Imagining the Future
Light 2014 Annual Report
BRAILLE INSTITUTE
NEW LEADERSHIP, NEW DIRECTIONS
Several years before founding Braille Institute of America in 1919, Bob Atkinson said, “There must be
something better for blind people, there has to be. I’m going to find it.” And so the work of our great
organization began.
The powerful words of Bob Atkinson guide our mission and support our passion to improve the lives of
thousands of people with vision loss each year. His words continue to inspire innovation and quality
improvement today at Braille Institute.
This past year a new and broader management team was formed, in part by adding our five Regional
Executive Directors to the Senior Leadership Team. Together, we began Imagining the Future with New
Leadership and New Directions. We focused on key priorities identified in LIGHT last year. We
strengthened our philanthropic infrastructure through the addition of staff and a new cloud-based
database. We also focused on organizational productivity and better measurement of the impact of our
work.
Most importantly, our collective efforts provided countless opportunities for our clients to learn new
skills, form relationships, and achieve personal goals. This report highlights personal stories of several of
these individuals, including Avimael Villegas, Angelica Chavirra, Rafael Morales, and Cathy Gardner.
Imagining the Future, we see tremendous opportunity. For example, just as we are leading the way to
improve Braille Literacy, we are building a similar leadership position in Digital Literacy for individuals
who are blind and visually impaired.
Given the accelerating use of technology throughout the world, we believe it is imperative that our
clients learn to use digital devices so they can move forward in their lives socially, academically, and
professionally. Our Information Technology and Regional Center teams completed core projects to
upgrade hardware and create unique regional technology learning centers, called Connection PointeSM.
We will continue to invest in digital technology for students — whether it’s in the classroom, on mobile
devices, or on the web. This will help more people access our programs, including our largest program,
Library Services.
We expect that the overall economic and operating environment will remain challenging. Accordingly,
key priorities for the coming year include revenue growth; investment in our highest impact programs;
refining our understanding of client needs; and our overall marketing strategies.
We are confident that the strategic priorities and grand opportunities before us will be achieved by the
talent and dedication of our team. Our confidence, as always, is built on the time-tested foundation of
excellent leadership from our governing Board, generous private support from our donors, the
boundless service of our volunteers, and extraordinary daily service from our staff.
To all of you who make it happen every day, we offer our sincere gratitude.
Lester M. Sussman
Chair
Peter A. Mindnich, MSW, MBA
President
WITH OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE
Leslie E. Stocker served Braille Institute for more than 35 years, beginning in 1979 as Director of
Development, then as Assistant Executive Director in 1984, before being named President in 1995. Mr.
Stocker retired on March 14, 2014. Under his distinguished leadership, Braille Institute experienced
unparalleled growth and the expansion of the organization’s mission, service area, and national
presence.
Throughout his career, Mr. Stocker has been an innovative leader in serving people who are blind or
visually impaired. He greatly expanded access to Braille Institute services in Southern California and
nationally. His tenure included creating a national initiative to reverse the decline of braille literacy with
programs such as The Braille Challenge®, a national academic competition designed specifically for blind
children, and the Braille Special Collection program, which provides free braille books to children. He
also led the rollout of several capital campaigns for the construction of three new Southern California
centers — Rancho Mirage, San Diego, and Santa Barbara — and expanded the Los Angeles and Orange
County Centers.
Stability has been the hallmark of Braille Institute management. Mr. Stocker created and implemented
the succession plan that brought our new President, Peter A. Mindnich, to the organization in October
2011. Mr. Mindnich assumed his current responsibilities on March 15, 2014, upon Mr. Stocker’s
retirement.
We extend our sincere thanks to Mr. Stocker for his unwavering commitment to Braille Institute and to
people around the nation who are blind and visually impaired.
At a Glance
Staff
(247.2 FTE) 261
Volunteers
3,069
Volunteer/Staff Ratio
12:1
Administrative Costs
3.6%
Fundraising Costs
13.3%
Mission: Braille Institute is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate barriers to a fulfilling
life caused by blindness and severe sight loss.
“I’ve had very limited vision all my life. Three years ago, I became totally blind and that’s when I found
Braille Institute. As a result of the independent living skills, like cooking, that I learned, I live on my own
for the first time in my life. I love computers too and enjoy giving back by teaching others to use the iPad
and iPhone.”
--Nutsiri “Earth” Kidkul
2014 MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS
Last year was an exciting time of change and innovation at Braille Institute.
Among the many highlights:
• We invested in resources and programs that encouraged our adult clients to harness the wealth of
technology resources that can help them achieve their personal goals. Our Connection Pointe
technology learning centers are now in all five regional centers. They provide free instruction on
accessible features to be found in the latest digital devices to help our clients stay connected to the
world around them.
• To help our youth stay competitive in school and prepare for the future, we piloted new digital
projects that help strengthen their braille literacy skills. And, our commitment to advancing the cause of
braille literacy continued to be recognized on a national level. This past spring we received the Touch of
Genius award from the renowned National Braille Press for our work developing the iBraille Challenge
app.
• We supported Library patrons of all ages who are eager to embrace new reading technologies and saw
a 22% increase in digital book downloads.
• We introduced a comprehensive data management system to better evaluate the effectiveness of our
programs and the progress of our clients and students.
OUR VISION FOR 2015
Building on the strength of our longstanding foundation, we will continue to adapt our services to
meet the changing needs of our clients by:
• Broadening our traditional and technology-based curricula so that our clients can build the skills they
need to actively participate in both the physical and digital worlds.
• Expanding and improving our telephone support service, Vision ConnectSM, to include even more
specially trained staff and volunteers who can connect people with vital resources nationally and in each
of our regions.
• Bolstering outreach programming to ensure Braille Institute has the flexibility to be where the demand
is so that we strengthen our ties to local, regional, and national communities.
“I grew up in the foster care system and started losing my vision in 6th grade. When I met
the other students in classes at Braille Institute, I was humbled and appreciative of the vision I
have left. I’ve learned not to let the past dictate my future and I want to spread this message to others.”
--Joseph Burton
WHO WE SERVE
Funded by private donations, all of our services are completely free of charge.
Braille Institute has classes and programs designed to meet the needs of people of any age who are
blind or visually impaired.
For Adults:
• Classes are geared toward the practical day-to-day adaptation to life with less vision.
• Our Braille Institute Library provides books, magazines, and other publications in audio, braille, large
print, and digital format.
• Low Vision Consultations help our clients make the most of their remaining vision using low and high
tech devices, from simple magnifiers and lighting to digital devices.
• Connection Pointe technology centers provide instruction in all of the latest mainstream and adaptive
devices, such as smartphones, tablets, voice output software, and much more.
For Children, Teens, and Young Adults:
• Early Childhood Development consultations with families of infants and toddlers who were born blind
or visually impaired help with understanding the child’s diagnosis, provide referrals, and understand the
developmental milestones.
• Braille Literacy programs for children and teens promote reading braille, a skill proven to have a
measurable impact on success in school and work.
• Classes and programs prepare children, teens, and young adults to face the world with confidence
while challenging them to develop their social and vocational skills in preparation for adulthood.
[General Stats]
HOW WE DELIVER OUR SERVICES
National Programs, p. 6-7 Braille Institute offers a variety of free programs that are available
throughout the United States.
Our programs foster braille and digital literacy and other important skills. We also provide valuable
information and referral services such as helping to find local service agencies, or identifying useful
adaptive technology. Our National Programs make a difference in the lives of people who are blind or
visually impaired, and their families, no matter where they live.
Regional Centers, p. 8-17 Through our five regional centers, Braille Institute provides on-site services
for children, teens, young adults, and adults who are blind or visually impaired.
Although each center provides a full range of classes for all ages, each center also has classes and
services that meet the unique needs of their communities.
Community Programs, p. 18 Braille Institute promotes strong ties to the community and strives to
bring resources to those who need them.
We hold classes for clients in senior centers and assisted living facilities, provide direct services in the
home, and offer training to those who work with people who are blind or visually impaired.
NATIONAL PROGRAMS
“By creatively focusing on traditional skills as well as digital literacy, we engage people around the
country who are blind and visually impaired so that they, too, can benefit from access to the
community, information, and emerging technology for life in 2014 and beyond.”
--Nancy Niebrugge, Associate Vice President, National Programs National Programs
The Braille Challenge®
This motivating academic competition promoting braille literacy is open to visually impaired students,
grades 1 - 12, in the United States and Canada. Regional competitions are held across North America
and the finalists compete in The Braille Challenge Finals in Los Angeles.
