Helen Keller Europe

What Helen Keller Europe does

Helen Keller Europe is a French nonprofit association (loi 1901) founded in 1998 and headquartered in Paris, operating as the European affiliate of Helen Keller International, the U.S.-based NGO created in 1915 to honor Helen Keller's advocacy for the blind. The organization runs two principal program lines: prevention of avoidable blindness and prevention of malnutrition, with Vitamin A supplementation as a flagship international intervention reaching tens of millions of children annually.

Its core products include PlanVue, a free vision-screening program for underserved French children launched in 2018 and progressively expanded across territories including Saint-Denis and Marseille; Voir&Vivre, a program serving visually impaired youth; and a network of ophthalmology centers deployed inside Bangladesh garment factories since September 2023 to extend eye-care services to working adults. Programmatic delivery leverages HKI's pre-existing international field networks and, domestically, partnerships with municipalities, school systems, and the education sector. A "serious game" tool built with vendor Prismatik is used to support educational engagement around vision health.

The business model is donation-funded: revenue comes from individual giving, corporate partnerships (including co-branded sports events such as the adidas 10K and Semi-Marathon), media partnerships (a France 5 documentary planned for 2026), and institutional grants conditioned on IDEAS label certification (obtained 2010 and renewed). The organization employs 22 staff, reported a global beneficiary footprint of 81 million people in 2024, and scaled Vitamin A supplementation to 47 million children in 2025.

Name

Helen Keller Europe

Legal name

Helen Keller Europe

Website

https://helenkellereurope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Helen Keller Europe is a Paris-based nonprofit association founded in 1998 and affiliated with Helen Keller International, delivering vision-screening (PlanVue) and Vitamin A supplementation programs to underserved children and adults in France and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Health Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Individual and Family Services (6241), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Infant & Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Programs (BPADAJAC), Disease-Specific Global Programs (HIV/TB/Malaria/NTDs) (HLAJAKAF), Food Security, Agriculture & Nutrition Aid Programs (BPADABAD), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

Keywords

• Vision screening programs
• Vitamin A supplementation
• Malnutrition prevention
• Avoidable blindness prevention
• Humanitarian health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Helen Keller Europe relies primarily on donations from individuals, including one-time and monthly contributions. Tax benefits are available: 66% deduction for individuals, 60% for companies. The organization also offers legacy giving options including bequests, life insurance donations, and lifetime donations.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners provide financial support through sponsorship of programs like PlanVue. The organization offers various engagement options including employee volunteering, corporate events, and pro bono skills-based support.
3. Membership: Annual membership at 100€ per year with participation in General Assembly required (in-person or by proxy).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Helen Keller Europe is a French nonprofit association that delivers humanitarian health programs focused on preventing avoidable blindness and malnutrition. Its activities include school-based vision screening in French priority neighborhoods (PlanVue), vitamin A supplementation for children in Africa and Asia, malnutrition prevention for pregnant women and children under five, prevention of neglected tropical diseases (trachoma, onchocerciasis), and cataract and refractive-error surgeries delivered through international programs. In France, programs are deployed directly in schools and medico-educational institutes; internationally, programs are co-funded and implemented through Helen Keller International and local partners.

Product overview

Helen Keller Europe operates as a non-profit humanitarian organization rather than a technology product company. Its programs consist of humanitarian intervention initiatives focused on preventable blindness and malnutrition. The core offerings include PlanVue (school-based vision screening in French priority neighborhoods), Voir&Vivre (adapted program for youth with disabilities), Vitamin A supplementation for children in Asia and Africa, malnutrition prevention programs, neglected tropical disease prevention, and international vision screening/surgery initiatives. Additionally, La Pyramide de la Vue is a serious game developed with Prismatik for child vision education. These are social programs rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PlanVue: Program to prevent visual disorders among students in Priority Education Neighborhoods in France, including screening, awareness, and treatment support.
• VisionCare Bangladesh
• Voir&Vivre
• La Pyramide de la Vue

