LCIF

Lions Clubs International Foundation

Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is Lions helping Lions serve the world. Donations provide funding in the form of grants to financially assist Lions districts with large-scale humanitarian projects that are too extensive for Lions to finance on their own. The Foundation aids Lions in making a greater impact in their local communities, as well as around the world. Through LCIF, Lions ease pain and suffering and bring healing and hope to people worldwide.

Grants also provide immediate assistance following natural disasters and long-term disaster relief for reconstruction efforts. These grants also help preserve sight, combat disability, promote health or serve youth. Every dollar donated to LCIF goes toward a grant.

Since 1968 LCIF has awarded nearly 8,700 grants totaling $610 million

SightFirst

SightFirst, an extension of LCIF, was launched by Lions in 1989 to focus on preventable blindness. Sadly, 80 percent of the world’s blind were needlessly without sight. Through SightFirst, Lions have prevented blindness by supporting cataract surgeries, helping to build or expand eye hospitals and clinics, distributing sight-saving medication and training eye care professionals.

SightFirst has not only been stunningly effective but also startlingly efficient. On average, about every US$6 in donations has resulted in a person with vision restored or saved from blindness. (Campaign SightFirst raised US$143 million from Lions.)

SightFirst is especially helping children. In partnership with the World Health Organization, SightFirst has launched the world’s first-ever global initiative to combat childhood blindness. The project is creating 30 centers for pediatric eye care around the world.

See what has been accomplished since 1980:

Awarded $211 million for 896 projects in 90 countries
Provided 7.3 million cataract surgeries
Prevented serious vision loss for 27 million
Improved eye care services for hundreds of millions
Provided 114.1 million treatments for river blindness
Built or expanded 300 eye hospitals, clinics or wards
Upgraded 337 eye centers with equipment
Provided management training for 115 facilities
Trained 345,000 ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, other professional eye care workers
Launched world's first-ever initiative to combat childhood blindness in partnership with the World Health Organization. The 30 pediatric eye care centers established or strengthened have impacted the lives of 71 million children

Campaign SightFirst II

Despite the success of SightFirst, much work remains. With CSFII, Lions seek to continue to change the world through sight preservation. SightFirst has been extraordinarily effective, but Lions’ dream of providing “Vision for All” has not yet been realized. The growth and aging of the world’s population create new challenges. Changing patterns of eye disease, barely discernable when SightFirst began, have become serious threats to sight around the world.

Cataract, a disease closely tied to aging, remains the world’s leading cause of blindness. Childhood blindness and low vision are at an all-time high. River blindness and trachoma, which take the sight of millions, can be controlled, but increased global awareness and funding are required. Diabetes and glaucoma silently stalk the vision of millions who may not even know that they are at risk.

SightFirst has a strategy to prevent the world’s blind population from doubling by 2020.

Goals set for the first $150 million:

Goal 1 ($102 million): contain and possibly eliminate the leading causes of avoidable blindness.
Goal 2 ($48 million): combat emerging threats to sight.

Total $200 million Challenge goal:

Goal 3 ($50 million challenge goal): provide “Vision for All” through research, rehabilitation, and out-reach to vulnerable populations.

We have passed the $150 million goal and are well on the way to exceeding the challenge goal of $200 million before conclusion of the program scheduled to occur at the International Convention in Bangkok.