Cane Quest®
This program invites blind and visually impaired youth, grades 3 - 12, across the United States to
compete in an annual orientation and mobility skills contest. Through participation in this event,
children improve their ability to maneuver independently through their day.
Special Collection
Our free books for children include Dots for Tots®, Top DotTM, and TacTales® (multi-sensory kits for
preschoolers and beginning readers), and general interest and reference titles in braille for older
children. New this year is Digital Dots, an electronic braille program, giving older children the
opportunity to download braille books of any length.
Vision ConnectSM
Our centralized Vision Connect call center extends our reach, providing referral services and information
about eye diseases, our free programs, resources, and downloadable apps. Contact Vision Connect at
our toll-free number 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553).
Braille National Literacy Initiative
A person who is blind needs to master braille reading and writing for the same reasons that a sighted
person needs to be able to read and write print— to be considered literate. Yet only a minority of
people without sight are braille literate. Our National Literacy Initiative promotes braille use through our
free classes, Special Collection book program, Library Services, and Braille Challenge competition.
The 2014 fall launch of Digital Dots expands our Special Collection program so that high school age
braille readers will no longer need to rely on thick and unwieldy embossed volumes of popular books. By
using Digital Dots and refreshable braille notetakers or other portable tablets/devices for reading, just
like their sighted peers, it will be easy for braille readers to download best sellers like The Giver and The
Hunger Games.
Digital Programs
Braille Institute’s Digital Programs include our Connection Pointe technology centers, live streaming of
our eye disease seminars, and our mobile apps. ViA (Visually Impaired App) helps users find the apps
most useful for those with low or no vision, and VisionSimTM gives people with healthy vision a better
understanding of degenerative eye diseases.
“Two years ago I lost a lot of my sight and could no longer work. Thanks to Braille Institute, I’ve learned
many skills, including reading braille and using a tablet. Now I want to be a teacher.”
--Angelica Chavirra
[National Stats]
HIGHLIGHTS FROM LOS ANGELES
“So many students come to us thinking that their lives are over because they are losing their sight. Our
programs and services provide the personal connections, independence, and self-confidence that give
them access to a new chapter in their lives. We are changing lives every day.”
--Anita Wright, Executive Director, Los Angeles Center
Child Development Program
Each of the regional centers offers programs and classes that meet the needs of their community. In Los
Angeles that includes our very active Child Development Program. This program’s early intervention
services for families with blind or visually impaired infants or toddlers has recently expanded how it
delivers services. Due to recent cutbacks in state-supported programs, many families from outside of
our normal service area have reached out to us for help. To fill this need, we now offer short-term
services for these families, providing limited home visits, connecting the family with services in their
community, and following up as needed.
When Lilyana was just 2 months old, she was diagnosed with cancer in one eye. That is when her
mother, Monica, turned to Braille Institute. “I didn’t know anything when Lilyana was first diagnosed,”
she remembers. With the help of her Braille Institute consultant, Sonia , she gained access to the
resources and support she needed to make informed decisions. Now age 4, Lilyana’s t-shirt says it all —
The Future is Mine.
2014 Accomplishments: Helping our students understand eye diseases and related health issues has
been a major focus at our Los Angeles Center. Our seminar series on this vital subject has been our most
successful to date, with a 50% increase in attendance. We also launched an ongoing effort through our
volunteers and community outreach to emphasize that Braille Institute’s services are for both those who
are blind and those with low, usable vision.
2015 Plans: We will continue to expand the number of communities served by our El Poder Sin VerSM
(Ability Without Sight) Spanish language program. And, with the formal opening of our new Connection
Pointe technology center, we look forward to supporting the mainstream digital and software needs of
our youth and adult students.
“I grew up with so many obstacles and challenges. I had no self-esteem, but now I have confidence and
I challenge myself constantly. In the future if I become completely blind, I will have learned to become
totally independent because of Braille Institute.”
--Rafael Morales, a visually impaired and deaf student, has learned to use the ZBrush program in the 3D
digital sculpting classes at the Los Angeles Center. He hopes to become a professional digital artist.
[Los Angeles Stats]
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ORANGE COUNTY
“When I see our students accomplish one of their goals with a newly learned skill—whether it’s cutting
an apple or confidently using their cane or iPhone—I know that we at Braille Institute have succeeded
with our mission.”
--Gloria Coulston, Executive Director, Orange County Center
Free Services for Visually Impaired Youth & Teens
Children with low or no vision need the same developmental experiences as their peers. Free services
for visually impaired youth and teens provide those experiences through recreational, educational, and
daily living programs. Kitchen Confidence for Youth is a favorite among the many offerings. Although all
of our centers have Kitchen Confidence programs for adults, the Orange County Center includes this
popular class adapted for children, ages 6 - 12, to give them the tools and safety-oriented skills they
need to make their own snacks and to clean up, too.
2014 Accomplishments: By mid-2014, 53 students had signed up for our young adult internship training
program for blind and visually impaired students ages 18 - 30, underscoring the program’s growing
success. Its value is twofold: By teaching daily living skills and the use of adaptive technology to peers,
our interns hone their career objectives and gain confidence through practical, transferrable work
experience — while inspiring learning from a first-hand perspective.
2015 Plans: 2015 marks the relaunch of our in-home program for adults unable to attend on-site classes
and for those who are newly blind or visually impaired. With a new digital literacy component, in-home
visits by English and Spanish-speaking instructors will cover daily living skills, connection to our Library
Services, adaptive devices, and other technologies, as well as referrals for our orientation and mobility
services and appropriate outside agencies.
“I actually did this (cooking) on my own, so it’s not impossible. It’s such an accomplishment! You can
learn to do these things even if you can’t see that well.”
--Evan Guerrero, age 11
“I’ve learned to make different types of dishes and how to be safe in a kitchen. I’ve learned how to use a
knife and can opener.”
--Bella Nordrum, age 11
[Orange County Stats]
HIGHLIGHTS FROM RANCHO MIRAGE
“Through outreach, Braille Institute Rancho Mirage has increased awareness of our low vision wellness
programs and services in the three counties that we serve, and we will soon be taking adaptive
technology into those communities.”
--Lisa M. Jimenez, Executive Director, Rancho Mirage Center
Community Outreach
At Rancho Mirage, raising awareness for our services and building trust among those who need them is
not only vital to our mission, it is also critical as we serve more than 31,000 square miles including San
Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial counties. A Day of Discovery, new this year to our Community
Outreach Program, does just that. After we speak about Braille Institute at an outreach location, we
invite those in attendance to come to our campus, providing transportation, a tour, lunch, and an
afternoon of independent living classes. This important activity has generated new partnerships with
other agencies and organizations connected to our community.
2014 Accomplishments: Named Rancho Mirage’s Outstanding Non-Profit of 2014 by the Rancho Mirage
Chamber of Commerce, we have increased our visibility through proactive outreach and partnerships
with more than 50 organizations throughout the tri-county area that we serve.
2015 Plans: We will continue to focus on those partnerships and on our outreach effort, Mobile
Solutions, which takes adaptive and mainstream technology to those unable to attend classes at our
technology center. We will also implement our plan to address the needs of our young adult population
through new Monday programs focused on career development skills and related topics.
“I lost my right eye when I was 9 years old and as I got older cataracts made my remaining vision very
fuzzy. I felt lonely and afraid to go outside. A friend told me about Braille Institute and it gave me my life
back! Now I’m also a volunteer going out into the community to help others understand about visual
impairment and especially how technology can help.”
--Cathy Gardner
[Rancho Mirage Stats]
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SAN DIEGO
“Our staff and volunteers have taken the quality and size of our core and enrichment offerings to new
levels, providing outstanding services and building a community through a culture of ‘yes,’ while
growing both our on-site and off-site community presence.”
--Richard Ybarra, Executive Director, San Diego Center
Adult Classes
Adult Classes — 135 strong in our San Diego center alone — help support and inspire confidence in
those with limited vision through instruction in home management, assistive technology, adaptive living
techniques, safe transportation, and more. With our emphasis on teamwork, coordination between
departments, volunteers and education staff, and with input from students, our class offerings
continually evolve to even higher levels of excellence. Braille Institute’s adult classes, which are available
at all the regional centers, teach those who are blind or visually impaired how to do familiar tasks in a
new, safe way, enabling them to achieve a greater degree of independence.