Products and services

• PlanVue School-based vision screening and awareness program for students aged 6-15 in priority neighborhoods (Quartiers Prioritaires de la Politique de la Ville) in French cities, providing visual sensitization, orthoptist screening, ophthalmologist examinations, and corrective eyewear at no cost to families.
• Voir&Vivre Visual health program adapted from PlanVue for young people with disabilities in Medico-Educational Institutes (IME) in Île-de-France priority neighborhoods, providing visual sensitization, screening, and corrective eyewear at no cost to families.
• Vitamin A Supplementation Program International program providing twice-yearly Vitamin A supplementation to children under 5 and to mothers in Asia and Africa to prevent childhood blindness and reduce child mortality.
• Malnutrition Prevention Programs Comprehensive nutrition programs in Asia and Africa covering micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy, breastfeeding sensitization, severe acute malnutrition treatment, childhood nutrition improvement, and family food production initiatives.
• Neglected Tropical Diseases Prevention Programs preventing trachoma and onchocerciasis (river blindness) through health education, antibiotic distribution, and community-based interventions in endemic regions.
• International Vision Screening and Surgery International programs providing vision screening, refraction correction, diabetic retinopathy screening, and cataract/trichiasis surgery in developing countries, delivered through Helen Keller International and local partners.
• VisionCare Bangladesh (Textile Factory Program) Factory-based ophthalmology program providing free eye exams and subsidized glasses to garment workers in Bangladeshi textile factories, established in partnership with BGMEA and the KHEA Foundation.
• La Pyramide de la Vue Serious game co-developed with Prismatik for French elementary school children (CP to CM2) to raise awareness about vision health and prevention through interactive play.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 doses of Vitamin A per year for 2€ preserves vision and life of a child
• +7 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Helen Keller InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Global affiliate providing program design, implementation expertise, and international coordination for vision and nutrition programs. Helen Keller Europe is independently organized but affiliated, sharing vision, mission, and values.
• Un Rien C'est Toutkey partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation supported by Un Rien C'est Tout and highlighted through SNCF Connect engagement, directly supporting access to care and equality of opportunity.
• BNP Paribas Banque Privée Aix-Marseillekey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployee volunteers from BNP Paribas Banque Privée Aix-Marseille conducted visual screenings in 2 primary schools in Marseille's 3rd arrondissement, screening nearly 400 students.
• BNP Paribas Factorkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployee volunteers from BNP Paribas Factor participated in visual screening actions in Marseille schools.
• Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide accessible ophthalmological care to textile factory workers by establishing vision centers within 5 major textile factories.
• KHEA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladeshi NGO providing subsidized glasses directly in factories, complementing Helen Keller's ophthalmology centers. Over 800 workers equipped with glasses.
• Prismatikkey partnerTechnology or IntegrationDeveloped 'La Pyramide de la Vue' serious game for visual health education in schools, combining game-based learning with health awareness.
• Jones DayminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPro bono skills-based partnership providing legal expertise.
• Moka WorksminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPro bono skills-based partnership providing professional services.
• Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades AP-HPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric ophthalmology department (Pr. Brémond-Gignac) handles most severe cases referred through PlanVue program.
• Le C.A.D.E.TcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in PlanVue program providing support for medical examinations and care coordination.
• GrandVision Francekey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperational partner supporting visual health programs in France.
• Ophtalyskey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerOphthalmological partner in PlanVue program providing medical examinations.
• Générale d'Optiquekey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerOptical partner providing glasses equipment for PlanVue beneficiaries.
• Droit de Regardkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting PlanVue program and visual health access.
• Coordination SUDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork partner for coordination of solidarity and humanitarian organizations.
• Ensemble contre la MyopieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork partner for myopia prevention and awareness in France.
• L'AscenseurminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork partner supporting social mobility and health access programs.
• Lions Club Rueil MalmaisonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService club partner supporting visual health programs.
• iRaiserkey partnerTechnology or IntegrationFundraising platform provider handling online donations, membership, and fundraising pages with PCI-compliant payment processing.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• BRAC: Bangladesh-headquartered development organization running the world's largest NGO portfolio with significant health, nutrition and vision components in Bangladesh — directly comparable Bangladesh factory-worker and community-health programming.
• Light for the World: Austrian-led international NGO focused on eye health, inclusive education and disability rights in Africa, Asia and Latin America; smaller scale but directly comparable intervention mix (cataract, refractive error, school screening).

Direct peers

• Sightsavers: UK- and Ireland-registered NGO operating in 30+ low- and middle-income countries on preventable blindness (cataract, trachoma, NTDs) and inclusive education; directly comparable mission and target beneficiary populations.
• CBM (Christoffel-Blindenmission): ChristianBlindMission-affiliated international disability and eye-health NGO active in prevention of blindness and inclusive education across Africa and Asia; directly comparable programmatic portfolio and fundraising model.
• Action contre la Faim: French-headquartered international humanitarian NGO focused on malnutrition treatment and prevention; overlaps directly on Helen Keller Europe's international nutrition portfolio and shares the French-domiciled nonprofit structure with government and individual-donor funding.
• Helen Keller International: The US-based parent affiliate (founded 1915/renamed 1977) that designs and implements the international Vitamin A, nutrition, and NTD programs Helen Keller Europe co-funds; structurally identical mission and overlapping program methodology.
• Orbis International: Global eye health nonprofit operating the Flying Eye Hospital and country programs on cataract, trachoma, refractive error and diabetic retinopathy; same vision-loss-prevention thesis, same developing-country target geographies.
• Vitamin Angels: US-based nonprofit focused on micronutrient supplementation (including Vitamin A) for pregnant women and children under five in low-resource settings; near-identical cost-effective intervention model and beneficiary base.

Broad incumbents

• Fondation de France: France's largest charitable foundation, aggregator and funder of hundreds of cause-specific nonprofits including health and disability programs; comparable as a French nonprofit ecosystem player with overlapping donor pool and IDEAS-style governance standards.

Others

• Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque: French nonprofit operating pediatric cardiac surgery programs for children from developing countries; shares the loi 1901 structure, French corporate-partnership-driven fundraising model and international health-mission framing though different clinical specialty.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helen-keller-europe

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 Helen Keller Europe