Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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2 Blind Brothers Legit or Not? (self.Blind)
submitted by whiskeyandtaxes
Does anyone know how much money the 2 Blind Brothers company has made and how much has been donated toward curing blindness?
annibear 7 points 2y ago
I do not, but really glad someone else is asking this question. They've really rubbed me the wrong way--the whole 'shop blind' challenges bothers me a lot as someone who's both blind and quite into fashion. It's already annoying enough when people ask me how I dress myself or know what I'm wearing; I don't need a company like their's only playing into that stereotype.
Here's what I gathered from scouring their website:
"We donate 100% of profits at the end of the year to charitable foundations, programs, and researchers focused on our mission." This seems to avoid the question. It seems like it would be easy enough to give an approximate dollar figure, but there isn't one. IANAL but being an LLC, I don't think they're subject to the level of questioning that actual charities are. Next FAQ down they go into more detail:
"The profits go toward research programs that are developing therapies for retinal eye disease cures. We select the beneficiaries through our own network and other trusted organizations. Bradford Manning is a director on the board of the $1, an organization with which we work very closely." -Foundation Fighting Blindness is an organization that notoriously got a lot of hate from the NFB and other blindness orgs when they implied blind people were helpless at parenting a few years back. Sooo.
Tl;dr: really hard to answer either question, but they're definitely not as transparent as they could be about it. It seems like most money goes to the FFB, an organization that a lot of blind people are critical of.
Here's what I gathered from scouring their website:
"We donate 100% of profits at the end of the year to charitable foundations, programs, and researchers focused on our mission." This seems to avoid the question. It seems like it would be easy enough to give an approximate dollar figure, but there isn't one. IANAL but being an LLC, I don't think they're subject to the level of questioning that actual charities are. Next FAQ down they go into more detail:
"The profits go toward research programs that are developing therapies for retinal eye disease cures. We select the beneficiaries through our own network and other trusted organizations. Bradford Manning is a director on the board of the $1, an organization with which we work very closely." -Foundation Fighting Blindness is an organization that notoriously got a lot of hate from the NFB and other blindness orgs when they implied blind people were helpless at parenting a few years back. Sooo.
Tl;dr: really hard to answer either question, but they're definitely not as transparent as they could be about it. It seems like most money goes to the FFB, an organization that a lot of blind people are critical of.
SecTrono 4 points 2y ago
you can also use some shady accounting to make 100% of the profit to be anything you want. if they pay themselves a wage and write off their living expenses as business expenses then technically 100% of the profit is being donated even though its not actually a lot of money.
annibear 2 points 2y ago
Thanks for bringing that up; that's a really good point. I also find it kinda sketchy that one of the creators is a director on the board that they themselves say most of the money goes to, but idk if that's me being too cynical.
SecTrono 1 points 2y ago
> idk if that's me being too cynical.
its hard to find a balance between being too cynical and a healthy amount of skepticism. i used to work for a charity that raised money for kids with physical disabilities. it was a really good cause and i was proud to work there even though i didn't make a lot of money. people get all worked up about charities paying people to do the work instead of just dumping all the donations on the people that need it... but without employees the charity would stop existing very fast and fundraising would stop. as much as i loved working there i still needed to feed myself and they still needed someone full-time. some people just have unreasonable expectations.
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all that being said, having worked for a charity i know how shady this can be. i NEVER give money to a charity without researching it first. so many charities are scams. i think both trump and the clintons run charities and both of them seem very sketchy to me.
its hard to find a balance between being too cynical and a healthy amount of skepticism. i used to work for a charity that raised money for kids with physical disabilities. it was a really good cause and i was proud to work there even though i didn't make a lot of money. people get all worked up about charities paying people to do the work instead of just dumping all the donations on the people that need it... but without employees the charity would stop existing very fast and fundraising would stop. as much as i loved working there i still needed to feed myself and they still needed someone full-time. some people just have unreasonable expectations.
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all that being said, having worked for a charity i know how shady this can be. i NEVER give money to a charity without researching it first. so many charities are scams. i think both trump and the clintons run charities and both of them seem very sketchy to me.
whiskeyandtaxes [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Exactly and since they are not transparent it doesn’t look good. I want to support them. I really do. But I have become more and more skeptical.
whiskeyandtaxes [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Yes. It’s that lack of transparency that is so hard to abide. They know exactly what they’re not saying.