2014 Accomplishments: Through special programs in our center and our expanding El Poder Sin Ver
(Ability Without Sight) Spanish language outreach program for Latinos who are visually impaired or
blind, we have raised our visibility among this large and under-represented population. This year we
served 23% more Latino students than last year and more than three dozen Latino students have
enrolled in our new Spanish Fridays classes in technology, Spanish braille, adaptive living, and more.
2015 Plans: In October 2014, to further increase our visibility in the community and give our entire
mission a major boost for the year ahead, we will present the El Poder Sin Ver Expo. With corporate,
media, and governmental sponsors, as well as 15 organizations providing services, we expect this to be
the largest Spanish language event serving the visually impaired in San Diego history.
“I’ve had eye problems since I was born. Braille Institute is about more than just braille, it has first-class
adaptive living classes. I’ve taken many classes here and have learned how to live on my own and to take
care of myself. My life is so much better now and I want to help others with a similar condition.”
--Avimael Villegas
[San Diego Stats]
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SANTA BARBARA
“Since the dedication of our rebuilt center in 2004, our enrollment has increased significantly. We are
meeting the needs of those we serve not only with our focus on Low Vision Wellness, but with today’s
technology, helping our students maintain a high level of independence and productivity at home, in the
classroom, and in the work place.”
--Michael Lazarovits, Executive Director, Santa Barbara Center
2014 Accomplishments: Our strong emphasis on training those who are blind or visually impaired in the
newest adaptive and mainstream technology — including iPads, iPhones, Android phones, and reading
tablets — empowers our students to lead more independent, productive, and enjoyable lives. We
launched an iPad loaner program, the first of its kind at Braille Institute, enabling students to complete
their classwork at home.
2015 Plans: We will introduce an all-new Kitchen Confidence program with an updated curriculum and a
renovated kitchen classroom. The new room will include individual workstations and a smart board, an
interactive teaching device for linking recipes to students’ iPads.
“Before coming here I didn’t speak or understand English very well, and was not computer literate. Now
I can communicate in English and via computers, and this has inspired me to earn my GED, which I just
received! Braille Institute has greatly illuminated the darkness in my life.”
--Luis Arias, a student since 1997 and braille instructor, holds his refreshable braille display.
[Santa Barbara Stats]
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
At Braille Institute we provide access to information and resources to anyone experiencing vision loss or
blindness regardless of where they live. In Southern California, that means expanding beyond our five
regional centers and taking our programs and services directly into surrounding communities.
Outreach Client Services
Many of our clients are unable to travel to one of our centers due to health or transportation reasons.
To help them learn skills they need, we developed a specialized curriculum that we can take directly to
senior centers, clinics, and other community locations. We also help clients one-on-one in their homes.
Training and Partnerships
Our Community Training program offers valuable information to providers, caregivers, and others on
how to best work with those who are blind or visually impaired. Through our low vision wellness
partnerships, Visualizing Your Options, organizations select Braille Institute services most suitable for the
needs of their clients, residents, or patients. In turn, these partners play a significant role in increasing
awareness of Braille Institute.
Ambassador Program
Community Ambassador Volunteers play an important role in Braille Institute’s outreach efforts through
informational presentations on our services. These specially trained volunteers also represent the
organization at local events to help us get our message out to people who are experiencing vision loss.
“I lost all of my sight due to diabetes 10 years ago and was referred to Braille Institute by my doctor. I
took many classes here and learned to live independently. I tell my students that nothing is impossible in
this life!”
--Raul Resendiz, Braille instructor and disability advocate in his community.
[Community Training Stats]
VOLUNTEERS
Make It All Happen
The multi-talented Jim Hull is a writer, lecturer, performer, and musician. An active volunteer since
1987, Hull has recorded most of Braille Institute’s publications, the dictation test for school children
taking part in our Braille Challenge competition, and recorded audio versions of national magazines —
all for the visually impaired audience.
Every Tuesday, rain or shine, Hull can also be found volunteering at the Los Angeles Center, teaching
Music Appreciation and a lively Current Events class.
“What do I get out of it? It’s enormously satisfying,” Hull said. “It’s an anchor point in my life and has
been for a quarter century. This is an institution that does what it says it’s doing, does it well, and does it
with compassion, understanding, helpfulness, and friendliness. And Braille Institute is very respectful of
its volunteers. I’ve always been treated like royalty here.
“As long as they want me to show up, I’m going to show up.”
Page O’Brien Jasinski has been teaching golf to kids and adults in Santa Barbara for over 20 years. Page
started volunteering at Braille Institute about 20 years ago when she was asked to help teach a golf class
to Braille Institute students. She found it so rewarding that she continues to train other Braille Institute
students. Some of these students have gone on to join the U.S. Blind Golf Association and one even
competed in a tournament in Scotland.
“As a volunteer, I’ve felt very inspired by my students’ stories of overcoming changes in life, from having
sight, to losing sight. I’ve been impressed by their positive attitudes and sense of humor, the way they
take things in stride and seize opportunities to expand their lives. Most had never played golf before
they lost their sight. I saw how much it meant to them to come to the golf course, to play a sport outside
in the fresh air, and to join with a community of golf players.”
[Volunteer Stats]
PROGRAM STATS
National
Community Partnerships, Training, and Volunteers
Regional Programs
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
LEADERSHIP
Board of Directors –Fiscal Year 13/14
Chair
Lester M. Sussman, C.P.A.*
Senior Practice Leader
Resources Global Professionals
Member
Thomas K. Callister
Great World Travel
Michael C. Corley*
KPMG LLP
Caryl O. Crahan
Percy Duran III
James H. Jackson*
Vice President & COO Alisal Guest Ranch
Richard C. Larson***
Richard C. Lawton
Michael J.D. Lindsay*
John F. Llewellyn*
Chairman, Forest Lawn Memorial Park Association
Richard A. Nelson*
John G. Nuanes*
Jeanne Olenicoff*
Nishan O. Partamian
Trinity Asset Management
James J. Rhodes*
Managing Director
Proteus Environmental Technologies
Harvey Strode*
Principal, UCBB Capital & Transition Solutions, LLC
Philip V. Swan*
Private Trustee
George E. Thomas*
Thomas Partners Investments, LLC
David J. Wiegand*
Diane Wilkinson
* Executive Committee Member
*** Life Member
Clinical Advisors
Richard Casey, M.D.
Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA
Bartly J. Mondino, M.D.
Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA
Steven D. Schwartz, M.D.
Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA
Roger F. Steinert, M.D.
Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, UC-Irvine
Bill Takeshita, O.D., F.A.A.O., F.C.O.V.D.
Center for the Partially Sighted
Rohit Varma, M.D., M.P.H.
USC Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine
Management
Peter A. Mindnich
President
David L. Burkhardt
Vice President of Philanthropy
Jon K. Hayashida, O.D., F.A.A.O.
Vice President of Programs & Services
Gene M. Mathiowetz
Vice President of Regional Programs
Reza Rahman
Vice President of Finance
Anthony J. Taketa
Vice President & General Counsel
Mari H. Abrams
Associate Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Adama Dyoniziak
Associate Vice President of Strategic Programs & Performance Management
Janice E. Herzberg
Associate Vice President of Human Resources
Nancy N. Niebrugge
Associate Vice President of National Programs
Department Directors
Jamie Aung
Financial Services
Henry C. Chang, Ph.D.
Library Services
Sidney H. Metcalfe
Facilities
Sergio Oliva
National Programs
Susan K. Parker-Strafaci
Child Development
Benjamin Pomeroy
Digital Programs
Josefina Songco
Business Services
Maria L. Valdivia
Information Technology
Regional Executive Directors
Anita Wright
Los Angeles
Gloria Y. Coulston
Orange County
Lisa M. Jimenez
Rancho Mirage
Richard M. Ybarra
San Diego
Michael R. Lazarovits
Santa Barbara
Support Group Presidents
Sandy Brown
Braille Institute Auxiliary — East San Gabriel Valley
Pat Andersons
Braille Institute Auxiliary of Santa Barbara
Denise Sunseri
Friends of Braille Institute San Diego
Beverly Adair
Associates of the Desert
Advisors
Milliman
Actuaries
Poindexter & Doutré, Inc.
