Help America Hear

What Help America Hear does

Help America Hear Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Smithtown, New York, that supplies brand-new prescription hearing aids to financially disadvantaged individuals across the United States who have exhausted all other means of obtaining them. Applicants must have household income at or below $36,000 per year and demonstrate that they have pursued personal savings, family support, credit, retirement accounts, and state-sponsored assistance before qualifying. The organization also operates the Colleen Scarisbrick Help America Hear Scholarship Program for high school seniors with documented hearing loss, awarding ReSound prescription hearing aids and financial scholarships ($2,000 base, $4,000 under the Stavros Niarchos Foundation matching grant) toward college or vocational training. The board-led organization is led by Founder and CEO Mitch Shapiro with 12 board directors and three supporting staff.

The core product is the Help America Hear Program, delivering GN ReSound Behind-the-Ear and Receiver-in-Canal prescription digital hearing aids custom-fitted through a national network of volunteer audiologists and hearing healthcare professionals who donate time and follow-up care. Recipients receive the devices, ear molds, and one year of limited service, with application-to-fitting typically taking 2-6 months. The organization embeds a ReSound-powered online hearing assessment (approximately three minutes) as a preliminary screening tool and accepts used hearing aid donations processed through McGuire's Hearing Centers in Riverhead, NY. Since 2009 the program has delivered hearing aids to more than 1,600 individuals.

The operating model is donation-funded, with revenue drawn from one-time and recurring contributions from individuals, corporate sponsorships of the annual John Thomas Golf Classic (sponsorship tiers from $250 Tee Signs to $25,000 Platinum), event registrations across the Golf Classic, Day of Giving, Casino Night, and 5K Run/Walk formats, the Champions for the Cause peer-to-peer crowdfunding platform launched in July 2023, an application fee plus $250 refundable deposit at approval, and foundation grants including the Stavros Niarchos Foundation two-year matching grant. Distribution runs through direct online application, community outreach, hearing healthcare professional referrals, and event-driven beneficiary identification, with ReSound as the sole device supplier.

Name

Help America Hear

Legal name

Help America Hear Inc.

Website

https://helpamericahear.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Help America Hear Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering brand-new ReSound prescription hearing aids to low-income U.S. individuals and scholarships to students with hearing loss, funded through donations, event sponsorships, and community fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Hearing Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Hearing Enhancement / Assistive Listening Audio Devices (CRACANAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Hearing & Communication Access (Captioning, Hearing Support, Transcription) (EDAFAKAC), Audiology & Hearing Services (ENT-Affiliated) (HLAKAMAI)

Keywords

• Hearing aid assistance
• Nonprofit hearing healthcare
• Prescription hearing aids
• Hearing loss scholarships
• Charitable hearing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Smithtown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Help America Hear relies primarily on charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization accepts one-time and recurring donations at various levels ($10, $25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000, and custom amounts), as well as weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual recurring donation options.
2. Application Fees: The organization charges an application fee for the Help America Hear Program, which covers operational expenses. A refundable $250 deposit is also required upon approval for hearing aid fitting.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including the John Thomas Golf Classic generate revenue through participant registration fees and corporate sponsorships at various tiers (Platinum $25,000, Gold $15,000, Silver, and other levels).
4. Crowdfunding: The Champions for the Cause crowdfunding program enables community members to create personal fundraising pages, with proceeds directed to Help America Hear's mission.
5. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Support from corporate sponsors and foundations such as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation two-year matching grant for scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Help America Hear is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides brand-new prescription hearing aids from GN ReSound to financially disadvantaged individuals with moderate to profound hearing loss across the United States, serving as a last-resort resource for those who have exhausted all other funding options. Recipients receive custom-fitted devices (BTE and RIC styles), ear molds, and one year of follow-up care through a network of volunteer audiologists. The organization also operates the Colleen Scarisbrick Help America Hear Scholarship Program, which pairs ReSound hearing aids with financial scholarships for high school seniors with hearing loss transitioning to college or vocational school.

