GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND INC
350 LOS RANCHITOS, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903 www.guidedogs.com

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Organizations Filed Purposes: GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND EMPOWERS LIVES BY CREATING EXCEPTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN PEOPLE, DOGS, AND COMMUNITIES.

GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND, INC. (GDB) IS MORE THAN AN INDUSTRY-LEADING GUIDE DOG SCHOOL; WE ARE A PASSIONATE COMMUNITY THAT HAS SERVED THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED FOR OVER 78 YEARS. GDB BELIEVES THAT ENSURING PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND CAN LIVE THE LIVES THEY WANT IS KEY TO AN INCLUSIVE WORLD. OUR COMMUNITY PASSIONATELY COMMITS TO THE ABSOLUTE BEST PRACTICES IN PREPARING DOGS AND CLIENTS FOR THE GUIDE DOG LIFESTYLE. AND, GDB ADVOCATES FOR THE POLICY REFORMS THAT CHANGE HOW THE WORLD VIEWS BLINDNESS AND DISABILITY. BECAUSE WHEN EVERYONE IS SUPPORTED BY AND CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE STRONGER. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS FROM THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA AT NO COST TO THEM. MORE THAN 15,000 TEAMS HAVE GRADUATED SINCE GDB WAS FOUNDED IN 1942.IN MARCH 2020, THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 IMPEDED GDB'S ABILITY TO PERFORM IN-PERSON PROGRAM SERVICES AND GUIDE DOG TRAINING. DESPITE THESE OBSTACLES, GDB STAFF HAS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE UNPARALLELED SUPPORT TO ITS CLIENTS EMPLOYING NEW SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND HARNESSING REMOTE AND VIRTUAL TOOOLS. GUIDE DOG TRAINING SERVICES, ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY SERVICES, AND YOUTH PROGRAM SERVICES HAVE BEEN RE-ENVISIONED AND BEGAN TO RESTART IN THE SUMMER OF 2020.GDB IS RECOGNIZED AS A WORLD LEADER IN THE BREEDING, SOCIALIZATION, AND TRAINING OF GUIDE DOGS. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2020, GDB SERVED OVER 2,100 GUIDE DOG TEAMS ACROSS THE US AND CANADA. CLIENT-GUIDE DOG TEAMS TRAIN AND GRADUATE FROM GDB'S CAMPUSES IN CALIFORNIA AND OREGON EACH YEAR AND GDB ALSO PROVIDES CLIENTS WITH IN-HOME TRAINING, IF NEEDED. GDB PROVIDES UNPARALLELED SUPPORT TO ITS CLIENTS INCLUDING VETERINARY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, DEDICATED FIELD SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES, A CALL-IN SUPPORT CENTER, AN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND MUCH MORE.THREE YEARS AGO, GDB EXPANDED ITS SERVICE OFFERING TO INCLUDE A FREE ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY IMMERSION PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE NEEDING TO IMPROVE THE TRAVEL SKILLS THAT ARE MOST RELEVANT TO BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL GUIDE DOG HANDLER. THIS EXPANDED SERVICE HAS TRAINED 118 CLIENTS TO DATE, AND THIS YEAR 33 CLIENTS WERE HELPED ON THEIR JOURNEY TO GREATER SAFETY, INDEPENDENCE, AND INCLUSION.GDB ALSO HAS YOUTH PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A K9 BUDDY PROGRAM THAT MATCHES SPECIALLY SELECTED DOGS TO BECOME WONDERFUL COMPANIONS TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO ARE BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED, FREE OF CHARGE. GDB CREATED A DOZEN WONDERFUL K9 BUDDY TEAMS THIS YEAR. GDB ALSO HAS CAMP PROGRAM FOR YOUTH WHERE PARTICIPANTS EXPLORE THE COMPANIONSHIP, INDEPENDENCE, AND RESPONSIBILITY OF HAVING A GUIDE DOG. CAMPERS RECEIVE HANDS-ON GUIDE DOG INSTRUCTION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFIC ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY SKILLS REQUIRED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL GUIDE DOG HANDLER, AS WELL AS THE FITNESS AND ENDURANCE NECESSARY FOR GUIDE DOG TRAVEL. IN THE SUMMER OF 2019, CAMP TOOK PLACE IN OREGON AND WAS GDB'S LARGEST YET, WITH 19 CHILDREN ATTENDING. GDB'S PARTNERSHIPS WITH THOUSANDS OF PASSIONATE VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO DONATE THEIR TIME, TALENTS, AND HEARTS ARE WHAT MAKE GDB A REALITY. GDB HAS OVER 2,000 VOLUNTEER PUPPY RAISERS IN THE TEN WESTERN STATES, SEVERAL HUNDRED BREEDER CUSTODIANS AND FOSTER VOLUNTEERS, AND NEARLY 800 CAMPUS VOLUNTEERS. ADDITIONALLY, GDB IS FUNDED ENTIRELY BY PRIVATE DONATIONS; GDB RECEIVES NO GOVERNMENT FUNDING. GDB'S GENEROUS DONORS HELP GDB FULFILL ITS LIFE-CHANGING MISSION THROUGH GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS, GRANTS, HONOR AND MEMORIAL GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND NUMEROUS ESTATE PLANNING VEHICLES.

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