VIPS

What VIPS does

VIPS (Vision Interventions & Parental Support) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that delivers early intervention and educational support services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with blindness or low vision across Kentucky and Indiana. The organization operates three physical offices — Louisville (headquarters with Kids Town Preschool and the UAW-Ford Mobility City training streetscape), Lexington (Central Kentucky, with an Orientation & Mobility Camp), and Indianapolis (Indiana, with a Family Resource Center and On The Move Camp) — and reaches families primarily through home-based service delivery, traveling 204,940 miles in FY2024-2025 to deliver 4,467 visits and 29,500 hours of direct contact to 786 families, the largest caseload in its 40-year history.

The service portfolio includes Home Visits by credentialed Teachers of the Visually Impaired and Developmental Interventionists, Orientation & Mobility Services delivered by Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialists (COMS), the AER-accredited Kids Town Preschool, a Two-Day 2's Program, Preschool Transitions and Advocacy, the Parent Empowerment Program, and summer enrichment programming. Adjacent offerings include the Every Child Can! Expanded Core Curriculum Video Series, the Can Do! Video Library (sold through an online store priced $25–$79.99), the Feeling This Life podcast, the quarterly VISability newsletter, free prescription glasses via a partnership with PDS Optical, and the Bret Dahmke Scholarship Fund for families to attend diagnosis-related conferences.

VIPS is funded through a diversified mix of individual donations (multiple giving vehicles including DAF, IRA rollover, stock, bequest, and matching gifts), institutional grants (notable FY2026 funders include Kosair for Kids, Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana, WHAS Crusade for Children, Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation, Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation, AWS Foundation, and Osmondson Charitable Fund), special-event fundraising (Gala, Pickleball Classic, Cupcake Classic, Golf Tournament, Walking for Dreams, Day of Giving), and contracted preschool services with local public school districts. The organization holds a Charity Navigator 4-Star rating, BBB Accredited Charity status, and GuideStar/Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency. FY2024-2025 expense composition was 78.5% program services, 11.7% administration, and 9.8% fundraising, with a staff of approximately 30.

Name

VIPS

Legal name

VIPS (Vision Interventions & Parental Support)

Website

https://vips.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VIPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 that delivers early intervention, preschool, and family support services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with blindness or low vision across Kentucky and Indiana through home visits and three regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: VIPS relies heavily on individual donations from the community. The website features multiple giving options including Make a Donation, Matching Gifts, Donor Advised Fund, IRA Charitable Rollover, Donate Stock, Charitable Bequest, Beneficiary Designations, Life Insurance Policy, and Donor Recognition Societies.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: VIPS receives significant grant funding from foundations including Kosair for Kids ($100,000), Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana ($100,000), WHAS Crusade for Children ($185,000 total), Louisville Downtown Lions Club ($40,000), and many others listed in their grants section.
3. Special Events Fundraising: VIPS raises funds through multiple annual events including the VIPS Gala ($296,475 raised in 2026), Pickleball Classic, Cupcake Classic, Golf Tournament, Walking for Dreams, Day of Giving, and community third-party events.
4. Program Service Fees: VIPS provides services to local school districts through contracts. Kids Town Preschool enrolls eligible students who are blind and have low vision via contracts with local school districts, and provides services to preschool children both privately and through contracts with local public school systems.
5. Product Sales: VIPS operates an online store selling educational videos including the Every Child Can! Expanded Core Curriculum DVD/USB ($50-$79.99) and the Can Do! Video Library series ($25-$40 per DVD), along with transcripts and combo packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

VIPS provides early intervention and educational services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are blind or have low vision across Kentucky and Indiana. Core offerings include in-home early intervention visits, Orientation & Mobility training, the AER-accredited Kids Town Preschool, the Two-Day 2's Program, parent education and advocacy support, and summer specialty camps, supplemented by educational video products sold through an online store and a free prescription glasses program.

