4 ways your company can help end avoidable blindness

At The Fred Hollows Foundation, we believe businesses can play a vital role in creating lasting social impact. Ending avoidable blindness is about more than restoring sight. It is about giving people the chance to work, learn and support their families. When vision is restored, communities become stronger and opportunities grow. 

Right now, 9 out of 10 people who are blind do not need to be. Most vision loss can be treated or prevented with simple, affordable eye care. By partnering with a trusted nonprofit, your company can help change lives while strengthening your commitment to social responsibility and community impact. 

Here are four practical ways your company can help. 

1. Start a workplace giving program

Workplace giving allows employees to donate small amounts from their pre-tax salary, creating steady and predictable funding for sight-restoring programs. Because donations come directly from pay, they are simple and convenient. Many employers also match employee contributions, doubling the impact of every gift. 

For example, a $10 donation from an employee each pay cycle can help fund eye screenings and treatments that prevent blindness. Over time, these small contributions add up to meaningful change. 

Workplace giving also supports corporate social responsibility and employee engagement. Many employees want to work for companies that align with their values. By offering workplace giving, you give staff a way to make a difference while fostering a culture of generosity and purpose. 

2. Partner with us to restore sight

Cataract is the leading cause of avoidable blindness worldwide. A relatively simple surgical procedure can restore sight in as little as 15 minutes. For many people, cataract surgery means the difference between dependency and independence. 

Valentine, 12, from Rwanda, regained her sight after cataract surgery supported by The Fred Hollows Foundation and ANCP. The treatment has transformed her ability to learn at school and restored independence for her family.

Photo credit: Michael Amendolia

Corporate donations can directly fund these surgeries, helping individuals return to work, care for their families and participate fully in community life. A relatively small investment can create life-changing results. 

For example, a donation of $25 could help restore sight to one person by supporting eye health outreach and treatment. Larger contributions can support programs that restore sight for hundreds of individuals and strengthen access to eye care in communities that need it most. 

By sponsoring sight-restoring surgery, your company becomes part of a solution that delivers measurable impact and transforms lives. 

Read more about becoming a Corporate Partner. 

3. Fundraise as a team

Fundraising brings employees together around a shared purpose while creating real impact. One of the most powerful ways to get involved is through Fred’s Big Run, a national fundraising event that can be scaled across organisations to engage teams in offices, workplaces and communities. 

Fred’s Big Run gives employees a simple way to participate, set personal goals and raise funds through movement, whether walking, running or rolling. It can be activated as a whole-of-company challenge, with opportunities for corporate sponsorship, team-based participation and internal engagement campaigns that bring staff together around a shared purpose. 

Alongside flagship events like Fred’s Big Run, workplaces can also create their own fundraising activities to suit their teams and culture. 

For example, many organisations host charity runs, step challenges or office-wide fitness goals. Others run bake sales, raffles, casual dress days or themed workplace events to raise funds for eye health programs. 

You can also create your own event. From community picnics and school fundraisers to milestone celebrations such as weddings or birthdays, there are many creative ways to support sight-restoring work. 

Read more about our top fundraising ideas and tips: 

• How to host a picnic fundraiser 

• How to host a bbq fundraiser 

• 10 tips to make your next fundraising event a success 

• 10 of the most profitable fundraising ideas 

Fundraising does not need to be complicated. Even small actions, when scaled across teams, can create meaningful support for eye health programs. 

4. Partner for long-term impact

Strategic partnerships create sustainable change. Corporate partners help fund programs that train local eye doctors, strengthen health systems and deliver care in remote communities. 

Uncle Ross Jakamarra Williams undergoes cataract surgery at Alice Springs Hospital Eye Clinic, where The Fred Hollows Foundation supports outreach care for patients travelling long distances from remote communities in the Barkly region.

Photo credit: Danny Teece

Long-term partnerships move beyond one-off donations. They create measurable outcomes and lasting benefits for communities. 

For example, corporate partners can support initiatives that: 

• train local eye health professionals 

• equip clinics with essential tools 

• reach underserved communities 

• strengthen government-led health systems 

These programs ensure access to eye care continues long after initial funding. 

Partnerships also demonstrate corporate social responsibility and alignment with values that matter to employees and customers. 

Why it matters 

Eye health is a human rights issue. Without vision, people struggle to work, learn and participate in society. Avoidable blindness reduces opportunities and deepens inequality. 

Yet solutions exist. Access to basic eye care can prevent most cases of blindness. Treatments such as cataract surgery and corrective glasses are simple and cost effective. 

Since our founding, supporters and partners have helped restore sight to millions of people. But millions more still need help. 

Corporate partnerships are not charity. They are investment in human potential. Businesses that engage in social impact initiatives strengthen communities, build employee pride and demonstrate meaningful corporate responsibility. 

Together, we can help create a world where everyone has the right to sight.