The whole story begins with you
Since day one, over 15 million pairs of glasses have been distributed through our Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program. Alleviating the problem of impaired vision is at the heart of what we do, and with your help, our impact continues to expand.
How it works
Approximately 1 billion people around the world need glasses but don’t have access to them.
To help address this problem, we work with a handful of partners worldwide to ensure that for every pair of Warby Parker glasses purchased, a pair of glasses is distributed to someone in need. There are two models we employ:
1) Empowering people to administer basic eye exams and sell glasses at ultra-affordable prices
2) Directly giving vision care and glasses to those in need, via cross-sector partnerships
Our Partners
The nonprofit social enterprise VisionSpring is our longest-standing partner in the Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program. VisionSpring creates access to affordable eyewear for those living on less than $4 per day, raising awareness about common optical issues, conducting vision screenings, and selling highly subsidized eyeglasses in low-income communities.They also train a range of health workers and mission-aligned organizations to do the same. Nearly 60% of VisionSpring customers are getting glasses for the first time.
In 2019, we began our partnership with the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, India. Much like our work with VisionSpring, we give LVPEI the monetary equivalent of a pair of glasses and they offer either affordable or free eye care to underserved people, who often live in remote communities across India.
In 2015, we created Pupils Project, a program that works with local organizations and government agencies across the United States to give free vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses to schoolchildren—for many of whom this is their first pair. This model helps eliminate barriers to access by providing free prescription glasses and meeting children at school, where teachers are often the first to spot vision issues.
We also work with the organization Ver Bien Para Aprender Mejor, which uses a similar model to support students across Mexico. For 24 years, the organization has visited around 10,000 schools per year, providing over 16 million eye exams and more than 6.2 million eyeglasses to students throughout the country.
In the past few years, we’ve also broadened our work with RestoringVision, a global nonprofit dedicated to creating equitable access to eye care and eyeglasses for individuals in poverty or extreme poverty. They have reached over 25 million people in 144+ countries over the past 19 years. Through our partnership with RestoringVision, we provide free glasses to those in global communities, including refugee camps and pre-emerging markets. This allows us to reach communities with different needs, access, and awareness around vision care—plus distribute reading glasses to even more geographical regions and markets than we’ve ever served before.
Doing good at work
From Mexico to Zimbabwe, Bangladesh to Sri Lanka, our impact has reached
