Prior Grant Requests
| Organization Name | Grant Year | Cycle | Request Amount | Grant Awarded | Awarded Amount | Matching Funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse Vision Loss Center | 2025 |
2025-1 |
$5,000.00 | Yes | $2,500.00 | |
| Lighthouse Vision Loss Center | 2026 |
2026-1 |
$3,000.00 |
Organization Name: Lighthouse Vision Loss Center
Organization Website: http://www.lighthousevlc.org
Year Established: 1985Â
Mission Statement:
Lighthouse educates and empowers individuals affected by vision loss, enabling them to live happy, healthy, and independent lives.
Contact Name: Kelly French Years in Position: 1.5
Contact Email: kellyf@lighthousevlc.org
Contact Phone: 9413137375
Address: 7318 N Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida 34243
Have you previously received a grant? Yes If yes, please indicate the year(s): 2025Â
How did you hear about our organization?
We were invited to apply for a grant in 2025, then our CEO did a presentation with your group in February of this year.
What do you believe we can provide your organization?
One client described Lighthouse as the best kept secret in southwest Florida. While we are active in the community, the fact is that in terms of the general population, very few people currently need our services. People may drive past our building or see us at a health fair, but really and truly, until you need, or know someone who has experienced vision loss, most people are not aware of who we are and what we do. Our hope is that by applying for funding and building a relationship with your Giving Circle members, we will increase awareness of our organization. You never know when you may come across who needs our services and doesn’t know where to turn. Just last week, I took my car in for service and the dealership shuttle driver was telling me that his wife can no longer drive due to her vision. When he dropped me off, I was invited him inside to see the facility and meet some of our staff. He’s coming back this week with his wife.
Additionally, we are always looking for volunteers who might be able to lend a hand with an event, a program activity or to serve as a volunteer driver when our clients cannot get from home to class, or any other specialty they may have to offer.
What will the grant be used for?
Lighthouse provides a series of vision rehabilitation classes for people who are blind or experienced vision loss. Specifically, we are seeking funds to help offset supply costs for our Activities of Daily Living and Wellness Wednesday classes. These classes give our visually impaired clients an opportunity to do hands-on activities and learn how to perform these tasks with no or limited sight. A perfect example is one of our cooking classes. In the class, we teach safe cooking techniques – always place a sharp knife between your kitchen sink and the wall to prevent cutting yourself. We demonstrate the use of guards that protect hands and fingers from cuts, as well as protective pieces that can be added to over racks to prevent burns. Through the class, clients are practicing these techniques while preparing their own lunch. They will chop their own vegetables, will sautee a piece of meat and stir fry vegetables. Their meal may be served over rice, that is microwavable or in a tortilla. The class teaches clients how to know when food is fully cooked and ways to know if cooking appliances have been turned off. Activities of Daily Living is a 6-week stand alone class for adults, but is also incorporated into the year-long classes for our youth and children’s programs. Wednesday Wellness is open to current clients and alumni. Geared more for our adult clients, it promotes healthy eating, safety and social engagement.
Quarterly, a craft project is also incorporated into the our classes. Our staff looks for fun projects that clients can do despite their vision loss. Last year, they decorated clear Christmas ornaments by placing different colored beads inside.
Funds from this grant would be used to purchase food products for the cooking classes, as well as arts and crafts supplies.
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Provide the grant amount you are seeking: $3,000.00
Do you provide services to Sarasota and/or Manatee County? Yes
What is the financial impact per individual/program this grant will provide?
Lighthouse receives funding through a contract from the State of Florida Department of Education Division of Blind Services (DBS) to operate the program. Fees are never charged to clients for their classes. About 60% of the cost to operate our programs are covered by the DBS contract, making it necessary for Lighthouse to seek additional funding. This request represents 10% of the allocated full budget for program supplies (all programs, each of the five counties we serve) for the current fiscal year. Our youth and children’s programs has similar programs and supply needs, plus there are items used for demonstration that Lighthouse purchases to keep on hand. Periodically, these items need to be replaced.
Please provide the estimated number of women, children and families impacted.
Annually, close to 200 clients are served in Manatee and Sarasota Counties with the Activities of Daily Living class. Each class meets for six weeks and averages 6-10 clients per session. Traditionally, about 60% of the class is female, so our expectation would be that the grant serves about 135 women.
Is there a matching grant? No If yes, indicate donation source:
May we tour your facility? Yes
What reciprocal benefit can you provide our organization:
Lighthouse will feature the Women’s Giving Circle in our semi-annual newsletter and on our social media feeds.
Proof of Non-Profit Status https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/501c3-IRS-tax-exempt-july-2022-.pdf
Organization’s Logo https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/LighthouseLogo-horizontal-tag-RGB-150×150.png [110 show_image=1]
Project/Program-specific budget: https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/Supply-Budget-Arts-Crafts-Food-for-cooking.pdf
Guide Star Profile/Rating (if applicable): https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/Screenshot-2026-03-20-161132-1-150×150.png
Anything else you would like to share with us?
We are so grateful for the grant funding you gave us last year and the opportunity for our CEO to be at your dinner last month. Thank you for these opportunities.