Newton's Carroll Center for the Blind Awarded $500K Grant

NEWTON, MA– What would you do with half a million dollars? The Carroll Center for the Blind was just selected to receive $500,000 during the next 10 years through the Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program, and it has an idea.

The Newton nonprofit said the funding will be a catalyst to meet the increasing demand for vision rehabilitation services by reaching those in greatest need, including low-income and senior populations.

The Carroll Center for the Blind's aim is to empower people of all ages and all stages of vision loss to live independent lives by providing instruction, counseling, and other vision-related rehabilitation services at its Newton Campus and in the community.

"Adjusting to vision loss and developing the necessary independent living skills is a continued challenge for people who are increasingly isolated in our community—one that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic," said President and CEO of the Carroll Center for the Blind Gregory J. Donnelly. “This grant will be a catalyst for uplifting the blindness community we serve across the Commonwealth."

According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of U.S. citizens who are blind and visually impaired is expected to double by 2050. With more than 25 million adult Americans–including 128,000 Massachusetts residents–already experiencing blindness or difficulty seeing (even when using corrective glasses or contacts), according to the center.

The Cummings $25 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. The Carroll Center for the Blind was chosen from nearly 600 applicants during a competitive review process and is one of just 40 local nonprofits selected to have their grants elevated to a 10-year award ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 each.

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including social justice, homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. The nonprofits are spread across 43 different cities and towns.