Product overview

VIPS (Vision Interventions & Parental Support) is a non-profit organization providing early intervention and educational support services to children who are blind or have low vision in Kentucky and Indiana. The organization offers a portfolio of services including Home Visits, Orientation & Mobility Services, Kids Town Preschool (the only full-time preschool in Kentucky designed specifically for children with blindness/low vision), Two-Day 2's Program, Preschool Transitions and Advocacy, Parent Empowerment Program, and Summer Programs. VIPS also offers educational products through its store, including the Every Child Can! Video Series on the Expanded Core Curriculum and the Can Do! Video Library series of DVDs. The organization maintains a Family Resource Center in Indianapolis and offices in Louisville and Lexington, serving 786 families as of their most recent report.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Visits Early intervention services delivered in family homes, childcare settings, or community locations by highly trained teachers to help babies and toddlers with blindness or low vision reach developmental goals. Provided at no cost to eligible families across Kentucky and Indiana.
• Orientation & Mobility Services Specialized instruction delivered by Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialists (COMS) that helps young children with blindness or low vision develop skills to move safely and confidently through environments.
• Kids Town Preschool A nationally recognized, AER-accredited full-time preschool at the Louisville campus supporting children with blindness or low vision to function as closely as possible to their same-age peers. Enrolls eligible students via contracts with local school districts, operating Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 1:30 pm with a sighted peer modeling program.
• Two-Day 2's Program A preschool-readiness program specifically designed for 2-year-olds with blindness or low vision, focused on structured play and developmentally appropriate activities.
• Preschool Transitions and Advocacy Services that help parents advocate for their child's educational needs during transitions out of VIPS programming into school systems, including IEP assistance and ARC meeting participation.
• Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) A program allowing parents and families to meet, socialize, and learn about topics impacting children with blindness or low vision, offered at the Kids Town Preschool in Louisville and the Family Resource Center in Indianapolis.
• Summer Programs Summer enrichment programming including the Summer Enrichment Program (Louisville), Orientation & Mobility Camp (Lexington), and On The Move Camp (Indiana) for children with blindness or low vision and their siblings.
• Every Child Can! Video Series An educational DVD/USB series providing a preschool-level perspective on the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) for students who are blind or visually impaired, addressing nine critical skill areas including compensatory skills, sensory efficiency, orientation & mobility, independent living, assistive technology, social interaction, self-determination, recreation & leisure, and career education. Sold via vips.org store at $50-$79.99.
• Can Do! Video Library A series of educational DVDs for parents of young children who are blind or have low vision, offering practical techniques covering concept development, tactual learning, gross motor skills, Braille introduction, and social skills. Priced at $25-$40 per DVD on vips.org.
• Growing My Way (Parts I & II) An educational DVD series tracking the development of five babies and toddlers from birth to 36 months, including typically developing children and children with low vision and visual impairments. Sold via vips.org store.

Quantifiable outcome

• 786 families served in 2024-2025, the most in the organization's 40-year history
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PDS OpticalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free prescription glasses to children currently receiving VIPS services through a voucher program.
• UAW-Ford Mobility CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA unique 38-by-37 concrete simulated streetscape at VIPS Louisville teaching preschoolers with blindness or low vision street navigation skills.
• Louisville BalletminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing dance/music therapy at Kids Town Preschool through the Frances N. Alden Charitable Trust funding ($25,000 for dance and music classes).
• WFYI and PBS KidsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership making Daniel Tiger event at VIPS Family Resource Center possible in Indianapolis.
• SertomaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Walking for Dreams 2026 fundraiser.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Printing House for the Blind (APH): APH, headquartered in Louisville, KY, develops and distributes educational products (including curricula and digital resources) for children with blindness or low vision. VIPS staff have contributed content to APH Hive courses, and both organizations serve as Louisville-based hubs for vision-loss education nationally.
• Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments: St. Louis-based nonprofit providing early intervention, family education, and preschool services for young children with visual impairments. Most direct functional peer to VIPS in terms of mission, age range served, and home-visit service model.
• Kentucky School for the Blind: Kentucky's public residential school for blind and visually impaired students, with which VIPS shares families and a foundation funder (Kentucky School for the Blind Charitable Foundation gave VIPS $105K in 2026). Both serve the blindness/low vision population in Kentucky at different developmental stages (VIPS for 0–5; KSB for school-age).

Broad incumbents

• Perkins School for the Blind: Perkins is a nationally recognized institution serving children who are blind or visually impaired, including early intervention and preschool programs. It operates at a much larger national scale than VIPS but addresses the same core population with overlapping educational and family-support services.
• Lighthouse Guild: National nonprofit providing comprehensive vision healthcare, rehabilitation, and education services across all ages. Broader portfolio than VIPS but overlapping educational and pediatric vision-loss mission.

Others

• Foundation Fighting Blindness: National nonprofit focused on retinal disease research and family support for inherited vision loss. Not a direct service provider but is a major referral pipeline and adjacent player in the blindness/Low Vision ecosystem VIPS serves.
• National Federation of the Blind (NFB): National advocacy and member-services organization for blind individuals. Shares the blindness community constituency with VIPS but focuses on policy, advocacy, and adult services rather than early childhood intervention.

Regional players

• Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Indiana's state school serving blind/visually impaired students and providing outreach early intervention services. Comparable to Kentucky School for the Blind and a natural systems-level partner/competitor for VIPS's Indiana operations.
• Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Regional nonprofit serving Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area with vision rehabilitation, early childhood, and orientation & mobility services. Geographic proximity and overlapping service types make it a close comparable for VIPS's regional operating model.
• Bosma Enterprises: Indianapolis-based nonprofit providing rehabilitation and training for people with blindness and visual impairments, including youth services. Operates in VIPS's Indiana footprint with overlapping mission on independence skills.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@vipsorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/vipsorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vipsorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/vipsorg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 VIPS