christoffel-blindenmission

What christoffel-blindenmission does

CBM (Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e.V.) is a German non-profit international development organization headquartered in Bensheim, with a secondary office in Berlin and 644 employees worldwide (281 in Germany as of 2025). Founded in 1908 by Ernst Jakob Christoffel in the Ottoman Empire, CBM operates 385 projects across 35 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, focusing on disability-inclusive health, eye care, blindness prevention, rehabilitation, inclusive education, and emergency humanitarian aid. Its core programmatic products are cataract and trachom surgery, neglected tropical disease prevention (trachom, onchocerciasis), inclusive education and child sponsorship (Kinderpate), self-help and rehabilitation programs for people with disabilities, and disaster response (Nothilfe). In 2025 the organization reports 69.8 million people reached, 8.7 million receiving eye medical care, 393,315 cataract surgeries funded, and 59 million people protected from neglected tropical diseases. The technical stack is non-proprietary at the core; CBM's most distinctive technology is the deployment of Peek Vision smartphone-based eye testing (Peek Acuity and Peek Capture) in projects, in which CBM was the first global implementing partner.

The business model is donation-funded across five streams: individual donations (one-time, monthly AugenlichtRetter at €9/month, special-occasion donations, testamentary gifts), major gifts and foundation grants (e.g., ProFiliis-Stiftung), corporate partnerships (gift cards, payroll giving, project sponsorship), church collections (Gottesdienste, Konfirmandenaktion), and annual membership fees from 60+ honorary assembly members. Tiered, transparent donation pricing is published (e.g., €18 medications, €47 trachom surgery, €50 school attendance, €80 mobile outreach, €125 child cataract surgery). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across digital (cbm.de, PayPal campaigns, email newsletters, social media), event-driven (annual assembly, church services, webinars), and enterprise channels (corporate partnerships, major donor cultivation, foundation collaboration). CBM holds WHO official relations (since 1989), UN ECOSOC consultative status (since 2002), the DZI donation seal (since 1993), and Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft membership; in 2020 it merged its German member association with CBM-International and operates affiliated non-profit entities in Austria and the United States.

Name

christoffel-blindenmission

Legal name

CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e.V.

Website

https://cbm.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

CBM (Christoffel-Blindenmission) is a German international development non-profit, founded in 1908, that delivers disability-inclusive eye care, blindness prevention, rehabilitation, and emergency aid through 385 projects across 35 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, funded by individual, church, corporate, and foundation donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian Aid / Disability-Inclusive Development

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disease-Specific Global Programs (HIV/TB/Malaria/NTDs) (HLAJAKAF), Disease-Specific Global Initiatives (HIV/TB/Malaria/NTDs) (HLAJAOAE), International & Global Public Health Aid Administration (Government Donors) (HLAJALAO)

Keywords

• Blindness prevention programs
• Disability-inclusive development
• Eye medical care
• Humanitarian aid services
• Charitable donation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bensheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: CBM's primary revenue source is individual donations from private donors. This includes one-time donations, regular monthly donations (AugenlichtRetter program at 9 euros/month), special occasion donations (birthdays, weddings, funerals), and testamentary gifts.
2. Major Gifts and Foundations: Large donations from major donors, philanthropists, and foundations. Includes project-specific funding, endowment contributions, and foundation grants.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with companies including financial contributions, gift card programs, project sponsorship, and payroll giving programs.
4. Church Collections: Collections during church services (Gottesdienste), confirmation campaigns, and special church events.
5. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from CBM's 60+ honorary members who serve on the general assembly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CBM (Christoffel-Blindenmission) is an international Christian development organization that funds and implements disability-inclusive health, eye care, rehabilitation, and empowerment programs for people with disabilities in low-income countries. Core programs include funding cataract and trachom surgeries, distributing medications for neglected tropical diseases (Mectizan for river blindness), building and equipping eye clinics, training ophthalmologists, supporting inclusive education, and providing emergency humanitarian aid. Operations span 385 projects across 35 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, funded primarily through individual donations, recurring sponsorships, corporate partnerships, and church collections in Germany.

Product overview

CBM (Christoffel-Blindenmission) is a charitable organization, not a software company. Their core 'products' are humanitarian aid programs and donation/fundraising services. The main program areas include eye health (cataract surgery, trachom elimination via WHO's SAFE strategy), disability support (self-help programs, child sponsorship), and emergency aid. Fundraising products include recurring donations (AugenlichtRetter at 9 EUR/month), occasion-based donations, major donor programs, corporate partnerships, foundation collaborations, testamentary giving, and a gift donation shop. CBM also operates the Peek Vision smartphone-based eye testing technology in their projects and provides accessibility tools like a Braille translator. Their subsidiary, CBM Stiftung, enables donors to create endowed foundations. All products work together to fund and implement disability programs across 35 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cataract Surgery Program (Graue-Star-OP)
• AugenlichtRetter (Eyesight Saver Monthly Sponsorship)
• Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe (Self-Help Support Program)
• Kinderpate (Child Sponsorship)
• Nothelfer (Emergency Aid)
• Ausbildung von Ärzten fördern (Medical Training Program)
• Anlassspenden (Occasion Donations)
• Großspenden-Programm (Major Donor Program)
• Testamentsspende (Testamentary Donation)
• Unternehmenspartnerschaften (Corporate Partnerships)
• CBM Stiftung (CBM Foundation)
• Trachom Program (Trachom Elimination)
• Spendengeschenke (Symbolic Donation Gifts)
• Geschenkspende-Shop (Gift Donation Shop)
• Stiftungs-Kooperation (Foundation Partnerships) Partnership services for foundations wanting to support disability programs in developing countries, with customized project selection and implementation support.
• Mectizan Medication Distribution (River Blindness Eradication)

