Corporate Capability Statement
WHO WE ARE: Vitamin Angels is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, incorporated in the State of California (1998) and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
WHERE WE WORK: Vitamin Angels operates globally, through recipients in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Vitamin Angels currently supports projects in 43 countries.
OUR CAUSE: Our vision is to be a leading partner for the alleviation of micronutrient deficiency among at-risk populations. Our mission is to mobilize and deploy private sector resources to advance availability, access and use of micronutrients, especially vitamin A, among at-risk populations in need.
WHAT WE DO: Although there are many viable alternatives to achieve alleviation of micronutrient deficiency, we promote the use of universal supplementation of i) vitamin A to save lives and reduce illness, and ii) multiple micronutrients supplements to promote physical and cognitive development.
HOW WE DELIVER RESULTS: We recognize many organizations expend considerable effort and resources annually to alleviate vitamin A deficiency. Despite these efforts, about 150m infants and young children in need are not supplemented because of issues pertaining to availability, access and use of micronutrient supplements. Vitamin Angels combines i) focus on at-risk, underserved populations, ii) ability to mobilize and deploy private sector resources (financial, technical and entrepreneurial) in support of global efforts to eliminate especially vitamin A deficiency, and iii) special emphasis on exploring innovative, market oriented and locally sustainable distribution solutions – to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies. Recognizing that market-based solutions are not always feasible, Vitamin Angels also engages in proven models of intervention supported by sound principles of business planning and management.
Because the nature of our programs can be unique, we advance adoption of successful innovations at scale through advocacy, large-scale demonstration, and provision of technical assistance to recipients. A hallmark of our efforts is to encourage local organizations to take responsibility for micronutrient deficiency and to create locally sustainable micronutrient supply and distribution systems by building local capacity.
TECHNICAL FOCUS AREAS: Vitamin Angels focuses on reduction of child mortality by connecting Vitamin A with children under 5, and promotion of physical and cognitive development among infants and young children 6-59 months by connecting them with essential micronutrients (commonly known as multivitamins) – through conventional and innovative distribution systems.
OUR CORE COMPETENCIES: Vitamin Angels’ initiatives are constructed around core competencies to:
• ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGE and raise awareness to the import of vitamin A supplementation
and innovations that increase availability, access and use of vitamin A supplementation,
• ADVANCE INNOVATION pertaining to vitamin A supplementation and bring appropriate innovations into
everyday practice focusing on: identification and demonstration of innovations that improve vitamin
supplementation formulation, sourcing and packaging; distribution logistics, especially from the
community level to consumers; and access, availability, and use of supplementation – especially in
regions without facility-based health services,
• DELIVER SUPPLEMENTATION SERVICES (undertaken through grantees and implementation
partners) to expand numbers of infants and children getting vitamin A or multivitamin
supplementation when needed to: (i) reduce infant and child mortality and morbidity or promote
physical and cognitive development, (ii) demonstrate what works at scale, (iii) develop
organizational credibility and expertise, and (iv) develop technical resources, and
• PROVIDE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES to partner organizations that seek to take
local responsibility to eliminate vitamin A or other single/multiple micronutrient deficiencies.
