Lighthouse Guild receives $100,000 grant for technology education programs
The donation given by the Frances G. Scaife Foundation will aid in the funding of 1-on-1 work and group training sessions
Image credit: AdobeStock/OlivierLeMoal
The Frances G. Scaife Foundation recently donated a $100,000 grant to the Lighthouse Guild in an effort to aid in the expansion of programs to teach technological skills and provide training for patients with visual impairments.1 The donation was unveiled on February 5 by the private foundation, which has been a longtime donor to the Lighthouse Guild, according to a news release.
“We’re fortunate that Ms. Scaife has been a donor for over twenty years,” said Jaine Schmidt, chief marketing officer at Lighthouse Guild, in the release.
The grant, which will supplement the continued support from the New York State Commission for the Blind and the Lavelle Fund for the Blind, allows for the launch of the Frannie Scaife Tech Training Initiative that aims to put the proposals on the grant, received last month, into action.1 “It will help make possible 1-on-1 work and group training sessions,” said Brian Dever, chief development officer at Lighthouse Guild, in the release.
A program that will benefit from the grant is Tech Pals, which allows younger participants between 18-25 years of age to teach older participants how to use modern smartphone technology to access services for reading navigation, and shopping, among others. Both groups of participants are visually impaired and allows the younger participants to gain teaching experience, while older participants gain technological knowledge.1 “It makes a big impact on our clients’ lives,” Schmidt said in the release.
Another program that the grant will support is the Tech-In sessions, which feature monthly, in-person, interactive group discussions on assistive technology. Lighthouse Guild also provides volunteer programs, including tax preparation for those with visual impairments.1
“Part of the goal is to get more training and accessibility in New York City, as well as all around the country,” said Schmidt in the release. “The more we collaborate as a group and as a team, the more we will accomplish, and the more people we can reach.”
Reference:
Lighthouse Guild receives $100,000 grant for technology for the visually impaired. News release. Lighthouse Guild. March 13, 2025. Accessed March 19, 2025. https://lighthouseguild.org/news/lighthouse-guild-receives-100000-grant-for-technology-for-the-visually-impaired/
