Monthly giving to charity in Australia: How regular giving works

Monthly giving means making a small recurring donation instead of a single one-off gift. At The Fred Hollows Foundation, monthly donors are called Visionaries. You choose the amount, and it is debited automatically on the 15th or 28th of each month, whichever falls closest to your sign-up date. There is no lock-in contract, and you can change or cancel at any time. 

Regular giving is the most effective way to support our work because it is predictable. Reliable monthly income lets us commit to multi-year projects such as training surgeons, equipping clinics and running school screening programs, rather than only acting on whatever funds happen to arrive. It also means less spent on fundraising and more spent on eye care. 

Your support helps deliver eye surgeries, train local health workers and fund long-term eye care programs in over 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and remote Australia. 

Start a monthly donation or make a one-off gift. 

Photo credit: The Fred Hollows Foundation

What is a Visionary monthly donation?  

A Visionary monthly donation is a recurring gift to The Fred Hollows Foundation. Becoming a Visionary means joining a community of supporters carrying on the legacy of our founder, Fred Hollows. 

How does monthly giving work? 

When you sign up, we automatically debit your chosen amount from your nominated account or credit card each month, on either the 15th or the 28th, whichever falls closest to your sign-up date. 

You stay in control. There is no lock-in contract and no obligation to continue. You can change the amount, update your payment details or cancel at any time. 

For the full terms, read our Regular Giving Service Agreement. 

Double your impact: matched giving for new monthly donors

Matched giving is a separate, time-bound campaign. It is not the same as ongoing monthly giving, although the two currently work together. 

In a matched giving campaign, donations are matched dollar for dollar from a matched giving fund. That fund is supported by a single donor, or a group of donors pooling together, who offer to match gifts made within a specified period. 

The Foundation currently has a group of generous anonymous donors who have agreed for their contributions to be used to match new monthly donations for the first 12 months, up to a total value of $500,000. Only new monthly donations are matched. Existing monthly gifts are not included. Once the $500,000 target is reached, the campaign will end. 

Start a matched monthly donation. 

What do I receive as a Visionary? 

When you become a Visionary, you receive: 

• A Visionary Welcome Pack in the mail within a few weeks, with keepsakes including a lens cloth and a bookmark, and all the information you need about your monthly gift 

• Fred's Vision magazine, a calendar, and regular updates from the field showing how your gift is changing lives 

• Invitations to exclusive events, where you hear directly from the people driving change on the ground 

• Early access to community fundraising events such as Fred's Big Run 

• An email receipt immediately after each donation, and a single annual tax receipt covering all your monthly gifts 

Why is monthly giving the most effective way to support The Foundation? 

Monthly giving gives our team predictable, ongoing support, so we can plan long-term projects instead of relying on one-off appeals. 

One-time contributions are genuinely appreciated. But monthly support lets us plan ahead with certainty. It means we can invest in multi-year work like training local surgeons, building eye clinics and running screening programs in schools, rather than limiting activity to whatever funds arrive. 

That stability allows more resources to go towards training and infrastructure, which is what makes results sustainable. 

Photo credit: Mark Maina

What is the multiplier effect of monthly giving? 

Monthly gifts create what is known as a multiplier effect. 

Compounding training 

Training compounds over time. Your monthly gift helps train local doctors and health workers. Those trained specialists then go on to train others, extending the reach of every dollar you give. 

Ongoing clinics 

Health clinics need to keep operating well after their initial funding. With ongoing support, facilities can continue restoring sight long into the future. 

Less spent on fundraising 

The more ongoing support The Foundation receives, the fewer resources need to go towards fundraising. Reliable monthly income means less time and money spent seeking new donations, and more focus on eye treatment and care. 

Greater reach 

Visionaries enable us to reach remote and underserved communities. Without reliable long-term funding it is far harder to sustain services in the hardest-to-reach places, where one-off funding models often cannot stretch. 

In short, your support as a Visionary funds ongoing programs rather than a single event, which means it keeps working long after your first donation. 

How much of my donation goes directly to programs? 

For every $1 donated to The Fred Hollows Foundation, 75% goes directly towards eye health programs, treatment, education, training and advocacy. Around 6% covers administration costs, and 19% is invested in fundraising so we can reach more people in future years. 

Fundraising is essential to delivering our mission, and we keep those campaigns as lean as we can. Keeping overheads low is a deliberate priority, because every dollar saved on behind-the-scenes costs is another dollar that can go towards restoring someone’s sight. 

You can read more about where your donation goes. 

Photo credit: Michael Amendolia

Is my monthly gift tax deductible? 

Donations of $2 or more to The Fred Hollows Foundation may be tax deductible in Australia. The Foundation is registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and is endorsed by the ATO as a Deductible Gift Recipient. ABN 46 070 556 642. 

We make claiming straightforward. At the end of each financial year we send Visionaries a single tax receipt covering all monthly donations made in that year, ready to use for your income tax claim. You will also receive an email receipt immediately after each individual donation, so you have a record on hand whenever you need it. 

For advice about your own circumstances, consult a registered tax agent. 

What methods of payment are accepted? 

For one-off donations, we accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and PayPal. 

For monthly giving as a Visionary, we accept: 

• Visa 

• Mastercard 

• American Express 

• Direct debit from your nominated account 

Can I change or cancel my monthly donation at any time? 

Yes. You can change the amount you give each month, update your payment details, or cancel your monthly support entirely. You are in full control, with no lock-in contract and no obligation to continue. 

To make changes, update your details online. If you do not know your Supporter ID, our Sydney-based Supporter Care Team can help. Call 1800 352 352 or get in touch. 

The impact your support helps make possible 

In 2025, with the support of our partners, The Foundation: 

• Screened 6,136,161 people 

• Performed 511,623 eye operations and treatments 

• Distributed 148,885 pairs of glasses 

• Trained 48,994 people, including community health workers, teachers and surgeons 

Monthly giving from our Visionaries is a core part of what makes work at this scale possible, because it is the funding we can count on. 

Ready to become a Visionary? 

Becoming a Visionary is one of the most effective ways to help end avoidable blindness. Your monthly gift funds surgeries, trains the next generation of eye health workers, and gives The Fred Hollows Foundation the stability to plan for today, tomorrow and the years ahead. 

Become a Visionary and join a community of supporters making an ongoing difference. Prefer to give once? Make a one-off donation.