The power of your generosity: How monthly support creates lasting change
For over 30 years, The Fred Hollows Foundation has been leading a global movement to end avoidable blindness. Professor Fred Hollows believed everyone should have the right to sight, and that no person should be needlessly blind or vision impaired. Today Gabi Hollows continues that vision through the work the Foundation does around the world.
This life-changing work across 25 countries is made possible by generous donors who share this belief and make and regular contributions. Donations are more than just monetary gifts for The Fred Hollows Foundation and the people we help around the world: They are commitments to restoring sight, improving lives, and bettering the world.
How can you support the mission to end preventable blindness?
There are many ways in which you can support the invaluable work we do.
- You can generously make a one-off donation.
- You can commit to a regular donation and give monthly.
- You can provide a major philanthropic contribution, also called 'transformational gifts', 'impactful gifts' or 'significant donations'
- Leave a gift in your Will to help future generations through your own legacy
Are there ways of giving besides donating money?
There are many ways which you can support and amplify the sight-restoring work of The Fred Hollows Foundation:
- Help us fundraise by volunteering at events or creating your own initiatives
- Encourage your employer to consider workplace giving or corporate partnerships, which can significantly increase the impact of your support
- Spread the word by following The Fred Hollows Foundation on social media and sharing our work with your network
Why is monthly giving so impactful?
For The Fred Hollows Foundation, and for the millions of people whose lives are transformed through better vision, consistent support helps us create lasting, long-term change.
This kind of sustained giving is what allows us to follow in Fred’s footsteps and invest in work that takes time but creates enormous impact. One powerful example is Vietnam. When Fred first visited in the early 1990s, the country had just two cataract surgeons and more than one million people living with blindness. Before he died, Fred returned to train more than 300 surgeons in modern cataract surgery and promised to help provide the equipment they needed. The Foundation fulfilled that promise, and today Vietnam has more than 1,000 trained surgeons performing over 250,000 cataract surgeries every year. This shift took years of training, investment and partnership, but it changed the entire eye health system for generations.
Professor Fred Hollows sitting with Vietnamese eye surgeons as they watch a cataract operation being performed via digital microscope in Hanoi, 1992.
Photo credit: Michael Amendolia
Monthly giving plays a crucial role in long-term projects, such as eliminating trachoma in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. Your regular support allows us to implement multi-year programs that combine community outreach, surgery, antibiotics, and hygiene initiatives to break cycles of disease and blindness.
It also helps us train local health workers, provide scholarships, strengthen national health systems, and ensure rural communities have access to high-quality eye care for years to come.
That is why we promote our monthly giving programs.
Donors who commit to donating - even small - amounts each month help The Foundation to:
- Rely on consistent and predictable funding
- Plan for longer-term eye health programs
- Ensure we are ready to react to crises
- Build more robust and sustainable healthcare systems
Where do your monthly gifts go?
At The Fred Hollows Foundation, we know how important it is to be transparent about how donations are used.
When you sign up to become a monthly donor, your gifts go directly to:
- Funding year-round surgery and eye-care programs around the world
- Delivering training for local eye health workers
- Purchasing essential equipment and surgical supplies
- Reducing the administrative costs of providing sight-restorative surgeries
- Enabling greater reach and capacity for eye care, treatment and surgeries
- Researching new and innovative eye health solutions
- Partnering with local governments to strengthen sustainable national health systems for long-term impact
And here’s what that means for people’s lives:
- A child can return to school because their vision has been restored
- A parent can return to work and care for their family, regaining independence and dignity
- An elderly person can see their loved ones clearly again and enjoy daily life
- Families experience renewed hope and the freedom to plan for the future
Your monthly gift helps people like Lien from Oudomxay in Laos, who was blind and unable to work or see her children. With support from donors, Lien received cataract surgery through a Foundation outreach camp. She can now care for her family, see her children clearly, and her daughter can return to school instead of working to support the family, giving them both independence, dignity, and hope for the future.
"It’s a new life for me," says Lien, seeing her children clearly for the first time after surgery.
Photo credit: Michael Amendolia
What are the benefits of becoming a monthly donor?
There are many benefits to becoming a monthly donor.
Making an impact
As a regular supporter, you can be confident that your contributions are making a lasting difference in the lives of millions of people around the world.
Receive updates
Monthly donors receive regular stories, program updates, and reports showing how their support is changing lives.
Better budget control
Spreading your contribution across the year can help you manage your finances.
Tax deductible
Every donation over $2 is fully tax deductible in Australia.
Automated donation
Once set up, you don’t have to think about it! You can enjoy peace of mind that your donation is supporting long-term programs, helping people regain dignity, independence, and improved health and education outcomes.
How does consistent, smaller giving create more positive and lasting change?
Mbaruku and his mother Mwajungu hold a photo of him taken right after his cataract surgery. Today, he is enjoying life, thriving at school, and playing with friends, all made possible thanks to the generosity of supporters like you.
Photo credit: Michael Amendolia
Large, one-off gifts are invaluable. But small, regular donations multiply impact over time, helping communities manage their own eye health and break cycles of poverty.
One-off giving helps The Foundation to:
- Fund immediate needs and short-term impact
- Support specific programs
Regular monthly giving enables us to:
- Focus more resources on program delivery
- Develop ongoing eye-care programs
- Plan for the long term
- Conduct continuous research, training, outreach, and advocacy
- Reduce operational overheads
- Deploy resources efficiently
Why our supporters give
Every day, people like you make a difference. Our supporters choose to stand with The Fred Hollows Foundation because they believe in a world where everyone has the right to sight. Here’s what some of them have to say:
“I support the Foundation because I can't imagine a world without sight—the beauty of the ocean, the majesty of mountains, and the wonder of wildlife. If my contribution can help restore sight to a child, allowing them to experience these same wonders, it fills me with happiness.”
– Valerie, VIC
“Knowing that just $25 can restore someone's sight is what inspired me to support The Foundation—that’s the cost of a few cups of coffee! If I don't act on that, I can't sleep at night.”
– Thierry, NSW
“Supporting The Fred Hollows Foundation not only helps them restore sight to many people each year, but it also eases the burden on families of caring for blind people. I particularly like the fact that The Foundation trains local practitioners to carry out the work—a lasting legacy.”
– Peter, VIC
Frequently Asked Questions about Monthly Giving
How much should I give?
Every contribution matters. The amount is up to you, and we appreciate every gift.
How much does it cost to restore someone’s sight?
In many countries, cataract surgery costs as little as $25. That means $25 each month can change someone’s life forever.
Can I cancel a monthly gift?
Yes. Our support care team can help you pause, change, or cancel your monthly contribution at any time.
Will I receive updates about the impact of my donation?
Yes. We share stories, program updates, and impact reports so you can see the difference your support is making.
Are all donations tax deductible?
Yes. In Australia, donations over $2 are fully tax deductible.
How can you unlock the power of the monthly gift?
To explore how your ongoing support can help The Fred Hollows Foundation end preventable blindness, visit our website or speak to our team.
With your support, we can expand our programs and change the world for the better.