HELP THE BLIND FOUNDATION AMERICA

What HELP THE BLIND FOUNDATION AMERICA does

Help The Blind Foundation (HTBF) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 2010 by the late Mr. D.K. Patel, a retired HSBC economist, and headquartered in Chennai, India. The foundation addresses the educational and employability needs of visually impaired students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in India, where approximately 12 million of the world's 39 million blind people reside. HTBF currently supports over 3,000 students across 230+ partner colleges in 14 Indian states, with affiliated entities operating in Hong Kong (Help the Blind Foundation Limited under Section 88) and the USA (Help The Blind Foundation-America, a 501(c)(3) with Tax ID 82-1096074).

HTBF delivers its mission through a portfolio of integrated programs. FACE (Financial Assistance for College Education) provides annual scholarships of INR 12,000 (day scholars) to INR 30,000 (hostel students) covering tuition, hostel fees, meals, and study materials. EMET (Empowerment through Mobility, Education, and Training) is a two-year structured skill development program delivering 400-500+ hours of training in digital literacy, assistive technology, communication English, and workplace readiness, paired with laptop packages (INR 50,000) and assistive devices such as Smart Vision Glasses, Aura Vision Glasses, Kibo Readers, magnifiers, and screen readers (JAWS, NVDA). The School Intervention Program (SIP, formerly the Early Intervention Program) extends the continuum to Grades 9-12 through its STEP-UP (digital literacy, English, mobility) and STEM (tactile science/math in partnership with Vision Empower Trust) sub-components. Additional offerings include Professional Courses, Talent Search & Mentoring, Capability Enhancement Programs, and a newly announced Entrepreneurial Program.

HTBF's business model is donor-dependent. Revenue streams comprise individual donations, corporate CSR partnerships (Titan, Cognizant Foundation, HDFC Parivartan, Saint Gobain, Quess Foundation), and foundation grants (e.g., Guru Krupa Foundation, USA). Cumulative disbursements since 2010-11 total INR 28.49 Cr (~$3.4M USD), with INR 4.37 Cr disbursed in 2025-26 alone and 1,041 students graduated that year. Tax-deductible donation infrastructure is established across jurisdictions: Section 80G (India), 501(c)(3) (USA), Section 88 (Hong Kong), and FCRA registration (075901381) for foreign donations. The foundation distributes its programs through Empowerment and Skill Development Resource Centres in Chennai, Bangalore, Nashik, and Thanjavur, and reaches beneficiaries through a hub-and-spoke model centered on NAAC-accredited partner colleges.

Name

HELP THE BLIND FOUNDATION AMERICA

Legal name

Help The Blind Foundation

Website

https://helptheblindfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Help The Blind Foundation is a non-profit founded in 2010 that supports visually impaired students in India through scholarships, assistive technology, and skill development programs across 230+ partner colleges in 14 states, with affiliated entities in Hong Kong and the USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Support Services for the Visually Impaired

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM), AT Funding, Procurement & Compliance Support (IEP/504 Documentation) (EDAKAIAJ)

Keywords

• Disability education services
• Visual impairment support
• Scholarship assistance programs
• Skill development training
• Assistive technology access

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: The foundation generates revenue through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Donations are tax-deductible under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act (India), 501(c)(3) status (USA), and Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Hong Kong).
2. Corporate CSR Partnerships: Companies sponsor programs through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, supporting FACE scholarships, EMET skill development, and School Intervention Programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Help The Blind Foundation provides scholarships, assistive technology, structured skill-development training, and mentoring programs to visually impaired students in India pursuing higher education. Its core programs include FACE (Financial Assistance for College Education), EMET (Empowerment through Mobility, Education, and Training), and the School Intervention Program (SIP), complemented by Talent Search & Mentoring, Professional Courses, and an Entrepreneurial Program. Operations are funded entirely through individual donations, corporate CSR sponsorships, and foundation grants across its India, Hong Kong, and USA entities.

