| A note from the editors:
The ophthalmic outreach programs listed below represent just a few of the many 501c3-designated charity organizations that assist people by delivering critical ocular care. Due to space constraints, this list is not comprehensive. Christian Blind Mission
Nibelungenstraße 124 , 64625 Bensheim, Germany
49-6251-131-392 , Fax: 49-6251-131-338 , Web site: www.cbm.org
Tax ID No.: 36-2959883 Benefiting 12 million people worldwide, the Christian Blind Mission supports more than 1,000 programs in 113 countries throughout Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Latin America. The organization focuses on providing medical services, education and rehabilitation for people with varying disabilities. Nineteen percent of all funding goes toward administrative costs, while the remainder is designated for program support. The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
655 Beach St , San Francisco, CA 94109-1336
Fax: 415-561-8567, Web site: www.faao.org
Tax ID No.: 94-2682387 The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology works under the slogan “Advancing education, providing better care.” Through outreach programs such as EyeCare America, the foundation aims to reduce avoidable blindness and severe visual impairment by raising awareness about eye disease and care by providing free eye health educational materials and facilitating access to medical eye care on an international scale. The FAAO also supports the research and development of new information that would allow ophthalmologists the use of comprehensible educational products and services worldwide. According to Director of Foundation Communications Allison S. Neves, less than 10% of funding goes to administrative costs; the balance is used for funding all outreach programs. The Fred Hollows Foundation
4 Mitchell St., Enfield NSW 2136, Australia
61-2-8741-1900; 800-352-352 (donation line), Fax: 61-2-8741-1999, Web site: www.hollows.org
Tax ID No./Australian Company Number: 070-556-642 Launched in 1992, this organization’s vision is that of “a world where no one is needlessly blind and of a land where Indigenous people enjoy the same health outcomes as all Australians.” The Fred Hollows Foundation works with people from Asia, Africa and the Pacific to develop and strengthen the local health infrastructure and to seek solutions to issues of inequitable access to health programs and affordability of services that can be maintained for years to come. Based on 2005 financial information, the Fred Hollows Foundation designated 9% of its funding to administrative costs. Helen Keller International
352 Park Ave. South, 12th Floor , New York, NY 10010
212-532-0544; 877-535-5374 (toll free), Fax: 212-532-6014, Web site: www.hki.org
Tax ID No.: 13-5562162 One of the oldest international nonprofit organizations devoted to fighting and treating preventable blindness and malnutrition, Helen Keller International has 23 programs throughout the world dedicated to combating malnutrition, cataract, trachoma, onchocerciasis and refractive error. The organization also has a domestic initiative called ChildSight, which provides free vision services and eyeglasses to impoverished children across the United States. Helen Keller International’s 2005 annual report states that 84.5% of funding went to program services, while 14.5% was spent on management and general costs and 1% was spent on fundraising. Lions Clubs International Foundation
300 W. 22nd St., Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842
630-571-5466, Fax: 630-571-5735, Web site: www.lionsclubs.org
Tax ID No.: 23-7030455 Lions Clubs have been dedicated to making their surrounding communities a better place since the organization’s establishment in 1917. The Lions created the SightFirst Program, a $200 million initiative established to battle the major causes of preventable and reversible blindness worldwide. This program has provided more than 5 million cataract surgeries, supported 70 million treatments for river blindness, aided the building and expansion of more than 200 eye hospitals, upgraded equipment at more than 300 eye centers and improved eye care in 89 countries. In addition, the Lions Clubs also collect eyeglasses and provide 600,000 free glaucoma screenings and 20,000 cornea transplants each year, along with various other outreach efforts. One hundred percent of donations are put toward the funding of programs; member dues are used for administrative and organizational costs. One World Sight Project Inc.
360 San Miguel Drive, Suite 403, Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-720-1400 Fax: 949-720-1457, Web site: www.owsp.org
Tax ID No.: 33-0469950 The main goals of One World Sight Project are promoting peace and cooperation throughout the world by curing blindness in every country; providing sight to between 5,000 and 25,000 people internationally over the course of a few days through OWSP-sponsored events made possible by fundraising efforts; funding and encouraging new initiatives to establish independent, effective and sustainable national ophthalmic health care systems internationally; and promoting international relief and sustainable development. Because the organization does not directly implement any program, nearly all money acquired through fundraising efforts is devoted to the direct provision of medical and surgical eye services. According to president and founder of OWSP, Richard Weiss, MD, less than 5% of funding is used for administrative costs. ORBIS: Saving Sight Worldwide
520 8th Ave., 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018
646-674-5500, Fax: 646-674-5599, Web site: www.orbis.org
Tax ID No.: 23-7297651 (originally founded as Project ORBIS International Inc.) ORBIS works closely with communities, governments and hospitals worldwide with the objective of designing programs that increase local skills, improve health care facilities and cultivate everyday awareness of eye health. The organization developed the Flying Eye Hospital, a converted aircraft serving as both an innovative teaching facility and an ophthalmic surgical center. Since 1982, the Flying Eye Hospital and the international medical team on staff have provided treatment and training programs in more than 85 countries. Other initiatives include introducing health financing systems, providing up-to-date ophthalmic equipment and related management systems, and advocating national and international policies relating to ophthalmic care. Based on recently audited financial statements, Orbis spent 86.3% of its funding on sight-saving programs, with a balance of 13.7% on administrative and fundraising costs. Seva Foundation
1786 Fifth St., Berkeley, CA 94710
510-845-7382, Fax: 510-845-7410, Web site: www.seva.org
Tax ID No.: 382231279 The Seva Foundation, in cooperation with the Seva Service Society of Vancouver, Canada, has worked for 2 decades to reduce the amount of avoidable blindness throughout the world. Seva’s sight program develops and distributes effective methods of sight restoration to those with cataract blindness and assists in building comprehensive, sustainable blindness prevention programs. The organization’s efforts include providing clinical skills and program management training to local people in various global communities, providing funding and equipment to programs just starting out and linking professional volunteers as mentors to their program counterparts. Approximately 20% of funding is split between various management and overhead costs, while the remaining 80% of the organization’s funding is put toward outreach programs. Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International Inc.
27 East De La Guerra St., C-2, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805-963-3303, Fax: 805-965-3564, Web site: www.seeintl.org
Tax ID No.: 31-1682275 In its 30th year of restoring sight, SEE International Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing medical, surgical and educational services from ophthalmic professionals with the sole purpose of offering blind individuals throughout the world the renewed gift of sight. Expeditions are planned in advance and staffed by ophthalmologists, nurses, technicians, and non-clinical volunteers and administrators who volunteer their time and knowledge and pay their own expenses to aid those in need. Based on 2005 financial disclosures, 97.86% of SEE International’s funding was put toward sight programs and services, while 2.14% was spent on administrative costs. Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity/International
111 Linda Lane, Lake Mary, FL 32746-4208
407-328-5825, Web site: www.vosh.org
Tax ID No.: 31-1093763 VOSH/International serves as the representative of 32 regional chapters and 22 student chapters throughout the United States, Canada, Honduras, India, Africa, Peru and the Netherlands, working to eliminate avoidable blindness worldwide by 2020. The organization has functioned for 30 years without a payroll and comprises a number of optometrists, ophthalmologists, medical personnel and trained laypersons who take part in 1- to 2-week international missions. VOSH’s programs provide recycled eyeglasses, treat eye diseases, and refer and/or perform eye surgery for those in need. The organization has established permanent eye clinics in countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador and has set up emergency eye clinics in times of great need. The volunteer organization has no overhead administration costs, according to an official. |
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