General Legal Counsel
Grant Thornton
Auditors
Vanguard Group
Investment Advisors
Annual Report
Jennifer Essen – Managing Editor
Lynne Heffley – Writer
FreeAssociates – Art Direction/Design
Joel Lipton – Photography
Southern California Graphics – Printing
OUR DONORS MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE
Private donors have given 95% of the revenue needed to provide our free programs and services.
Since its founding in 1919, Braille Institute has transformed hundreds of thousands of lives thanks to the
generosity of donors who have embraced its mission. Braille Institute does not rely on government
funding nor do we charge for any of our services. The impact we have on the lives of those who are blind
and visually impaired would not be possible without all of our generous donors. This year, we feature
the Wiegand Family for their dedicated support; just one of the many special donors who make our
work possible.
The Wiegands: A Family of Supporters
David Wiegand, now a retired telecommunications executive, first encountered Braille Institute in 1982,
while overseeing the installation of a new phone system at our Orange County Center.
“What I saw them doing really impressed me,” said Wiegand, who had no idea then how important
Braille Institute was about to become to his own family: A few years later, his sister-in-law, Lourdes,
began losing her vision due to childhood diabetes. Wiegand encouraged her to go to the Orange County
Center.
“Her life just turned around,” he said. “She went to Braille Institute and started learning how to be
independent — getting around with a cane and learning adaptive techniques for cooking. And, she made
a lot of friends. Today, she is the most positive person in our family.” Along the way, Lourdes met and
married fellow Braille Institute student Tadd Wagner and both are now enthusiastic volunteers.
Wiegand and his wife, Maria, have been generous supporters of Braille Institute ever since, and
Wiegand now serves on Braille Institute’s Board of Directors.
“I’m even more impressed now that I’m more involved,” he said. “I see first-hand how efficient and
effective the organization is, and I see the breadth of things they do and how many people they touch in
so many ways.”
Despite being busy with other charitable and business interests, skiing and scuba diving and world
travels with Maria, Wiegand always makes time for Braille Institute.
“I can’t describe how important Braille Institute has been to our family,” he said. “And what they did for
us was not an isolated case. It’s the norm of what happens when people go to Braille Institute for help.”
DONOR HONOR ROLL
We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who gave gifts of time or money to Braille
Institute between January 1 and December 31, 2013. We could not have helped the tens of thousands of
blind and visually impaired people this past year without you!
Braille Institute is built upon a strong tradition of philanthropy dating back to 1919, the year of our
founding, when Mary and John Longyear’s generous gift first made the work of Braille Institute possible.
And that same spirit of philanthropy carries on today through donations made by individuals,
foundations, businesses, service clubs, volunteers, students, clients and staff — people like you, whose
gifts continue to sustain and grow our vital programs and services.
We do not charge for any of our services, nor do we rely on government funding. The one constant over
the last 95 years is that the impact we have on the lives of blind and visually impaired men, women,
children, and their families each year would not be possible without our generous donors.
As we give recognition for support, space limitations allow us to list only those donors whose gifts
qualified them for membership in one of the following donor recognition categories.
Pillars
Pillars are donors who have made donations to Braille Institute for at least five years. Year after year, it
is this group of generous friends that helps provide the strong financial foundation that has made it
possible for Braille Institute to continue to provide its programs and services – free of charge – for the
past 95 years.
Braille Institute is blessed to have hundreds of loyal donors who belong to this club; however, space
limitations allow us to list only those donors who have given gifts from January 1 through December 31,
2013, and who have made at least one donation a year for 30 or more years, not necessarily in
consecutive years.
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Aaron
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Albrecht
Ms. Mary J. Alcala
Kathy Andre
Anonymous
Mr. & Mrs. Allen G. Bargmann
Mr. Kenneth P. Barrere
Mrs. Fred Bartman
Mrs. Betty Baruch
Mrs. Daniel B. Beck
Mr. & Mrs. P. Thomas Beeghly
Dr. Richard W. Berlin
Mr. & Mrs. Dwight E. Bishop
Frederic & Madge E. Blasgen
Mr. Walter J. Bloch
Mr. Karl L. Boeckmann
Mr. & Mrs. Fred Braddock
Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Braman
Mrs. Ernestine Brass, TTEE
Mr. David M. Brauns
Mr. Eugene Braxton
Mr. & Mrs. Frank M. Brooks
Ms. Mary Jane Brown
Mrs. Edith N. Brownstone
Mr. Leonard C. Bunyon
Mr. Barry L. Cagle
Mr. & Mrs. William Cairns
Mr. Rafael Cardenas
John R. & Matilde P. Carl
Mrs. Solveig Carlsen
Mr. Ken Carmichael
Ms. Karen Childs
Mr. H. Perry Cook
Ms. Vivian R. Cummings
Mr. Randolph Currin, Jr.
Mrs. Mary S. Vickie De Grazio
Ms. Mercedes De La Pena
Ms. Marilyn A. Dettmann
Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Deutsch
Ms. Doris E. Dosser
Mrs. Edmund Dubois
Mr. John D. Duffin
Mr. Chester A. Duke, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. John L. Endicott
Miss Charlene Farnsworth
Mr. Gail H. Feldman
Ms. Karen M. Fink
Mr. Stanley Fishfader
Mr. & Mrs. Sylvester Fitterer
Mr. & Mrs. John M. Fitzgerald
Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. Forker
Mrs. Harry B. Foulger
Mr. Thomas A. Fox
Mrs. Lynda Freedman
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Fridberg
Mr. Herb Friedenthal
Mr. Arnold Friedman
Mr. Morton Friedman
Mr. & Mrs. Yoshio Fujioka
Mr. Edgar Fukutaki
Mr. David C. Gakenheimer
Mr. & Mrs. Spart Galieti
Ms. Anne Gaydos
Mrs. Kathe Gibb
Mr. Bruce Glidden
Ms. Bessie Gonos
Ms. Evelyn B. Greenwald
Mr. & Mrs. Wilfred E. Haick
Franklin D. & Phyllis M. Halladay
Mrs. Ruth B. Hanshe
Mr. James A. Hart
Mr. Eldon M. Hastain
Mrs. Barbara Hayden
Mr. Rufus L. Hayden
Dr. Rosalyn S. Heyman
Mr. Otto H. Holzer
Mrs. Diane M. Honjiyo
Mrs. James R. Horst
Mr. Arthur H. Host
Mrs. Peggy J. Hulce
Mrs. Elizabeth Hunter
Mr. Hans Inpijn
Mr. John M. Irigoyen
Mr. Ben Izzo
Mr. & Mrs. Calvin W. Jackson, Jr.
Mr. Marcus J. Jacobson
Mrs. Martha Johnson
Mr. Robert A. Johnson
Mr. Philip D. Jontz
Dr. Solomon Kaplan
Mr. Stanley N. Karakawa
Miss Svea O. Karlsson
Mr. Laurence S. Kaufman
Mr. & Mrs. Bobby Kawaguchi
Mrs. John D. Kegler
Mr. Anton Killian
Mr. & Mrs. Russell W. Kirbey
Mrs. Georgia R. Kirby
Mr. Neal Kleiner
Ms. Toni Kopek
Mr. David A. Kourlas
Mr. & Mrs. Rolf D. Kuecherer
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony J. Landler
Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Lauter
Mr. Uri J. Leder
Mrs. Dolores M. Lee
Mr. W. Stanley Lisiewicz
Kleo Loba
Mr. & Mrs. Nuell C. Lunde
Ms. Natha R. Lusk
Mr. Henry Shing-yi Ma, Sr.
