President's Message
Dear Friends:
As President of the National Federation of the Blind, I am honored to share with you our accomplishments of the past year, as well as our exciting and ambitious plans. Being part of a community with a positive and forward-thinking philosophy gives me great hope and optimism for the future. We believe that blind people should feel empowered to dream big, and we’ll work together with determination so those dreams can be realized.
The most important word in our name, National Federation of the Blind, is the word “of.” And a lot of people, when I share that with them, are surprised by that. They hadn’t thought about it. We’re a membership organization of blind people. There are hundreds of various agencies for the blind in this country. But our organization is run and directed by blind people. We’re represented by blind people, who are elected by blind people, to be the leaders of our organization.
We have been through many generations of collective action, courageous leadership, and big dreams. In the first generation, the community-building effort for blind people began with small experiments in blind-centered training, leading to the successful Iowa experiment led by Kenneth Jernigan. This evolved into the second generation, where programs in states like Colorado, Louisiana, and Minnesota helped blind youth transition and assert leadership.
The third generation focused on creating accreditation systems, university training, and professional development, with a growing emphasis on blind-led initiatives. Now, the fourth generation is working on building a more mature, cooperative community that challenges vision-centered approaches and continues to protect the dignity of blind people.
As we continue to build, we reflect on our work and responsibilities. At the most recent end-of-year meeting, board members discussed reasons for their dedication and faith in the work of the National Federation of the Blind. Some were inspired by the need, while others were empowered by the commitment shown by our members and leaders to help one another. Most importantly, every person who spoke made it clear that real progress for blind people comes through the collective action we choose to take together and that they are grateful and uplifted by the confidence that has been placed in them as leaders.
The important fact that we are a blind-centered and blind-led organization gives us great authority, authenticity, and effectiveness in the work that we do. And it is very different than almost any other entity you find out there working with blind people.
As valued members of our community, your support plays a pivotal role in the National Federation of the Blind. Your generosity fuels our initiatives, empowers our mission, and helps us turn our aspirations into reality. Whether you participate in our movement through donating, volunteering, spreading the word, or a combination of all of these contributions, your involvement is crucial to our success.
Thank you for your unwavering belief in our mission and your commitment to taking action to make a difference in our movement.
I look forward to our continued work together to champion collective action and create a world that celebrates the potential and the achievements of blind people.
With deepest gratitude,
Mark Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
Lead Courageously for Education
“Ben has had slow progress with learning Braille, so I wasn’t expecting much. However, during the second week of BELL, Ms. Bridget sent me a video that brought tears to my eyes. There was Ben, sitting and reading lines of letters all by himself! And he was PROUD of himself! That is the defining difference that BELL makes. Ms. Bridget and Mr. Carson made it a true community that celebrated their progress and accomplishments and made Ben WANT to learn.”
- Blind Youth Enrichment: 222 students participated in NFB BELL® Academy across 18 states, 117 students explored accessible science projects during STEM2U in 14 states, and 605 families enrolled in Early Childhood Initiatives.
- IEP Advocacy Academy: 16 participants from 15 states learned strategies for supporting blind students in schools.
- Teachers of Tomorrow: 20 teachers and 25 mentors completed a rigorous year-long program
- to raise expectations for blind students.
Champion Collective Action All Year
- National Convention: More than 2,700 people attended the largest gathering of blind people in the world.
- Washington Seminar: 375 members connected with elected representatives to advocate for legislation to improve the lives of all blind people.
- Employment Initiatives: 340 jobseekers and 55 employers connected at our career fairs, held virtually, in Washington, DC, and in Orlando, FL.
“With the connections I made through the NFB, I have been able to leverage my networking skills to find out about and break into competitive employment opportunities. This has secured me an internship at a company in the Fortune 500 this summer. Now, I serve on the National Association of Blind Students board and work towards being a role model for others.”
Foster Inclusion and Independence at any Age
- NFB-NEWSLINE®: A free audio service with more than 500 publications that subscribers accessed for a total of 23,705,647 minutes.
- Free White Cane Program: 6,381 blind people received free white canes.
- Dare to Be Remarkable: 100 educators and rehab instructors attended this transformative
- seminar for professionals who work with blind and low-vision students or adults.
Dream Big for the Present and Future
“We hope through our efforts to be advocates and simply be involved in our communities we are able to change the perceptions that people have about what blindness is.”
Learn more about our ambitious initiatives by calling 410-659-9314 or visiting https://nfb.org
Accountability & Transparency
The National Federation of the Blind meets the most rigorous standards for charity accountability and transparency.
Financial Statement
2024 Fundraising and Management and General Expense as a percent of Total Public Support. To read our 2024 annual report, visit https://nfb.org/annual-report.
Management & General 3%
Fundraising 4%
Program Services 93%
How You Can Help
We could not do this critical work without our many generous supporters.
Contribute Online
Make a credit card contribution online at https://nfb.org/donate.
Give by Phone
Call 410-659-9314, extension 2430.
Contribute by Mail
Send checks made out to the “National Federation of the Blind” to the National Federation of the Blind, attention Outreach, at 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
Planned Giving
Including the National Federation of the Blind in your future plans to ensure we advance the next generation. It’s easier than you think. Learn more at https://nfb.org/planned-giving or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422.
Who We Are
The National Federation of the Blind, headquartered in Baltimore, defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. Founded in 1940, the NFB is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans—with affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, the district of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality.
Leadership
We believe in blind people because we are blind people—from our democratically elected leaders to our diverse nationwide membership. Members of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind are a diverse group of leaders who are elected at our national convention and dedicate their time, professional expertise, and strategic vision to advancing our mission.
Officers
- Mark A. Riccobono, President—Maryland
- Pam Allen, First Vice President and Board Chair—Louisiana
- Everette Bacon, Second Vice President—Utah
- Norma Crosby, Treasurer—Texas
- Barbara Manuel, Secretary—Alabama
Board Members
- Jessica Beecham–Colorado
- Shawn Callaway—District of Columbia
- Marci Carpenter—Washington
- Ben Dallin—Wisconsin
- Marilyn Green—Illinois
- Jim Marks—Montana
- Tom Page—Kansas
- Grace Pires—Rhode Island
- Donald Porterfield—Arizona
- Jamie Richey—Nebraska
- Tracy Soforenko—Virginia
- Sheila Wright—Missouri
Our Mission
The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.
Financial Statement
Statements of Activities
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Revenue and Gains and Other Support
Public Support
Contributions: 18,459,271 dollars
Donated Services: 8,108,596
Government Grants and Contracted Services: 1,490,484
Total Public Support: 28,058,351 dollars
Revenue
Sales - Independence Products and Publications: 287,425
NET Investment Income (loss): 2,940,518
Total Revenue: 2,842,062 dollars
Total Revenue and Gains and Other Support: 30,900,413 dollars
Expenses
Program Services
Blindness Integration: 11,119,086
Civil Rights, Advocacy, and Self-Organization: 8,882,619
Nonvisual Access Technology, Methods and Systems: 5,751,312
Total Program Services: 25,753,017
Supporting Services
Management and General: 780,567
Fundraising: 1,145,366
Total Supporting Services: 1,925,933
Total Expenses: 27,678,950 dollars
Overall
Changes in Net Assets: 3,221,463 dollars
Net Assets - Beginning of Year: 31,342,139 dollars
Net Assets - End of Year: 34,563,602 dollars