Nonprofits Running Businesses

Critchfield and Grant (2008) spoke about social enterprises--basically nonprofits running businesses to use profits for serving their population. There were many examples of large organizations doing this, and I wanted to provide a local example of this. Last year I interned at A.V.R.E. (Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment), which is a private nonprofit organization that serves people who have experienced vision loss. The organization has two divisions--programs and business. The program side provides vision rehabilitation, orientation and mobility, employment assistance, and other services. The business side manufactures products, contracts for packing products and contracts for switchboard operations. The employees are mostly individuals who have vision loss, and they receive competitive pay and a benefits package. A.V.R.E. is able to provide services and employ the population they set out to serve.

For more information please visit: http://www.avreus.org/index.html You will find more information about programming and the business.