General FAQs about The Foundation
How can The Foundation restore sight for $25?
While the cost of cataract surgery varies depending on the specific operating environments in the countries where we work, in some countries it is possible to restore sight for as little as $25.
Our $25 cost includes the three key things needed to restore sight – the surgeon’s time, the consumable equipment and the intraocular lens (IOL) which replaces the cataract.
The most important element in modern cataract surgery is the IOL – Fred Hollows used to refer to them as "the most expensive pieces of plastic in the world". Reducing the cost of the IOL was the fundamental factor in making cataract surgery affordable.
Today, IOL prices vary significantly – including in low and middle-income countries.
In October 2021 The Foundation evaluated our program costs for small incision cataract surgery in countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Cambodia to ensure the $25 cost remained accurate.
Our assessment showed IOLs start from $4 in Pakistan, about $6 in Cambodia, and about $14 in Bangladesh.
The other key costs are the surgeon’s time (which is less than $1.50 per patient in those three countries) and consumable equipment (as little as $5.46).
So with the cost of the IOL, the surgeon and the consumables it is possible that The Foundation can restore sight for as little as $25 in some countries.
We acknowledge that not all surgeries in all countries are as little as $25. The cost of surgery depends on factors including the country of treatment, the age and circumstances of the patient, how and where the treatment is delivered, the type of procedure, the IOL used, the hospital type (government or private), the facilities of the hospital, inpatient or day procedure delivery mechanisms, and the economic status of people in the country or region.
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.
How many staff members does The Foundation employ?
As of March 2022, The Foundation employs 151 staff in Australia and 292 worldwide.
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 4 out of 5 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.
What are The Foundation’s UK companies and registered charity numbers?
The Fred Hollows Foundation (UK) is registered as a charity under number 1140288 and as a company limited by guarantee under number 07193829 in England and Wales.
Is The Foundation International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) compliant?
As part of our commitment to transparency, The Fred Hollows Foundation (UK) (FHF(UK)) publishes data on programme finances through the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI).
The International Aid Transparency Initiative aims to make information on aid spending more accessible to governments, organisations and citizens of developing countries and beyond. By signing up, we have agreed to regularly publish details of our programme activity expenditure, where we receive direct funding from the UK Government, currently through the Department of International Development (DFID). We continue to look for ways to improve the quantity and quality of data we provide. Access FHF(UK)’s data on the public free access IATI Registry here.
For direct access to our IATI Transparency statement, click here.
The way the data is presented in the IATI Registry can be technical and hard to interrupt and understand. We want to show the same data in a more accessible way in two other online tools: our page on d-Portal, a free access site and the DFID Development Tracker.
You can find the Theory of Change document to our ‘Reducing extreme poverty in Pakistan through the elimination of trachoma project’ here.
Donations
How can I make a donation in the United Kingdom?
The Fred Hollows Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales.
We can accept cheque, grants, institutional funding or large one off donations, please contact us for more information.
Posting a cheque
Please make the cheque payable to The Fred Hollows Foundation UK and post to:
The Fred Hollows Foundation (UK)
8 Devonshire Square
London
EC2M 4YJ
If you wish to make a donation by debit or credit card, we do not presently have the ability to process those payments on this website. However, you can donate to us online through a third party, such as the Charities Aid Foundation or Charities Trust. Alternatively, register with JustGiving, eBay for Charity, PayPal Giving Fund or Give as you Live to donate to us when you shop online.
Unfortunately we are not currently claiming Gift Aid. We are unable to issue tax deductible receipts for donations received in UK.
Where does my donation go?
Your donation 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.
How is my donation used?
Your donation will be used to support our sight-saving work, which includes eye operations and treatments, training surgeons and eye health workers, and other sustainable eye health.
For every $1 donated, 76% goes directly towards eye health programs, 6% is necessary for admin costs, and 18% goes towards fundraising efforts which allows us to help even more people.
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.
Can I donate via PayPal?
No. Currently we are unable to accept PayPal donations.
Can I make a donation if I live overseas?
New Zealand
The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ is a separate organisation to The Fred Hollows Foundation Australia. Their programs run in the Pacific Region and Papua New Guinea. Donations in New Zealand can be made via their website. These donations will receive a tax-deductible receipt for NZ.
For more information email The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ via email or call 0800 227 229 (within New Zealand).
USA
Donors in the US can make a tax-deductible donation to The Fred Hollows Foundation (USA), which is a registered 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organisation, EIN: 82-2851329.
There are a few ways you can donate if you live in the US.
- Visit our US donation page
- Call 1-646-868-8986,
- Deposit directly into our bank account
- Post a check to our US office
Please contact us to find the details for bank deposits.
Posting a check
Please make the check payable to The Fred Hollows Foundation and post to:
The Fred Hollows Foundation
4 E 27th Street
PO Box 20318
New York, NY 10003
United States
How can I make a donation for a birthday, anniversary or funeral?
Thanks for wanting to donate to The Foundation to acknowledge a significant occasion. Please contact us for ways of donating.
If you have any questions about making a bequest, please contact us.
Does The Foundation have bonbonnieres we can give to our wedding guests?
No, unfortunately at this time we don’t.
Can I donate to a specific country or program?
This can only be done for sizeable donations. If this is something you’re looking to do, please contact us.
Can I donate old glasses and frames?
Thanks for thinking of us, but unfortunately we can’t accept donations of glasses. However, we would recommend asking your optometrist or optician if they participate in a spectacle recycling scheme.
Your Privacy and Communications
How do I update my personal details?
Please get in touch and we will be able to help you with this.
Does The Foundation share my details with other charities?
No. We never, under any circumstances, share, sell or pass on our donors’ details.
Other FAQs
I’m a school student. How can I find more information about The Foundation?
There’s quite a lot of detail on both our UK and global website, but if there’s something you can’t find, please contact us.
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. We do offer a six month fellowship placement each year – these opportunities are usually advertised on our global website.
The Fred Hollows Foundation works to provide training for doctors in underserved areas in the countries where we work. If you are a health professional seeking training, we recommend you make contact with a local health department in your country, or please contact us.
Can I fundraise for The Foundation?
Yes. Please contact us with the details and we will get in touch to discuss further.
Can I partner with The Foundation?
The Foundation works in partnership with the national governments, non-governmental organisations, public and private hospitals, research institutions and institutional donors. If you are interested in partnering with The Foundation, please contact us.
I’m a patient in need of treatment. Can The Foundation treat my eyes?
The Foundation does not conduct eye surgery directly. If you are in need of treatment, we recommend you contact your local hospital, GP or related local government departments and they will be able to help you.