Mr. Robert L. MacKay
Ms. Kathryn W. Madara
Leona Mandelbaum
Mr. Joseph T. Mannix
Dr. & Mrs. Harold S. Marcus
Ms. Frances Marion
Mrs. Estelle Markowitz
Mr. & Mrs. Donald L. Martin
Mr. George Matranga
Mr. & Mrs. John R. Matthews
Mr. & Mrs. Walter Mayer
Mr. Ramsay McCue
Mrs. Katherine M. McDaniel
Mr. & Mrs. David A. McGrath
N. Jeanine McMahon
Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Mehelich
Ms. Bonnie S. Mellinger
Mrs. Ruth Miller
Mr. Wallace V. Mills
Mr. Dean S. Mitchell
Mr. James T. Miyao
Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Moffitt
Mr. Oscar L. Monroe
Mr. Alfio L. Montanari
Ms. Martha Jo Morehouse
Mr. Richard Moreno
Patricia Rynd Morgan
Mr. & Mrs. Jerry M. Myerson
Mr. Irving J. Nast
Mrs. Daniel J. Nendick
Mr. Irwin J. Newman
Mr. John S. Niendorff
Mrs. Norma O’Donnell
Ms. Linda D. Ohmstede
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Olsen
Mr. Faustino P. Pacheco
Mr. & Mrs. John S. Pearson
Ricardo & Julia Pena
Ms. Nancy Lou Pepper
Mrs. Virginia H. Pepper
Ms. Margrett L. Persley
Mr. Paul E. Pettler
Claire Pfenniger-Hanrahan
Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Pflug
Mr. Stacy Picascia
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph J. Ponzi
Mr. Bruce G. Powers
Mr. Jerry Rapport
Mr. Thomas R. Read
Betty Riess
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Robaire
Miss Lorena E. Roberts
Mr. Gary Robinson
Mr. Jack Rogo
Mr. & Mrs. J. Eugene Rohrs
Mr. Erno H. Ross
Mr. Don M. Roswurm
Mr. Richard Saltsman
Mr. William R. Santschi
Mrs. Elizabeth S. Sarransingh
Mr. & Mrs. Sigmund G. Schiff
Mrs. Joan Schonig
Mrs. Konrad Schreier
Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Schrimmer
Ms. Joyce F. Schumann
Mrs. Sherwood Schwartz
Mr. & Mrs. Vincent E. Scully
Mr. Thomas A. Sedgwick
Dr. Martin M. Shaperman
Dr. Joan Shipley
Mr. & Mrs. Rocco C. Siciliano
Bernard & Gwen Sklar
Mr. Jack H. Slaton
Mr. Charles F. Smurr
Mrs. Barbara A. Spriggs
Mr. & Mrs. Burt Stern
Mr. Dennis A. Stetler
Ms. Bunny Barbara Stivers
Mr. John L. Tallis
Mr. Kay Tamaki
Mr. & Mrs. Jack A. Teufel
Miss Grace H. Thomas
Dr. & Mrs. E. R. Titus
Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Trout
Mr. Frank H. Vandenbergh
Ms. Mary C. Vanderschaaf
Lois Vaughan
Mr. Elmer Ray Vollnogle
Mr. Ted Tetsuo Waki
Mr. Ivan Warshawsky
Mr. & Mrs. John S. Welch
Mrs. Sally G. White
Mr. Ronald Wilkniss
Mrs. Vicki Wilson
Ms. Joan Wiseman
Mrs. Leona M. Wolfson
Mr. Robert S. Zaas
1919 Circle
A giving circle, named after the year of our founding, that includes all donors who made gifts of cash,
securities, or property, regardless of gift purpose, in a calendar year. (Excludes planned gifts and
bequests, which are recognized separately.) As we give recognition for support, space limitations allow
us to list only gifts of $1,000 or more (cumulative) between January 1 and December 31, 2013.
Individuals
$50,000 or more
Palmer Langdon
Dot & Rick Nelson
Ms. Ruth Stasneck
$25,000 to $49,999
Bruce & Jo Ann Clark
Ronald & Eileen Frank
Mr. D. Kenneth Richardson
David & Maria Wiegand
$10,000 to $24,999
Anonymous
Mrs. Thomas Artingstall
Mrs. Margareta Becker
Mrs. Betty Bufkin
Mrs. Patricia Corn
Mr. Bill Evans
Franklin D. & Phyllis M. Halladay
Ms. Helen E. Hoag
Judge Meredith A. Jury
Ms. Mary F. Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Peter A. Mindnich
Mrs. Joan Schonig
Martin & Pauline Silver
Dr. & Mrs. Milton Valois
Keith Wishon
$1,000 to $9,999
Mr. & Mrs. David Abelman
Ms. Ruth T. Abraham
Mr. Herbert S. Abrams
Mr. James D. Akins
Mr. & Mrs. Jimmy L. Andrews
Mr. Leon S. Angvire
Anonymous
Mr. Jefferson W. Asher, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Laurel Auxier
Carolyn & Ahmet Aydin
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Bancroft
Mr. Lynnwood Barker
Mrs. Richard A. Barlow
Ms. Charmaine Blatt
Mr. W. Joseph Blood
Dale & Rosemary Bohlka
Mr. Henry Boland
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Boone
Gary D. Brown
Gerald & Mary Jo Brown
Mr. & Mrs. David Burkhardt
Mary E. Burson
Mrs. Carole Buss
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Cadman
Mr. Charles B. Caldwell
Thomas K. Callister
Dr. Catherine F. Canada
Mr. Robert R. Carsley
Mrs. Scott Chapin
Mrs. Kathleen Chesavage
Mr. Ron Chillo
Dean & Darcy Christal
Ms. Marian K. Chuan
Jane P. Clark
Mr. Robert Clary
Robert & Sue Clayton
Mr. Randall S. Cline
Ms. Donna B. Cloninger
Mr. Louis L. Colen
Mrs. Frank Cox
Mrs. Marcus E. Crahan, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Lue Cramblit
Mr. James R. Creighton
Mrs. Jennie M. Crowley
Mrs. Valerie Cumming
Mrs. Marva Cummins
Ms. Alene Cutsinger
Mrs. Alice E. Dart
Mr. Richard J. Davis
Sara (Jean) Davis
Ms. Elizabeth De Cuevas
Bertha De Gregory
Phillip & Mary De Luca
Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Delugish
Margaret J. Doty
Michael & Regina Dowd
David Dunn
Mr. Percy Duran III
Mrs. Lois W. Dyk
Mr. & Mrs. James B. Elmlinger
Mr. & Mrs. John L. Endicott
Mr. & Mrs. Robert H. Feldman, USMC (Ret)
Mr. & Mrs. William S. Field
Mr. Omar Fletes
Mr. Fred French
Mr. Herb Friedenthal
Dr. & Mrs. Daniel Fuller
Dr. Lily George
Ms. Jeanne K. Gerson
Ms. Andrea Giambrone
Mr. Barry S. Goldbaum
Mrs. Babette Joy Goldberg
Patty & Ed Goren
Dorothy M. Graham
Mrs. Natalie Greenberg
Mr. Fred W. Griggs
Mr. & Mrs. John Gump
Anna M. Hafeli
Ms. Dowrene Hahn
Mr. Russell J. Harder
Dr. Sulabha Hardikar
Iwalani Harris
Mr. Rufus L. Hayden
Catherine L. Hazlett
Bob & Phyllis Henigson
Mrs. Sara S. Hill
Mr. John W. Hollister
Mr. Jones Howell
Mr. James E. Ives
Mr. & Mrs. Allen Jaffy
Mrs. Sally H. Jameson
Ms. Dolores C. Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. Anthony J. Jolles
Dr. Solomon Kaplan
Mr. Arnold Karlson
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Karlson
Ms. Janet R. Kellogg
Ms. Betty Kiker
Mr. & Mrs. Russell W. Kirbey
Llona Kitzing
David & Mary Koop
Dr. Sarah P. Korda
Mr. David A. Kourlas
Mr. Paul T. Kozaki
Mr. George M. Kunkel
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Kwan
Kaye Lackey
Richard & Shirley Larson
Ms. Betty B. Letteau
Ms. Ellen Y. Levin
Eli Levine
Mr. & Mrs. Michael J.D. Lindsay
Johnny & Wendy Lo
Dr. & Mrs. George Lobley
Dr. Dorothy L. Lord
Mr. and Mrs. Lowe
Doris T. Luster
Mrs. Dorothy MacCulloch
Mr. Parker Mahnke & Ms. Margie Beebe
Mrs. Jeanette Malin
Ms. Marie T. Manning
Mrs. Phyllis Margolies
Ms. Janet Martin
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Martin
Mr. & Mrs. John Martinez
Ms. Nadine Mayes
Ms. Alice McConnell
Paula McConnell
Mr. Gary McCoy
Ms. Beverly McDonald
Ms. Ann McKenzie
N. Jeanine McMahon
Ms. Eileen Miller
Ms. Leslie Miller
Burckhard Mohr
Mr. Wilbur Morley
Mr. James Mosher
Ms. Marion Mueller
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Murphy
Dale & Michael Nissenson
Mr. & Mrs. John G. Nuanes
Igor & Jeanne Olenicoff
Gerald S. O’Loughlin
Dr. Robert & Rita H. Palmer
Ms. Virginia Covell Parham
Mr. Ronald N. Paul
Mr. & Mrs. Victor Payse
Ms. Faith Pearlman
Mr. David Pegg
Mr. Frederick Pitzman
Ms. Ruth Priest
Jerry & Joyce Rabinowitz
Homer A. Ralles
Ms. Lillian Raphael
Mr. & Mrs. William Rapien
Mr. Jerry Rapport
Algis Ratkelis
Harold & Joy Rattray
Mr. Albert Rea
Mrs. George D. Robison
Mrs. Hilda Rolfe
Mr. Joel B. Rothman
Kenneth Rothschild
Mr. & Mrs. Gene Runkle
Mrs. Mary C. Sandage
Mrs. Shirley G. Saxon
Mr. Ron Schendel
Ms. Irma A. Schneider
Mr. William H. Schnieders
Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Schrimmer
Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Scully
Mr. & Mrs. Vincent E. Scully
Mrs. Arlene Sgueglia
Dr. Joan Shipley
Dr. Yossi Sidikaro
Ms. Frances Siegel
Barbara Siniscalchi
Mr. Billy Sisco
Michael & Pauline Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Sherman Smith
Ms. Lola Sorrells
Mr. Harris A. Sprecher
Mr. Milton F. Stevens
Mr. & Mrs. Leslie E. Stocker, Jr.
