Leadership  Dr. Jordan Kassalow, founder & chairman, is an optometrist with an entrepreneurial streak and a master’s in public health. Built and sold chain of optometry stores. Founder of Global Health Policy Program at Council on Foreign Relations. Received Draper Richards Fellowship, Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellowship. VisionSpring Analysis  Reading glasses -- similar to the kind sold on carousel racks in pharmacies and grocery stores in the U.S. -- can make the difference between earning an income or falling into destitution. Many of the world’s poor rely on their close-up vision to make a living; these glasses extend their productivity and protect their livelihoods and families.  Effective intervention at a cost that will be driven down as the program is scaled and partner organizations like BRAC and Freedom from Hunger implement the system within their existing sales channels.  $50k grant to hire a Franchise Partner Manager to develop relationships with organizations in Bangladesh and eastern India that want to implement VisionSpring’s business-in-a-bag for vision entrepreneurs.  Of that amount, $32k will be spent on training and equipping 500 salespeople through BRAC partnership in Bangladesh.  Goal is to create a job that pays for itself by 2010 (see plan below).  Long-term plan to introduce additional vision and development products for the poor thru this distribution channel. Donations  2004: $289,648  2005: $445,093  2006: $858,879 Plan for Franchise Partner Manager 0910 Revenue/pair of glasses$2.50 COGS/pair of glasses$2.00 Pairs of glasses sold7,20012,000 Feasibility $3k12 Pilot $3k12 Stats  Glasses sold: 147,613  Active vision entrepreneurs: 867 Status: Approved Jun 2008 Since: new Profit from glasses$3.6k$6k Feasibility, pilot fees$6k$12k Salary($15k) Travel($3k) Profit / Loss($8,400)-- Progress  Launched in 2001 as corporate foundation of Scojo New York, the optometry chain, with 5% of pre-tax profits. Kassalow sold biz in 08, re- branded independent foundation as VisionSpring.  Now in India, Bangladesh, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ghana. Pilots in Paraguay, Nicaragua. Model  Utilize founder’s contacts and optometry expertise to source low-cost reading glasses from China.  Establish proprietary network of “vision entrepreneurs” with supply chain, training tools, and management.  VEs establish relationship with village chief, publicize a “vision camp” to draw villagers for vision screening, basic exam, and purchase.  Connect with local eye hospitals to make referrals for cases requiring medical attention.  Sell system to other partners: For fee, provide training, products, and technical assistance. Concept  Apply the “Avon Lady” sales model to train, equip, and deploy individual merchants to sell low-cost reading glasses in villages.  Use a market-based approach to increase access to reading glasses:  Making it profitable for mobile salespeople to sell in their communities.  Offering products that are otherwise unavailable or unaffordable to the poor.  Deploy franchise business model and replicate system with NGO and business partners with existing sales forces or microfinance clients. Mission  Correct the vision of presbyopic (far-sighted) people in poverty by providing market access to affordable reading glasses. Problem  Over 700 million of the world’s poor have failing up-close vision, which means they are at risk of losing their livelihoods because they can’t sew, sort coffee beans, or cut hair. DWFF contact: Josh Kwan, Dir of Int’l Giving, Updated: 8/08. Site visit: 12/07 in India. Woman takes eye exam in India