Organization: Benetech

All Photos Benetech, a Silicon Valley nonprofit, combines the power of the human mind with a deep passion for social improvement. We create innovative technical applications that address unmet human needs, building effective solutions that have lasting impact, offer tremendous social return, and can, indeed, change history. Our projects address the needs of underserved communities worldwide in the areas of disability, education, human rights and environmental conservation.

Focus Areas:	Children, Technology, Education, Environment, Human Rights, Conflict Resolution
Countries Served:	All 18 countries: Afghanistan Colombia Guatemala India Iran, Islamic Republic of Jamaica Cambodia Lebanon Liberia Myanmar Mexico Nepal Sierra Leone El Salvador Chad Timor-Leste United States Zimbabwe   Summary by region: Asia Latin America & Caribbean Africa Northern America

Description of Services:
Our programs are impacting the lives of tens of thousands of individuals and families, every single day. * Bookshare. For students and others with vision and print disabilities, we have formed an online library of accessible reading material. * Human Rights. We provide science and information technology to human rights advocates, strengthening their pursuit of justice. *Miradi. A user-friendly tool that empowers conservationists to share information and more effectively meet their goals by implementing standardized best practices in environmental project management. * Route 66 Literacy. A web-based program that enables anyone who is literate to help teenagers and adults learn to read and write.
History:
Benetech's predecessor organization, Arkenstone, was founded in 1989 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing reading tools for people with visual and learning disabilities. For over a decade, Arkenstone served over 35,000 individuals in 60 countries in 12 languages, helping visually impaired people worldwide to live and work independently. The sale of the Arkenstone in 2000 provided the initial capital to launch Benetech. The vision of Benetech's founder, Jim Fruchterman, is not to duplicate Arkenstone, but to create a multitude of sustainable projects to serve humanity. This broader vision has enabled Jim and Benetech to expand their social impact beyond the disability field into areas such as human rights, literacy, and the environment.
Accomplishments & Progress:
* Bookshare - The nation's largest online library of accessible digital books, newspapers and periodicals. With over 55,000 titles and more than 60,000 members, Bookshare provides books to adults, professionals and students who would otherwise be without. In the fall 2007, we launched Bookshare International, which currently operates extensively in India, and in 2009 signed agreements to operate in Kenya. Expansion is also planned for Nigeria and Ghana in the near future.