Ms. Charlotte Stradtman
Mr. & Mrs. Eduardo Suastegui
Lester & Linda Sussman
Dr. Lois Marie Sutton
Mr. Philip V. Swan
Mrs. Barbara Talbert
Robert & Sue Talley
Ms. Agnes Tam
Mrs. Allie E. Tegner
Ms. June Teitsworth
George & Bonnie Thomas
Ms. Deborah Thurm
Ralph & Susie Treiman
Dorothy M. Trygstad
Ms. Matilda Vermeer
Mr. Arnold Aubert Vernon
Ms. Martha Vieten
Mr. Lloyd Vogelweid
Mr. & Mrs. John C. Wallace
Dr. & Mrs. Harvey I. Wallack
Mr. Robert C. Wanzong
Ms. Charlotte Watkins
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Weil
Ms. Susan L. Weil
Mr. & Mrs. John S. Welch
Mr. & Mrs. Pierce Wenthur
Max & Waneta Westbay
Mr. Truman B. White
Mr. Frank Whiting
Ms. Beverly Whitmore
Ms. Judith B. Whitsit
Mrs. June M. Wiley
James & Diane Wilkinson
Mrs. Jess Witt
Mr. Philip P. Woodward
Clara Wu
Ms. Effie C. Yamano
Mr. Gordon C. Zwirtz
Foundations/Corporations/Special Groups
$1,000,000 and more
Henry L. Guenther Foundation
$100,000 to $999,000
AS&F Foundation
Elaine F. Stepanek Foundation
$50,000 to $99,999
Adelson Family Foundation
The Beverly & Frank Arnstein Foundation
Braille Institute Auxiliary of Santa Barbara
The Johnny Mercer Foundation
Walter J. and Holly O. Thomson Foundation
$25,000 to $49,999
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Boand Family Foundation
Braille Institute Auxiliary, East San Gabriel Valley
Don and Lorraine Freeberg Foundation
Frank and Joseph Gila Fund
Callie D. McGrath Charitable Foundation
Ann Peppers Foundation
The Irvine and Irma Robbins Foundation
Wood-Claeyssens Foundation
$10,000 to $24,999
The Cecile and Fred Bartman Foundation
The Bruce Ford and Anne Smith Bundy Foundation
City of Laguna Woods
Catherine C. Demeter Foundation
The Julia Stearns Dockweiler Charitable Foundation in Memory of Marcus E. Crahan, Jr.
dot.dat.inc
Friends of Braille Institute San Diego
Josephine Herbert Gleis Foundation
Goldbaum Charitable Foundation
The Green Foundation
Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
The Karl Kirchgessner Foundation
La Vista Foundation for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Walter Lantz Foundation
Dan Murphy Foundation
Optimist Club of Los Angeles
The Patron Saints Foundation
Meta & George Rosenberg Foundation
The Lucille Ellis Simon Foundation
The Simon-Strauss Foundation
Lon V. Smith Foundation
Donald T. Sterling Charitable Foundation
Sidney Stern Memorial Trust
UCLA Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Class/Once Upon a Time Foundation
Ullman Foundation
United Agencies, Inc.
I. N. & Susanna H. Van Nuys Foundation
$1,000 to $9,999
Almex USA, Inc.
Argyros Family Foundation
David S. Ascher Charitable Foundation
The Augustyn Foundation Trust
Braille Institute Associates of the Desert
Braille Institute Auxiliary
Carol Young Brooke Foundation
Byram Memorial Trust of the California Community Foundation
The Champions Volunteer Foundation
The Children’s Doctor
City National Bank
Arnold & Kay Clejan Charitable Foundation
Betty Corradini Endowment Fund of the California Community Foundation
Cushman Foundation
Delta Gamma Foundation
Desert Regional Medical Center Auxiliary
Florence R. Devine #1 Fund of the California Community Foundation
Florence R. Devine #2 Fund of the California Community Foundation
Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation
Elks of Los Angeles Foundation
Farbstein Family Charitable Foundation
First Foundation Advisors
Georges & Germaine Fusenot Charity Foundation
Steven M. Goddard Co., Inc.
Leon and Toby Gold Foundation
Hayford Family Foundation
The John C. Hench Foundation
Philip Hohnstein Family Foundation
Industrial Valco, Inc.
The Ann Jackson Family Foundation
Lewis A. Kingsley Foundation
KPMG LLP
La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club Foundation
La Jolla Kiwanis Foundation
The Ruth Lane Charitable Foundation
Lark Ellen Lions Charities
Level 10 Construction
Life Light Educational Foundation
Livingston Memorial Foundation
Lone Pine Time Trials
The Los Angeles Breakfast Club Foundation
Garnette & Lloyd McVey Family Foundation
Muller Family Foundation
NBC4 Southern California
North Hollywood Church of Religious Science
Olympic Maintenance of America
The Albert B. Parvin Foundation
Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts
Pomona Host Lions Club
The Pratt Memorial Fund
Regional Access Project Foundation
Rotary International, District #5340
San Diego Retina Associates
Santa Ana Elks Lodge
Santa Barbara Foundation
The Sikand Foundation, Inc.
Ken Soubry Foundation, Inc.
Sidney Stern Memorial Fund
T-Base Communications
Walter J. and Holly O. Thomson Fund
Thoren Family Charitable Trust
Tour de Palm Springs
Union Pacific Foundation
United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)
Walmilly Foundation
Founder’s Circle
Each year, the Chairman of the Board of Braille Institute selects a program of utmost importance for
special support. The Founder’s Circle recognizes those donors who designate contributions of $1,000 or
more to this project. In calendar year 2013, those donors’ gifts went toward the support of Braille
Institute’s Connection Pointe technology centers.
Mr. W. Joseph Blood
Mary E. Burson
Mrs. Kathleen Chesavage
Michael & Regina Dowd
Ms. Andrea Giambrone
Mr. Paul T. Kozaki
Ms. Nadine Mayes
Ms. Eileen Miller
Gerald S. O’Loughlin
Mr. & Mrs. Victor Payse
Mr. David Pegg
Mr. D. Kenneth Richardson
Mr. & Mrs. Eduardo Suastegui
Mr. & Mrs. John C. Wallace
Planned Gifts
Planned gifts, also known as deferred gifts, help to secure Braille Institute’s future. We wish to thank
and recognize those individuals who made irrevocable planned gifts to Braille Institute during calendar
year 2013.
Sara (Jean) Davis
Mr. Herb Friedenthal
Jeanette Goldbaum
Rochelle Gollin
Mr. Robert W. Lloyd
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Louthian
Mr. Frank R. Miller, Jr.
Mr. David L. Myers
Mrs. Norma O’Donnell
Mr. Richard Pearce
Mr. Lester J. Steffens
In Memoriam & Tribute Gifts
By making a gift in memory of or in tribute to a friend, associate or family, member, you can honor a
special occasion, pay tribute to someone you care about or celebrate the memory of a loved one.
Recognized below are individuals who had gifts made in their name totaling $1,000 or more in calendar
year 2013.