AcceptableGreen4643 1 points 7m ago
**I am very disappointed in the products that I received I paid $44.00 for my package and it contained a stuff animal and a pair of socks Per all their advertising they say the products will be worth what you paid or higher I would not recommend this business to anyone I feel I was taken advantage of I will never order from them again It is sad because I believed them**
Truly unsatisfied customer
Truly unsatisfied customer
AcceptableGreen4643 1 points 7m ago
**I am very disappointed in the products that I received I paid $44.00 for my package and it contained a stuff animal and a pair of socks Per all their advertising they say the products will be worth what you paid or higher I would not recommend this business to anyone I feel I was taken advantage of I will never order from them again It is sad because I believed them**
Truly unsatisfied customer
Truly unsatisfied customer
Wormskaren 1 points 2y ago
We received a Christmas gift that was a “mystery” box. Profits go to charity for a cure for people who are blind or VI. I’m all for that; my daughter is VI/legally blind. Nice idea. For the $100 that my sister spent, we got a baseball hat, a knit winter hat and four pair of socks. They are nice but it feels kind is scammy.
Sad
Sad
Cannedtunawater 1 points 2y ago
I've been targeted by their ad's lately and its really pissing me off.
I get the lying through their teeth vibes,
Several red flags,
1. Blind people don't just buy shit without putting a single thought into it.
2. They are selling a product that in reality can't be traced with a receipt. They could write off that they gave away a brick of gold in one of their orders.
3. They are selling a product.
4. Using a disability as a sales pitch is fucked up.
5. They just look shady as fuck, I doubt they have the same parents.
I get the lying through their teeth vibes,
Several red flags,
1. Blind people don't just buy shit without putting a single thought into it.
2. They are selling a product that in reality can't be traced with a receipt. They could write off that they gave away a brick of gold in one of their orders.
3. They are selling a product.
4. Using a disability as a sales pitch is fucked up.
5. They just look shady as fuck, I doubt they have the same parents.
Ok_Ad_7467 1 points 2y ago
1. The Shop Blind challenge is not meant to reflect the experience of being blind. It's just reflecting the role that "trust" may play. The video on the page touches on the concept. If you search online and checkout some of the people inside and outside of the blind community who participate, you'll hopefully notice that folks are getting the right message.
2. You are correct that the business could lie and under report it's income or inflate it's expenses (like any business or charity), but there are big laws against this and the online purchases are actually pretty easy to track if a tax audit occurred.
3. \*great products
4. What part? The whole spirit of the project is to empower the community. Watch any extended talk or interview on the project and this will be clear.
5. Fair enough. They'd probably agree.
2. You are correct that the business could lie and under report it's income or inflate it's expenses (like any business or charity), but there are big laws against this and the online purchases are actually pretty easy to track if a tax audit occurred.
3. \*great products
4. What part? The whole spirit of the project is to empower the community. Watch any extended talk or interview on the project and this will be clear.
5. Fair enough. They'd probably agree.
Cannedtunawater 1 points 2y ago
You are clearly affiliated with the company.
Ok_Ad_7467 1 points 2y ago
Correct. I help with customer service for 2BB.
Ok_Ad_7467 1 points 2y ago
Here is the answer from the AP:
$1
"They’ve hit on a strategy that’s helped raise more than $700,000 for the cause: selling mystery boxes full of an assortment of their ultra-soft shirts, cozy socks, knit beanies and sunglasses."
You can also ask FFB which is a charity and reports donations, and they'll confirm Two Blind Brother's contributions.
There are plenty of other beneficiaries outside of FFB.
They were sponsors at NFB's convention last year. They produce goods with Industries for the Blind in NC. They did their 2019 holiday fundraiser with Guide Dogs for the Blind from San Francisco.
Regarding salary, this American Federation of the Blind article states that they earn a minimum wage: $1
The bottom line is that this is 100% legit, and they've supported many organizations outside of research as well.
$1
"They’ve hit on a strategy that’s helped raise more than $700,000 for the cause: selling mystery boxes full of an assortment of their ultra-soft shirts, cozy socks, knit beanies and sunglasses."
You can also ask FFB which is a charity and reports donations, and they'll confirm Two Blind Brother's contributions.
There are plenty of other beneficiaries outside of FFB.
They were sponsors at NFB's convention last year. They produce goods with Industries for the Blind in NC. They did their 2019 holiday fundraiser with Guide Dogs for the Blind from San Francisco.
Regarding salary, this American Federation of the Blind article states that they earn a minimum wage: $1
The bottom line is that this is 100% legit, and they've supported many organizations outside of research as well.
whiskeyandtaxes [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thank you for this. I definitely feel better.
grant0 1 points 2y ago
Thanks, random account that registered just to post this comment! You definitely don’t seem affiliated with this organization!
Ok_Ad_7467 1 points 2y ago
I help with customer service for Two Blind Brothers , but I thought I'd still share some sources that help provide assurance.