Quantifiable outcome

• 393,315 cataract surgeries performed by CBM project partners in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Peek VisioncoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2018Technology partnership to use Peek Acuity (vision test app) and Peek Capture (patient database) in CBM eye projects. CBM is the first organization globally to implement this technology. Pilot projects in Pakistan (2018) and Zimbabwe (2019).
• ZEISScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership with ZEISS for training ophthalmologists and eye care professionals in developing countries.
• Bündnis Entwicklung HilftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016CBM is a member of the alliance 'Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft' (Alliance Development Helps), which coordinates humanitarian aid and emergency response in developing countries.
• MSD (Merck & Co.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201225-year partnership (since 2012, celebrated) for the eradication of river blindness (onchocerciasis) through Mectizan medication donation program.
• ProFiliis-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Partnership with ProFiliis Foundation (founded by Thomas and Cornelia Schieferstein) for supporting children in Africa and Asia. Funded 18 projects as of 2024 including inclusive schools in Tanzania, AIC-Cure Hospital in Kenya, and school rehabilitation in the Philippines.
• United Nations (UN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002CBM has Roster Status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2002. Enables participation in policy processes, contributed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and participated in Germany's review of UN Disability Rights Convention implementation.
• Hilfswerk der deutschen LionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Long-standing partnership since 1992 with German Lions Aid organization for joint development and humanitarian projects.
• World Health Organization (WHO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989CBM maintains official relations with WHO as a recognized technical organization for blindness prevention and rehabilitation. Collaborates on eye health guidelines, publications, and policy development. CBM contributed to WHO reports on disability, vision, and hearing.
• ORDA (Organisation für Rehabilitation und Entwicklung in Amhara)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1984Partnership with Ethiopian NGO ORDA in the Amhara region for trachom elimination using the WHO SAFE strategy. Includes surgery, antibiotics, face washing education, and environmental improvements (water access).
• Local Partner OrganizationscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1971CBM works with local, national, and international partners to implement programs. Local partners handle project execution, with support from planning partners (health ministries, disability organizations) at national level, and political partners (UN agencies, NGOs, universities) at international level.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: BRAC is one of the largest development INGOs globally, headquartered in Bangladesh, with programs in health, disability, and poverty alleviation across many of the same low-income geographies CBM serves. It is comparable as a broad incumbent whose disability and community eye-health programs overlap with CBM's, even though its primary identity is broader poverty alleviation.
• SOS Children's Villages: SOS Children's Villages is a major German-originated INGO with similar DACH-region donor base, sponsorship program model, and operations across developing countries. While not focused on disability or eye health, it is a comparable large German INGO competing for individual donors, church collections, and corporate CSR budgets.
• MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières): MSF is a global medical-humanitarian INGO delivering healthcare in low-income and crisis settings. While its mandate is broader acute care rather than eye health, MSF is comparable as a large European-headquartered INGO that competes for medical-themed donations and operates in overlapping partner geographies.

Direct peers

• Fred Hollows Foundation: The Fred Hollows Foundation is an Australian-headquartered INGO working to end avoidable blindness, with a strong focus on cataract surgery and trachom elimination in developing countries. It competes directly with CBM for donor mindshare, partner hospitals, and government co-financing in the eye-health niche.
• Orbis International: Orbis International operates the Flying Eye Hospital and partners with local institutions to deliver training, cataract surgery, and trachom elimination. It overlaps with CBM in eye-care program delivery, partner-network model, and donor fundraising across similar low-income geographies.
• Helen Keller International: Helen Keller International is a US-headquartered INGO that addresses preventable blindness (including trachom and onchocerciasis) and supports people with visual impairments in low-income countries. It shares CBM's disease-specific NTD mandate, partner-driven model, and individual/corporate donor mix.
• Sightsavers: Sightsavers is a global INGO focused on preventing avoidable blindness and supporting people with visual impairments and other disabilities in low-income countries. It is the most direct competitor to CBM, operating in overlapping geographies across Africa and Asia with similar partner-driven program models, WHO engagement, and individual donor fundraising infrastructure.
• Light for the World: Light for the World is an Austrian- and European-headquartered disability and eye-health INGO with overlapping European donor base and similar programming in Africa and Asia. It is highly comparable to CBM given shared DACH-region origin, disability mandate, and Christian/values-aligned heritage.
• Humanity & Inclusion (formerly Handicap International): Humanity & Inclusion is a France-headquartered INGO working on disability inclusion, rehabilitation, and inclusive health across developing countries. It is comparable to CBM on the broader disability-mission axis, with overlapping program areas (inclusive education, rehabilitation, emergency response) and similar European institutional donor base.

Others

• Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft: Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft is a German alliance of major development and humanitarian INGOs (of which CBM is a member) that coordinates joint humanitarian responses and produces the annual World Risk Report. It is an ecosystem peer rather than direct competitor; CBM's membership signals standing in the German INGO landscape.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cbmDeutschland
• Facebookfacebook.com/cbmDeutschland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cbmdeutschland
• Instagraminstagram.com/cbmdeutschland

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about christoffel-blindenmission