visionariesinc

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Since 1995, Visionaries, Inc. has been producing Visionaries documentary series for public television. Hosted by Sam Waterston of Law & Order, the documentary series highlights the rarely told stories of nonprofit organizations all around the world that are working to make a positive difference in their community and beyond.

Visionaries' production crews have traveled across six continents and to more than 50 American cities to profile the extraordinary work of true philanthropists- people dedicating their lives and careers to the service of others. From Refugees International to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and art museums to humane societies, Visionaries tells the stories of individuals dedicated to changing the status quo in an effort to promote positive coexistence. The documentaries seek to inspire vast audiences, serve as catalysts for positive social change and promote philanthropy on a global level.

From the beginning, the concept of Visionaries was to utilize television as an instrument of service by producing positive, uplifting, and inspiring shows about individuals working for nonprofits in an effort to make the world a better place. Although the nonprofit sector is one of the most active segments in the work force today, the media, who tend to focus on negative images, has largely ignored it. By profiling the people who are providing medical care, feeding the hungry, educating the poor and giving life and dignity back to millions of people around the world, and witnessing firsthand the successes of these ventures, Visionaries has set out to show that one person can make a difference.

Visionaries is distributed to public television throughout the United States via an ACCESS feed.

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Testing one two three

Hear more from Rebecca Chase, Principal of Lincoln Park Elementary

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In the operating room in Nigeria, on our shoot for Smile Train

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From our shoot with Free Wheelchair Mission!

Free Wheelchair Mission is a humanitarian, faith-based, nonprofit organization that provides wheelchairs at no cost to people with disabilities living in developing nations. In collaboration with a network of like-minded partners, Free Wheelchair Mission has provided more than one million wheelchairs to those in need in developing nations since 2001, providing dignity, independence, and hope through the gift of mobility.

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An event from our shoot for Becoming Independent!

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From the shoot for Friends of the Children.

Friends of the Children (FOTC) is an early intervention program whose mission is to help our nation’s highest risk children develop the relationships, goals, and skills necessary to break the cycles of poverty, abuse, and violence by developing into contributing members of society.

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The Visionaries Team on set for the Crane Trust shoot.

The Visionaries team revisited the Crane Trust of Grand Isle, Nebraska to see how their work has changed since we visited them during our 19th season.

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A girl in Peru gets tries out her new wheelchair from Free Wheelchair Mission!

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Every year, the Visionaries team, and representatives from the organizations we’ve profiled, come together at the Cornwall Inn in Connecticut to watch the filming of Sam Waterston’s contributions to each episode. 

Visit our Facebook page to see more!

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Toward Independent Living & Learning

Location: Dedham, MA

Producer's Concept:

Coming Soon!

Visit TILL's Website

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Free Wheelchair Mission

Location: Irvine, CA

Producer's Concept:

Coming Soon!

Visit Free Wheelchair Mission's Website

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The Shelter for Abused Women & Children

Location: Naples, FL

Producer's Concept:

Coming Soon!

Visit The Shelter's Website

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Friends of the Children

Location: Seattle, WA & Portland, OR

Producer's Concept:

Coming soon!

Visit FOTC's Website

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Chicago Lighthouse

Location: Chicago, IL

Producer's Concept:

One of the oldest and most respected social service organizations in Illinois, The Lighthouse has won national acclaim for providing a community of comprehensive care for people of all ages who are blind, visually impaired, disabled and Veterans. It has been a trendsetter in offering innovative programs in vision rehabilitation; education; including early intervention; employment; assistive technology and many other critical areas. Included are a world-class vision rehabilitation program that is the oldest and most prominent in the United States; one of the nation’s few remaining clock-making operations that exclusively produces clocks for the federal government; and several customer care call centers for both the public and private sectors that have extended employment to hundreds of talented individuals who are disabled and Veterans.

Visit Chicago Lighthouse's Website

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Becoming Independent

Location: Santa Rosa, CA

Producer's Concept:

BI is one of California’s most progressive and successful service agencies for adults with special needs including autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and intellectual impairments. With a staff of nearly 300 and an annual operating budget of $14 million, BI serves close to 1,000 individuals each year with a continuum of services based on best practices in the field. BI’s three primary Sonoma County locations (Santa Rosa, Healdsburg and Sonoma Valley) serve as local “one-stop” sites for adults with disabilities.

Visit Becoming Independent's Website