Product overview

Help The Blind Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting visually impaired students in India through a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include FACE (Financial Assistance for College Education) for scholarships, EMET (Empowerment through Mobility, Education, and Training) for skill development, and SIP (School Intervention Program) for early school-level intervention. These programs work together to provide a continuum of support from school through higher education and employment. EMET provides technology assistance including laptops and assistive devices, structured training curricula, and resource centres. SIP encompasses STEP-UP for co-curricular skills (digital literacy, communication, mobility) and the STEM Project for science/mathematics accessibility. Additional offerings include Professional Courses Program, Talent Search & Mentoring, and a recently launched Entrepreneurial Program. The organization operates across India with offices in Chennai, Hong Kong, and USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FACE (Financial Assistance for College Education) HTBF's flagship scholarship program providing annual financial assistance of INR 30,000 per annum to hostel students and INR 12,000 per annum to day scholars, covering tuition, hostel fees, meals, study materials, Braille materials, and internet access for visually impaired students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate education.
• EMET (Empowerment through Mobility, Education, and Training) A cornerstone skill development and employability program for visually impaired college students providing structured training in technology access, digital literacy, communication English, orientation & mobility, workplace readiness, and career guidance, delivered through 410–500+ hours of structured curriculum aligned to student readiness and progression.
• SIP (School Intervention Program) An umbrella early-intervention program for visually impaired students in Grades 9-12, providing digital literacy, communication English, orientation and mobility training, co-curricular music and sports activities, and STEM learning support to prepare students for higher education and employability.
• Professional Courses Program Enhanced-assistance program for visually impaired students with strong academic promise or specific talent areas who require higher-tier financial and academic support to pursue professional courses beyond standard scholarship coverage.
• Talent Search & Mentoring Program A program designed to identify and nurture visually impaired students with distinctive talents, providing structured mentorship and tailored support for their professional and personal development.
• Entrepreneurial Program An initiative announced at Annual Meet 2026 to support visually impaired entrepreneurs with guidance, industry insight, mentorship, and strategic support in navigating funding avenues to build sustainable ventures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Typing speed improved from 5 WPM (50% accuracy) to 17 WPM (75% accuracy) among SIP students
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vision Empower TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for STEM Project component of School Intervention Program, providing tactile and experiential learning tools and inclusive teaching methodologies.
• Enable IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Trainer Certification Course (TCC) enabling EMET beneficiaries to become certified skill development trainers. Also collaborated for computer skills awareness session in 2019.
• Shankar Mahadevan Music AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed to introduce structured music training for visually impaired students in select government schools under STEP-UP component of SIP.
• Tamil Nadu Football AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed to introduce structured football training and physical literacy for visually impaired students in select government schools under STEP-UP component.
• UCO BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted two-day refresher workshop for 12 visually impaired employees on computer skills, MS-Word, Excel, soft skills, and assistive devices at Training Centre in Chennai.
• Karl Kübel FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Annual Meet 2026 venue at their Coimbatore campus on Anaikatti Road.
• Narayana Nethralaya Hospital, BangaloreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLow vision assessments conducted for visually impaired students for assistive device prescriptions.
• Government of Tamil NaduminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved appointment of dedicated mathematics and science teachers in participating government schools for STEM component. Six teachers onboarded.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Foundation for the Blind: US-based national nonprofit addressing issues of blindness and visual impairment through advocacy, research, and programs. Operates as a US counterpart with broader advocacy and policy focus compared to HTBF's India-centric education grantmaking.
• Helen Keller International: Global nonprofit focused on prevention of blindness and supporting people with vision impairment through nutrition, health, and education programs. Comparable in mission on visual impairment but operates globally across prevention and treatment, not solely education grantmaking.
• Perkins School for the Blind: Historic US-based institution serving blind and deafblind students through education, research, and international programs. Comparable in mission focus but operates at significantly larger scale with broader global programs in accessibility and disability inclusion.

Direct peers

• Saksham: India-based nonprofit focused on empowering persons with disabilities including visual impairment through education, livelihood, and advocacy. Operates similar scholarship and skill development programs and competes for the same CSR funding pool as HTBF.
• Score Foundation: India-based nonprofit creating economic and employment opportunities for persons with visual impairment through livelihood programs. Comparable in mission to support economic empowerment of visually impaired individuals in India through training and placement support.
• Sense International India: Indian arm of Sense International, supporting deafblind and multi-sensory impaired persons through education and intervention programs. Comparable in disability-focused education grantmaking and beneficiary support model.
• National Association for the Blind (NAB) India: One of India's largest nonprofits serving visually impaired persons across education, rehabilitation, and employment. Directly comparable to HTBF in mission focus on blind education and employability, with broader geographic reach and longer operating history.
• Enable India: Bangalore-based nonprofit providing livelihood, education, and accessibility training for persons with disabilities. Strategic partner of HTBF for Trainer Certification Course and similar skill-development focus areas; comparable in mission and operating model.

Regional players

• LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired: San Francisco-based nonprofit serving blind and visually impaired individuals through education, employment, and rehabilitation services. Comparable in providing integrated education-to-employment pathways for the visually impaired, but operates primarily in Northern California rather than India.

Emerging players

• Vision Empower Trust: Hyderabad-based nonprofit providing accessible STEM education to visually impaired students in India. Direct implementation partner for HTBF's STEM Project and comparable in mission focus on assistive STEM learning for the visually impaired.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@helptheblindfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/LifeatHTBF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/help-the-blind-foundation-america
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifeathtbf?igsh=MXhidTZtODBjYnds

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about HELP THE BLIND FOUNDATION AMERICA