The Teppers have now contributed over $5.2 million to Vision To Learn since the partnership began in 2019
New funding extends Vision To Learn programming and will provide a combined 40,000 new children in Raleigh-Durham and Greenville-Spartanburg with no-cost eye care
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (September 4, 2026) — The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation (DNTF) today announced a $3.4 million commitment to longtime community partner Vision To Learn, broadening the nonprofit’s reach across North and South Carolina. With the support of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC, this multiyear partnership between DNTF and Vision To Learn will provide access to no-cost eye care, exams and prescription glasses for elementary and middle school students in Raleigh-Durham and Greenville-Spartanburg.
The new funding will allow Vision To Learn to extend its school-based model into additional communities, providing vision screenings, eye exams, and prescription eyeglasses at no cost to children or their families. Supported by the Teppers, the program delivers eye care during the school day, making these services easier for students and families to access. Over the course of the commitment, the expansion is expected to reach over 40,000 students thanks to this expanded commitment.
The investment reflects DNTF’s longstanding focus on addressing basic needs and increasing access to educational resources throughout the Carolinas. The Teppers believe clear vision plays a crucial role in child’s ability to read, participate fully in the classroom, and reach their potential, making Vision To Learn’s approach a natural extension of the Foundation’s broader work supporting students and families.
“We are proud to deepen our commitment to Vision To Learn and help bring essential no-cost eye care to more students in-need across the Carolinas,” said David and Nicole Tepper. “Access to eye care is a basic need, and one that can make a meaningful difference in a child’s ability to succeed in the classroom. Through this partnership, we’re working to remove barriers for families and give students the support they need to reach their full potential.”
Vision To Learn operates the most comprehensive and cost-effective school-based program for children’s eye care in the country. The Teppers have championed Vision To Learn’s work in the Carolinas since 2019, and this $3.4 million expansion builds on that foundation – including a $1.5 million multiyear commitment announced in 2024 that brought Vision To Learn resources to Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Charleston Counties. To date, DNTF has committed more than $5.2 million to Vision To Learn since the relationship began, now reaching four regions across the Carolinas: Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Charleston, Raleigh-Durham, and Greenville-Spartanburg. As of August 2026, Vision To Learn has facilitated 165,764 eye screenings, completed 56,641 eye exams, and provided 50,426 pairs of glasses to students in the Carolinas through this partnership.
“More than 4 million children across the country go to school every day without the glasses they need,” said Vision To Learn Founder Austin Beutner. “When children go to school hungry, we feed them. We make sure they have the books and school supplies they need. Why not glasses? Thanks to the generosity of David and Nicole Tepper, we’re working hard to change that across the Carolinas."
Vision To Learn programming in the expanded markets is already underway. Representatives from DNTF, the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC will join Vision To Learn at two special school assembly events later this month in each of its two new regions, marking the next phase of the partnership.
About The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation:
Established in 2020, The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation invests capital and expertise to address pressing issues through innovative, effective, and nimble solutions, with a special focus on community-based projects. While the organization supports a variety of initiatives, its core focus areas are food insecurity, basic needs, education, and disaster relief. As its founders and namesakes, David and Nicole Tepper remain committed to addressing societal challenges and inequities on both a local and national scale.
About Vision To Learn:
Vision To Learn, a non-profit charity, was founded in 2012 by Austin Beutner and the Beutner Family Foundation. Vision To Learn serves the needs of the hardest-to-reach children; about 90% of kids served by Vision To Learn live in poverty and about 85% are Black or Latino. Vision To Learn, the largest provider of eye care at schools in the country, has helped provide more than 4 million children with vision screenings and provided more than 815,000 with eye exams, and 680,000 with glasses, in 18 states and the District of Columbia, all at no cost to children or their families. For more information on Vision To Learn, please visit www.visiontolearn.org.