The questions are good ones. It is true that an LLC doesn't have the same level of transparency. I think the best evidence for 2BB is what the charitable partners and beneficiaries are saying. There are many others that can be searched.
The reason that the business is a business (an LLC) is because of a rule called the "commercial doctrine" that doesn't allow an organization to compete with normal industry as a charity i.e. other for-profit clothing brands if the only difference is the fact that the organization gives away it's money.
2BB is looking at changing this, but it would require some structure changes. For example, if we only hired blind workers, it may permit us to be a 501c3.
Or, if we made the clothing sales a small part of the project and focused on raising donations for research....similar to FFB.
One of the things 2BB has debated is how to articulate the customer's impact on a per purchase basis. The profits aren't able to be determined until after year-end, and also the profits can change a lot depending on whether it's a year of spending into growth (staffing up, upgrading facilities, etc.) or not. They also want to maintain some level of discretion over disclosure as to avoid having to change the message frequently. I believe they'd also like to avoid all of their vendors knowing exactly how much margin they are making for purposes of negotiating.
I know they are also happy to see anyone skip buying the clothing or mystery boxes and simply donate to $1 directly.
All of the comments are very much appreciated
The questions are good ones. It is true that an LLC doesn't have the same level of transparency. I think the best evidence for 2BB is what the charitable partners and beneficiaries are saying. There are many others that can be searched.
The reason that the business is a business (an LLC) is because of a rule called the "commercial doctrine" that doesn't allow an organization to compete with normal industry as a charity i.e. other for-profit clothing brands if the only difference is the fact that the organization gives away it's money.
2BB is looking at changing this, but it would require some structure changes. For example, if we only hired blind workers, it may permit us to be a 501c3.
Or, if we made the clothing sales a small part of the project and focused on raising donations for research....similar to FFB.
One of the things 2BB has debated is how to articulate the customer's impact on a per purchase basis. The profits aren't able to be determined until after year-end, and also the profits can change a lot depending on whether it's a year of spending into growth (staffing up, upgrading facilities, etc.) or not. They also want to maintain some level of discretion over disclosure as to avoid having to change the message frequently. I believe they'd also like to avoid all of their vendors knowing exactly how much margin they are making for purposes of negotiating.
I know they are also happy to see anyone skip buying the clothing or mystery boxes and simply donate to $1 directly.
All of the comments are very much appreciated
Tony-c7 1 points 2y ago
So far, horrible experience with this organization. Placed an order over a month ago and emailed their customer service and have not heard back.
mrg3rry 1 points 2y ago
Have you tried, going to their website and asking them? I find that there’s a lot of people in the blind community that seem questionable about their intent especially on YouTube
whiskeyandtaxes [OP] 1 points 2y ago
I haven’t tried a direct question on their website but I did ask on Facebook and I never got a response. On their website, they talk about giving money but they’re not forthcoming with details. I hope that it is all legitimate but there’s something that gnaws at me.
abbs14116 1 points 1y ago
They are "legit" to an extent. I shopped from there a while ago and it was not my best decision. I liked the idea of helping a charity organization (which I try to do often) and I also liked the idea of "shopping blind." At the time many online sites were doing it and I figured it would be a cool thing to do. What I did not expect was that when I went to the website it had a few options that you could choose from. You could "shop blindly" for $30, $50, and $100. (the prices have changed majorly since then. There's not a $30 dollar one anymore and they have added a $300 dollar one now.) after I had picked the $30 dollar one the site didn't even ask me what my size was or even if I wore male or female clothes. (They are not a gender-neutral clothing site.) After I had placed the order I realised that I had made a mistake and sent them an email right after I ordered it explaining everything and wanting my money back. The next day I had gotten an email saying that it had shipped and then right after that, RIGHT after that I received an email from a representative explaining that even though the website didn't ask for my size that the shirt "should fit a general size" what I received was WAY too big and I had spent around 45 dollars on this shirt that I couldn't even wear. I took it to the UPS store with a prepaid label. The lady there tried to scan it and said that the prepaid label wasn't valid.
On to the "shopping blind" idea. I love the idea. Like I said there were multiple sites at the time doing this and they were legit sites. When "shopping blindly" came to mind when I first read about organization I had assumed that the idea would be to let them know what our preferred style was and what our size was and then they would pick out a few things, maybe throw in a few things of merch like stickers, a shirt, a water bottle, etc. (some store websites do this). What I definitely didn't have in mind was them sending a merch shirt that was WAY too big.
In my opinion, I feel like they are getting away with as much as they possibly can without it seeming like a scam when it is a borderline scam site. They are also using the "shopping blind" idea and making it seem like its original when it's not.
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