarian partnership certification and Potential Programmatic Partnership certificate from DG ECHO for the period 2021-2027, making CBM eligible for EU humanitarian aid funding.
• Government of UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Government of Uganda partners with CBM and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation on the ECO-FOOD Uganda project for disability-inclusive farming.
• World Health Organization (WHO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CBM holds membership in WHO networks and collaborates on disability-inclusive health systems. CBM joined the WHO network to advance disability inclusive health systems.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: Broad incumbent — large Bangladesh-headquartered international development organisation operating across health, education, and economic inclusion. Overlaps with CBM on disability-inclusive livelihoods, eye health, and partnerships with major institutional donors at scale.
• MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières): Broad incumbent — global medical-humanitarian INGO delivering emergency health services in conflict and crisis settings. Comparable as a humanitarian health and emergency relief provider in the same geographies CBM operates, with overlapping DG ECHO donor relationships, though without CBM's disability specialisation.

Direct peers

• Orbis International: Direct peer — US-based INGO combating avoidable blindness through hospital-based training, Flying Eye Hospital, and Cybersight tele-education. Comparable on paediatric eye care, ophthalmologist training, and low-and-middle-income country focus.
• Sightsavers: Direct peer — UK-headquartered INGO focused on preventing avoidable blindness and supporting people with visual impairments in low- and middle-income countries. CBM and Sightsavers are co-partners in the 2026 UNICEF global partnership for children with disabilities and operate highly overlapping eye health and NTD programmes across the same geographies.
• Helen Keller International: Direct peer — US-headquartered INGO combining vision programs with nutrition and neglected tropical disease interventions in low-income countries. Overlaps with CBM on eye health, NTDs (especially trachoma), and partnerships with WHO and major institutional donors.
• Humanity & Inclusion ( Handicap International): Direct peer — France-based INGO focused on disability-inclusive development, rehabilitation, and humanitarian response in conflict-affected settings. Highly comparable on inclusive humanitarian action, physical rehabilitation, and DG ECHO-funded programming.
• Light for the World: Direct peer — Austria-headquartered INGO focused on eye health, inclusive education, and disability rights in low-income countries. Overlaps with CBM on cataract surgery programmes, inclusive education, and European institutional donor base.
• ADD International: Direct peer — UK-based INGO focused on disability rights, inclusion, and disability-led movement building in Africa and Asia. Comparable on community-based inclusive development, advocacy at international fora, and the OPwD partnership model CBM uses.
• Fred Hollows Foundation: Direct peer — Australia-based INGO focused on ending avoidable blindness through cataract surgery, trachoma elimination, and eye health system strengthening. Highly comparable mission, beneficiary population, and institutional donor profile to CBM's eye health portfolio.

Emerging players

• Perkins School for the Blind: Emerging player — US-based organisation focused on education and inclusion for people who are blind or have low vision globally. Comparable on blindness prevention, inclusive education, and assistive technology, but with a primarily US-anchored programmatic model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cbmWorldwide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cbm-international
• Xx.com/CBMworldwide
• Facebookfacebook.com/cbmWorldwide1

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Christian Blind Mission