In Honor of:
Braille Institute’s Philanthropy Staff
Inger Coleman
T.D. “Curley” Griggs
Curt & Viollette Menefee
In Memory of:
Mary Jane Caldwell
Kathleen Chesavage
Angela De Luca
Eugene Dines
Frances C. Dobney
Dan Erie
Donald & Edith Frank
Les L. Galloway
Bruce Greenberg
Troy Fred Griggs
Vivian Hart
John & Lowry Hench
Joseph Madej
John Magnuson
Syd McCoy
Katherine Sabbagh
Dr. David S. Saxon
Al Slagle
Bennie & Larry Sorensen
Ann Hayes Valois
Leonard Weil
Pierce S. Wenthur
Gifts in Kind
Gifts in kind are non-monetary gifts of tangible goods that either in themselves, or from proceeds
resulting from their sale, help support the mission of Braille Institute. We wish to thank all those who
made donations of gifts in kind during calendar year 2013. However, space limitations allow us to only
list those whose gifts were estimated to be of a value of $1,000 or more.
Margaret L. Bradley
Mrs. Ruth Chilson
Ms. Ilene J. Fischer
Mr. Milton Hamilton
HumanWare
National Braille Press
Mr. Erwin Parent
Ms. Dorothea Rodebuck
Seedlings Braille Books for Children
Social Security Administration
Thibiant International
Mr. Nicholas Turk
Matching Gift Programs, Employee Directed Giving Programs and Third- Party Fundraising Groups
In 2013 Braille Institute received gifts from the following organizations through either an employer gift
matching program, an employee directed giving program or from individual donors making their
donations using third-party charitable giving programs.
Matching Gift Programs
AIG Matching Gift Program
Bank of America Matching Gift Program
Baxter International Foundation
Chevron HumanKind Matching Gift Program
ExxonMobil Foundation, Inc.
FM Global Foundation
Goldman Sachs Matching Gift Program
Hunter Douglas, Inc.
JP Morgan Chase Foundation
Medco Employee Giving Campaign
Microsoft Matching Gift Program
Nestlé The Matching Gift Center
Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program
PIMCO Foundation
Shell Oil Company Matching Gifts
Verizon Foundation
Yahoo Matching Gifts Program
Zurich American Insurance Company
Employee-Directed Giving Programs
Aging and Disabilities Charities of America - Combined Federal Campaign
Allstate Giving Campaign
America’s Charities
Arrowhead United Way
AT&T United Way Employee Giving Campaign
Bank of America United Way Campaign
Blue Shield Cares
Capella University Inspire Giving Program
East West Bank
ECHO, Northrop Grumman Employees Organization
Edison International Employee Contributions Campaign
Employees Community Fund of the Boeing Company
ExxonMobil Corporation
Goodrich/Rohr Employees Will-Share Club
IBM Employee Charitable Giving Campaign
JP Morgan Chase Foundation
Liberty Mutual - Give with Liberty Campaign
Macy’s Associates’ Giving
Medco Employee Giving Campaign
Nestlé Community Care Campaign
Partners for a Better World – California State Employee Charitable Campaign
PNC Financial Services Group
Sempra Employee Giving Network
UnitedHealth Group Employee Giving Campaign
United Way, California Capital Region
United Way, Inc.
United Way of San Diego County
United Way of San Luis Obispo County
United Way of Santa Barbara County
United Way of the Columbia - Willamette
UPS Workplace Giving Campaign
Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Third-Party Charitable Giving Programs
American Express Members Give Program
Daily Good by Goodsearch
Just Give
Network for Good
Thrivent Choice
Bequests from Wills and Trusts
Since 1919, hundreds of friends, volunteers, students, and clients have chosen to make bequests to
Braille Institute through their wills or trusts as a meaningful way of being permanently identified with
the significant work of the Institute. The income received from bequests through wills and trusts helps
to ensure that for years to come thousands of blind and visually impaired people of all ages will have a
brighter future. With deep gratitude, we honor the memory of the following individuals whose bequests
provided income during calendar year 2013.
Ms. Mary Joaquina Abascal
Ms. Ernestine J. Antolini
Mr. & Mrs. Simon Apple
Ms. Imelda L. Aron
Mr. Harry Baker
Pauline Hudson Barnett
Ray E. Barnum
Nancy Bond Chapman Behrend
Mrs. Sue E. Bell
Mrs. Jane E. Bender
Ms. Adele Berns
Mrs. Cecile Betts
James B. & Jane R. Bradford Endowment
Ms. Martha R. Brady
Mr. T. Nash Broaddus
Mr. Laurence Carty
Mrs. Adelaide L. Cassey
Mrs. Patricia L. Castle
Mr. David T. Chantler
Mr. James Austin Clark
Robert Elden Clark
Kay & Sydney Cole
Mrs. Rena A. Coleman
Ms. Edith Colling
Mr. Carl W. Connell
Mrs. Hazel M. Crismon
Mr. Vicente De La Reguera
Ms. Thelma L. De Vorss
Ms. Clara Deutsch
Mr. Charles L. Devine
Mrs. Stella Dickinson
Mr. John Thruston Duffy
Mrs. Neva H. Easton
Mrs. Lillian W. Felsmann
Mr. Francis D. Fetty
Mr. Laurence B. Flaws
Jack & Virginia Foley
Mr. Nathan Frank
Mrs. Tellervo Von H. Frankel
Mr. Robert J. French
Mrs. Dorothy Mulholland Gillespie
Mrs. Elsinore Machris Gilliland
Ms. Lillian Goldstein
Ms. Elizabeth Gordon
Ms. Pearl A. Gray
Mr. Wilbur C. Grosse
Miss Evelyn Virginia Hanson
Miss Frances Clarine Hard
Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Hartman
Mrs. Charlotte G. Hathaway
Mrs. Winnifred H. Herman
Mrs. Sidi Hessel
Fred & Lucille Hirsch
Mrs. Gisele Darlay Holman
James W. & Margaret Manila Howard
Mr. Rock Hudson
Mrs. Virginia C. Johnston
Mr. Marvin D. Kahn
Claire G. & Thomas B. Kegley
Mrs. Laura Laczko
Evelyn V. & Clifford C. Langstaff
Mr. Jack B. Learman
Miss Ethel Leibowitz
Ms. Paula Lencine
Mrs. Cecile Woods Lewis
Ms. Gertrude H. Lieblich
Ms. Engeline M. Linderholm
Mr. Edward M. Lipsett
Mrs. Anita A. Mackenzie
Mrs. Jeannette D. Magnuson
H. Austin & Helen F. Mahr
Mr. Claude A. Martin
Mrs. Virginia S. McCallum
Mr. Martin H. McDonald
Mr. Roy Daniel McPhail
Herman & Ella H. Medwin
Mrs. Ruth M. Miller
Mr. Louis C. Mirabile
Mrs. Louise F. Mollath
Ms. Patricia A. Morey
Mrs. Karen Mueller
Mrs. Carolyn M. Murphy
Ms. Caroline H. Musser
Mrs. Gladys Nicholl
Mrs. Delores A. Nirenberg
Joseph G. & Pearl S. Noh
Mrs. Ellenore Nordlund
Mr. Albert B. Nyquist
Mr. Harry W. Ofshay
Mrs. Mary Anne Palmer
John R. & Elizabeth S. Parker
Joseph & Evelyn Pertusati
Miss Anna K. Pfeiffer
John Jack & Sophie G. Pick
Mrs. Eleanor R. Pratt
Mr. Juan C. Ramirez
Mr. Laurence Tanner Robbins
Mrs. Alma L. Robertson
Mrs. Eleonore M. Rolfe
Mrs. Barbara M. Ross
Mrs. Adele Selldorff
Benjamin & Esther Sharer
Mr. James J. Shea, Jr.
Mrs. Wilma M. Sherman
Mrs. Eva Simpson
Ms. Marjorie Leu Skala
Mr. Howard C. Smith
Mrs. Lillian C. Smith
Mrs. Rosemary Hancock Smurr
Mrs. Ruth E. Sollet
Barbara F. & Dean W. Spooner
Mrs. Gentil Steinbrecher
Mrs. Frederica Stumpf
Mr. Robert G. Swaile
Ms. Elaine Taft
Ms. Ferne Marshall Theis
Mrs. Emily Van Nuys
Mrs. Dorothy M. Vanderveld
Ms. Barbara Von Rosen
Mrs. Evalyn B. Wais
Charles M. & Gertrude A. Walker
Mrs. Roberta Lang Weller
Mr. Robert N. Williams
Mr. Thomas Lyle Williams
Mr. Page Wilson
Ms. Eunice L. Witt
Vernon W. & Elizabeth R. Woestemeyer
Nannie & W.H. Wynholds
Mrs. Nola F. Yeakel
Ms. Helene Swanson Zimmerman
The J. Robert Atkinson Heritage Society
When you leave a bequest to Braille Institute through a will, trust, retirement plan, savings account, life
insurance policy, charitable gift annuity or other instrument, you are helping to ensure that thousands of
blind and visually impaired people of all ages will have a brighter future. If you wish, you can also be
recognized as a member of our prestigious J. Robert Atkinson Heritage Society. Named for our founder,
the Heritage Society honors those who have notified us that they have set aside gifts for Braille Institute
in their estate plans. It is our great pleasure to recognize below all active members of The J. Robert
Atkinson Heritage Society.
