About The Fred Hollows Foundation

 

How can The Foundation restore sight for HK$150? 
 
The cost of restoring sight differs country to country because of the varying development of medical services, wages, logistics and exchange rates. In some countries, we can restore sight for as little as HK$150.
 
Medical treatment in developed countries is expensive and can’t be compared with developing countries. Surgery is less invasive in the western world, using very advanced and costly technologies. A different, more cost effective technique is used in many developing countries. Other costs associated with surgery including real estate, equipment, nurses' wages and medical insurance. This is all much cheaper in the developing world.
 
Another way of looking at it is, in some of the countries where we work, people may be living on only a few dollars a day. The HK$150 it costs for an operation as a percentage of their yearly income can be quite similar to the approximately HK$15,000 it costs in Australia, where the average yearly income is around HK$168,000. 

Can I visit one of The Foundation’s overseas programs?
 
Unfortunately, our country offices are not equipped to accommodate visitors. The work we do in country offices is around program design, coordination, health monitoring and evaluation. No medical procedures are carried out in The Foundation’s offices or by our staff.
 
However, our partner in Nepal, the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, accepts visitors to their hospital. If you’d like to visit Tilganga to see the work carried out in partnership between our organisations, please get in touch with Mr Bhagirath Baniya, Administrator and Public Relations Manager.
 
Why do you work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as well as overseas?  
 
The work we do is inspired by the late Professor Fred Hollows. He believed everyone in the world had the right to quality and affordable eye health. When 9 out of 10 people in developing countries are blind when they don’t need to be and 94% of vision loss is preventable or treatable in adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, we think it’s an injustice not to do anything. Our specialities are in developmental work, so that’s where we concentrate our efforts. 
 
Is The Fred Hollows Foundation a registered charity in Hong Kong?

The Fred Hollows Foundation (HK) Limited  is registered as a Hong Kong SAR charity and our Tax-Exempt Charity No is 91/13694. The Foundation is also registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and has Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status with the Australian Tax Office. 
 

Donations

Where does my donation go?
 
Your HK$150 could be used to restore someone’s sight, but it may also go towards a range of other program activities like training surgeons or eye health workers. These health professionals will then go on to help thousands of people in their community. All of the work we do aims to build capacity in developing countries to create sustainable public eye health systems. 

 
Can I see who my donation will restore sight to?
 
Unfortunately, we can’t follow your donation to one single recipient, but we can assure you, your donation will go to helping people in need through our program and support work. 
 

How do I obtain a receipt for my donation?

Please email [email protected] with the subject line ‘donation receipt’ or call 852 36146240  to speak to our supporter services.

 
Will I be charged extra to use an American Express or Diners card for my donation?
 
No, you won’t.

Can I donate via bank transfer?

1. To donate by bank direct transfer, please make a deposit to the following bank account:
Bank:HSBC 
Account number: 848-423240-001
 
Receipt is available  for donations of HKD100 or more. Please send your bank transfer receipt together with your name, phone, email and mailing address to Room 1005, 10/F, OfficePlus @Prince Edward, 794-802 Nathan Road, Hong Kong SAR or email us to [email protected] .

2. Please make a cheque payable to The Fred Hollows Foundation (HK) Limited and send it together with your name, phone, email and mailing address to Room 1005, 10/F, OfficePlus @Prince Edward, 794-802 Nathan Road, Hong Kong SAR.  

3. You can support our work to end avoidable blindness through online donation at this link.

4. Faster Payment System (FPS): Please insert FPS registered ID 166472282 or email [email protected]. For donation receipt, please send the screen shot or leave your donation amount, name and contact details at the message remarks. 

5. You can also donate via Alipay HK phone app.

Donations over HK$100 are tax deductible within Hong Kong.
 
How can I make a donation for a birthday/anniversary/funeral?
 
Thanks for wanting to donate to The Foundation to acknowledge a significant occasion. The best way to do this is to set up an online donation page where you can collect donations. Check it out here.
 
If you’d like to leave a gift to The Foundation in your will, please contact us at [email protected]
 
 
Does The Foundation have bonbonnieres we can give to our wedding guests?
  
No, unfortunately at this time we don’t. As an alternative, we could give you ‘Gift of Sight’ cards to put on the tables or a bookmark for each guest. Please get in touch with us for more information via email [email protected] with the subject line ‘wedding donations’.
 
Alternatively, you could set up an online donation page for your guests. Find out more.
 
Can I donate to a specific country or program?
 
This can only be done for donations of more than HK$120,000. If this is something you’re looking to do, please contact our Supporter Services team on [email protected] or call 852 36146240.

 
Can I donate old glasses and frames?
 
Thanks for thinking of us, but unfortunately we can’t accept donations of glasses. 

Your privacy and communications

 
How do I update my personal details?
 

Please get in touch with [email protected] with the subject line ‘updating my personal details’ or call 852 3614 6240 and our Supporter Services team will be able to help you with this. 
 
I no longer want to be sent marketing materials
 
No problem. Please contact [email protected] or call 852 3614 6240 to speak to our Support Services team to update your information. If you’d like to unsubscribe from our emails, please follow the link in the bottom of the email.
 
Does The Foundation share my details with other charities?
 

No. We never, under any circumstances, share, sell or pass on our donors’ details.
 
Is my online donation secure?
 
Yes, The Fred Hollows Foundation is fully committed to maintaining the security of the financial and personal information you entrust to us when making a donation.

Our IT systems are fully compliant with the security requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) which was founded by the major credit card brands (such as VISA, Mastercard and American Express).

In addition, when you donate online to The Foundation your card information is processed, encrypted and stored by a specialised and highly secure payment service organisation. 

School education


I’m a school student. How can I find more information about The Foundation?
 

There’s quite a lot of detail on our website, but if there’s something you can’t find, please contact us at [email protected] with some information on what you need, and why.
 
If you would like to arrange for a school talk, please contact us at [email protected] or call us at +852 3614 6240. More information can be found at our Book a Talk page.


Employment, volunteering and fundraising

I’m a health professional. How can I work or volunteer for The Foundation?
 
Thanks for your interest in being a part of The Foundation. We prioritise the recruitment of local staff in the countries where we work to build local capacity and to promote the long-term sustainability of our eye health programs.
 
Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to offer work placements or train and host professional volunteers within our programs at this time. 

Medical treatment

I have cataract/eye problems. Can The Foundation help?
 
Unfortunately, we can’t provide individual medical advice. We’re an international development organisation, so we work with local partners around the world to strengthen the local eye health systems. This means that we don’t employ our own medical staff and we don’t have our own medical facilities in Australia or overseas.
  
Please get in touch with your GP and they’ll be able to help you.