Product overview

Help America Hear operates as a nonprofit charitable organization providing access to prescription hearing aids and educational support for individuals with hearing loss. The core offerings include the Help America Hear Program (providing hearing aids to financially disadvantaged individuals with moderate to profound hearing loss), the Colleen Scarisbrick Help America Hear Scholarship (supporting students with hearing loss through financial awards and ReSound hearing aids), and the Champions for the Cause crowdfunding initiative. The organization also offers a ReSound-powered online hearing test as a preliminary assessment tool. Programs are funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events including the annual John Thomas Golf Classic and Day of Giving events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Help America Hear Program The primary program providing brand-new, high-quality prescription hearing aids (Behind-the-Ear and Receiver-in-Canal styles) to individuals with moderate to profound hearing loss who demonstrate financial need (household income $36,000 or less). Recipients receive custom-fitted hearing aids, ear molds, and one year of limited service, fitted through a network of participating hearing healthcare professionals dispensing ReSound devices.
• Colleen Scarisbrick Help America Hear Scholarship Annual scholarship program awarding deserving students with hearing loss a financial award for college or vocational education plus a pair of ReSound prescription hearing aids, custom-fitted to their specific needs. Includes a $4,000 scholarship (in matching-grant years) or $2,000 scholarship (in standard years) together with state-of-the-art hearing technology.
• Champions for the Cause Crowdfunding Program Community crowdfunding initiative that empowers supporters to create personalized fundraising pages to support Help America Hear's mission. Champions share their stories, set up campaign pages, and engage their personal networks to raise awareness and funds for hearing health, with proceeds directed to the organization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,600+ individuals provided with hearing aids since 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GN ReSoundcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2019GN ReSound is the primary hearing aid manufacturer partner, providing brand-new prescription digital hearing aids (BTE and RIC styles) to Help America Hear's program recipients. The partnership also includes the ReSound Online Hearing Test powered by ReSound technology. ReSound hearing aids are state-of-the-art prescription devices fitted by participating hearing healthcare professionals.
• Hearing Healthcare ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of audiologists and hearing specialists who donate their time and expertise to fit and service hearing aids for approved Help America Hear program recipients. These professionals provide 3-5 follow-up visits or up to one year of service. Providers must dispense ReSound hearing aids and be willing to work with the program.
• McGuire's Hearing CenterscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMcGuire's Hearing Centers serves as the receiving location for donated hearing aids. Individuals ship their used hearing aid donations to McGuire's Hearing Centers at 818 E. Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901, where they are processed and redistributed through the Help America Hear Program.
• Wave AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWave Agency is identified as a full-service marketing and creative partner that has produced content for Help America Hear since 2001. The agency has helped businesses across industries including healthcare, wellness, and retail grow and evolve through strategic marketing and branding.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eargo: Eargo is an established DTC hearing aid company offering over-the-counter and prescription direct-to-consumer hearing devices. As an established player in affordable hearing device access, it offers a for-profit contrast to Help America Hear's charitable model.

Direct peers

• American Hearing Research Foundation: The American Hearing Research Foundation funds hearing research and education. It is a hearing-health-focused nonprofit sharing Help America Hear's organizational category, though oriented toward research funding rather than direct device distribution.
• Hearing Loss Association of America: HLAA is the largest consumer advocacy organization for people with hearing loss in the U.S., providing education, support, and advocacy. It overlaps with Help America Hear's beneficiary community and mission-driven nonprofit structure.
• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: The AG Bell Association supports children and adults with hearing loss, particularly those using listening and spoken language, through scholarships, advocacy, and education. It shares Help America Hear's focus on hearing-loss scholarships and assistive device access.
• Sertoma: Sertoma is a national nonprofit service organization dedicated to hearing health and speech, funding hearing aid provision and audiology services nationwide. It shares Help America Hear's focus on connecting low-income individuals with hearing assistive technology.
• Starkey Hearing Foundation: Starkey Hearing Foundation is a major hearing aid charity providing free hearing aids to people in need worldwide. It is directly comparable to Help America Hear in mission, distribution model (donated hearing aids), and beneficiary population (low-income individuals with hearing loss).
• Hearing Health Foundation: Hearing Health Foundation is a nonprofit funding hearing loss research and awareness education. It shares Help America Hear's mission-driven nonprofit focus on hearing health, though it emphasizes research while HAH emphasizes direct device provision.
• Lions Clubs International Foundation: Lions Clubs International Foundation operates the LCIF Hearing Aid Program, providing affordable hearing aids to those in need. The volunteer-driven, donation-funded hearing-aid distribution model closely mirrors Help America Hear's approach.

Emerging players

• Audicus: Audicus is a direct-to-consumer hearing aid company offering affordable prescription devices online. It represents an alternative commercial access pathway for hearing aids, partially overlapping with Help America Hear's mission of expanding affordable access to hearing technology.

Others

• CaptionCall: CaptionCall provides captioned telephone service and assistive listening devices for people with hearing loss. It addresses the same beneficiary population as Help America Hear through a different assistive technology modality (telephone captioning rather than hearing aids).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/help-america-hear

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Help America Hear