Charlotte Abrams
Manuel Acosta
Marjory M. Alsdurf
Kathy Andre
Anonymous
Carmen Apelgren
Jean Arley
Mrs. Thomas Artingstall
Mrs. Fannie “Bobby” Avrut
Thomas J. Baldwin
John J. Baro
Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Barofsky
Loraine I. Barr
Bernice Barth
Mr. Jack Bechtel
Mr. David Beddow
Amelia “Pat” Bianconi
Mr. William B. Billingsley
Harris J. Bloch
Mr. & Mrs. Mark S. Bobry
Janice L. Boisclair
Evelyn P. Borden
Evelyn Bourne
Mary A. Bowler
Mr. & Mrs. William B. Brende
Basia Bressickello
June Koenig Brouhard
Gerald & Mary Jo Brown
Lori Brown
Mr. Windford R. Brown
Mr. & Mrs. George Buckhalter
Mary G. Bullard
Mr. & Mrs. David Burkhardt
Marvin A. & Maxine L. Burnett
Mary E. Burson
Thomas K. Callister
Harriett Celinscak
Cindy Chan
Venus Devina Charistma
Marion A. Christoffel
Bruce & Jo Ann Clark
Gertha Collins
Mrs. Marcus E. Crahan, Jr.
Pauline K. Crawford
Pilar Curren
Shirley Rhode Curtis
Ms. Roberta Dabow
Msgt. George DaCorte, USMC Ret.
Dr. P.N. Danailov
Doris Denning
Margaret J. Doty
Lorri Driscoll
Keith & Earline DuFault
Virginia A. Ellis
Florence Esposito
Ms. Mia Ferrell
Estelle Fields
Ralph Flood
Jane K. Fox
Bobbe Frankenberg
Eunice Friend
Jeff & C. Chanel Friesen
Mr. Sanford Gerber
Ms. Andrea Giambrone
Thelma Ginzler
Lillian H. Glassman
Carl & Jeanette Goldbaum
Rochelle Gollin
Jean B. Goodwyn
Ron L. Gordon
Eugene & Ida Gottsdanker
Dr. & Mrs. W.N. Guddal
Anna M. Hafeli
Franklin D. & Phyllis M. Halladay
Martha Halstead
Heinz & Thelma Hanau
Roger J. Harmon
Mrs. Mary M. Hart
Mr. & Mrs. Jay R. Hatfield
Gladys Haynie
Catherine L. Hazlett
Dr. Rosalyn S. Heyman
Dr. Robert V. Hine, Jr.
Mary Hope
Joseph E. Hynes
Alzia Jackson
Ralph & Virginia Jacobs
Norman & Rose Jaffe
Mary Allison Joyce
Ms. Miriam Kafka
Milt Kandl
Frances B. Kaplan
Mr. Stanley A. Katapka
Mrs. Rose Kempf
Mr. & Mrs. Russell W. Kirbey
Dr. & Mrs. Carl Korn
Mr. David A. Kourlas
Arthur Kusuhara & Marguerite Garner
Mark Lambert
Mr. Joseph K. Landau
Shirley J. Lane
Palmer Langdon
Richard & Shirley Larson
Mr. & Mrs. Ray Lawrence
Lewis Lazarus
Mrs. Elizabeth B.H. LeMenager
Joan & Henry Levy
Kenneth W. Lintz
Ruth Lipscomb
Diana J. Longenberger
Mr. & Mrs. Maurice Lucky
Mrs. Dorothy MacCulloch
Mrs. Jeanette Malin
Leona Mandelbaum
Sandra & Terence Marsh
Helen Marto
Natalie McCabe
Mr. Ramsay McCue
Mr. & Mrs. Ron Meyer
Mr. Robert E. Moore
Margaret Moran
Sydne Morrison
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Murphy
Dr. & Mrs. William Murray
Tracy Nadeau
Betty M. Nance
Dot & Rick Nelson
Alda Monica Nicholl
Angela Nowlin
Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Nutt
Ms. Elsie Obemacha
Ms. Barbara Oberle
Mrs. Norma O’Donnell
Ms. Remedios Pacquing
Marvin J. Paffenroth
Glenn T. & Kathleen C. Patmore
Mr. Robert M. Pedraglia
Ricardo & Julia Pena
Josephine Pendino
Mildred Perlin
Janet L. Powell
Mrs. Dorothy Pratt
Mrs. Helen Proctor
Homer A. Ralles
Jeremy C. Randall
Harold & Joy Rattray
Ralph A. Reinhard
Joan A. Risse
Linda Robbins
Marjorie H. Roberts
S. Roguin
Kenneth Rothschild
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Rule
Rose Salomon
Bill & Doreen Sanders
Cornelia M. Sauble
Art & Jean Schroeder
Joann L. Schulwitz
Esther S. Schuster
Mr. Arthur Schwartz
Merle Schwartz
Mrs. Carol Settimo
Judy A. Shackelford
Evelyn Hamil Shopp
Gretchen Sibley
Elayne Sidley
Barbara Siniscalchi
Ms. Mary Smiley
Ms. Lois M. Callon Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Sherman Smith
Mr. Richard M. Smyser
Julie Anne Soske
Harris Sprecher
Marian Stanley
Alida J. Stanton
Milton R. Stark
Mr. Lester J. Steffens
Mr. & Mrs. Leslie E. Stocker, Jr.
Mrs. Susie Stockton
Shirley P. Struble
Janet Swanson
Robert G. Terry, Jr.
Mr. Sean Thomas
Muriel Thomson
Mrs. Roy C. Turney
Cheryl & Terry L. Tyler
Eileen Fontaine Ulrich
Marie-Louise Van Horne
Lois Vaughan
Mr. Lloyd Vogelweid
Davis H. & Jean E. von Wittenburg
Marjorie B. Wahl
Ms. Esther G. Walker
Monty & Patricia Waller
Ms. Nancy Wannberg
Catherine Watson
Mrs. Jack L. Watson
Ms. Doris L. Weber
Dr. Donald M. Weitzman
Mrs. Marie Wickes
Robert N. Williams
Karen Williamson
Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Wilson
Marion Winagura
Mr. Philip P. Woodward
Esther Zabin
Suzanne Zolfo
Help Us Imagine the Future!
As you consider ways you might support the life-changing work of Braille Institute, you might consider
the advantages of a planned gift. It offers benefits for you and for Braille Institute.
Last year 38% of Braille Institute’s total income came from bequests from wills and trusts!
Everyone has the resources to give a gift larger than he or she ever dreamed possible after his or her
lifetime — by making a bequest through a will or trust. A bequest allows you to continue to enjoy your
assets now, knowing that your heirs and Braille Institute will be financially secure in the future.
Braille Institute is funded by private donors – people like you who remember the wonderful work we’ve
done for 95 years.
That’s a future worth supporting!
For more information on planning a gift for Braille Institute, please call our Planned Giving office at
1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), Ext. 1256, or visit us on the web: givetobraille.org
Efiong Nkanta was referred to Braille Institute by his doctor and is taking classes in braille and Spanish.
[Back Cover]
Braille Institute
Headquarters
741 N Vermont Ave
Los Angeles
CA 90029
(323) 663-1111
Orange County
527 N Dale Ave
Anaheim
CA 92801
(714) 821-5000
Rancho Mirage
70-251 Ramon Rd
Rancho Mirage
CA 92270
(760) 321-1111
San Diego
4555 Executive Dr
San Diego
CA 92121
(858) 452-1111
Santa Barbara
2031 De La Vina St
Santa Barbara
CA 93105
(805) 682-6222
www.brailleinstitute.org
1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553)
This report can be viewed on our website and is available on CD or in braille.
© 2014 by Braille Institute of America, Inc.