Non Profit Partners - Lions Clubs International Foundation: Partners

Collaborative Partners

Through collaborations with non profit partners, LCIF leverages its resources and accomplishes much more than we could on our own. Major collaborative partners are:

	Alcon Alcon provides Lions working with SightFirst projects in Latin America the opportunity to purchase low-cost, high-quality phacoemulsification consumables. Alcon also provides in-kind services in Colombia by providing free phaco equipment for cataract surgeries.
	The Carter Center LCIF has awarded The Carter Center more than US$40 million (and other non-profits US$5.5 million) to prevent onchocerciasis or "river blindness" in Latin America and Africa. So far, close to 148 million treatments of Mectizan® have been delivered. The eradication of the disease in Latin America is possible by 2012. LCIF is also partnering with The Carter Center to battle trachoma in two African nations. Pfizer, Inc. provides in-kind support for trachoma control programs as well.
	Special Olympics International The Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes Program began in September 2000. Since the program's inception, 3000,000 athletes have been screened with prescription eyewear provided to more than 99,000 athletes. To date, LCIF has awarded US$13.3 million to Special Olympics for the Opening Eyes program.
	World Health Organization LCIF is partnering with the World Health Organization on the Project for the Elimination of Avoidable Childhood Blindness. LCIF has given more than US$7 million in SightFirst grant funding to establish 34 needs-based Lions eye care centers in countries all over the globe, aimed especially at delivering preventative, therapeutic, and rehabilitative eye care services for 121 million children. Phase II of the project, beginning in 2011, will support 16 additional centers.

Corporate, NGO and Government Partners

LCIF is grateful for the generosity of our corporate, non-governmental and government partners. They share not just funds but a spirit of humanitarianism and a dedication to improve the lives of those in need. Thanks to these partners, LCIF has been able to expand programs, establish new initiatives and extend our services to others. Major partners are:

	Bausch + Lomb The Bausch + Lomb is partnering with LCIF to develop the Pediatric Cataract Initiative. In the pilot year of the program, Bausch + Lomb has granted US$350,000 to LCIF to screen and treat children in China as well as for research programs that will help fight pediatric cataract and prevent childhood blindness. Bausch + Lomb has committed an additional US$350,000 to continue this program for another year.
	Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation To support a Lions-Measles pilot program in four African countries, the Gates Foundation awarded LCIF a grant for US$400,000. LCIF is providing an additional US$300,000 and Lions are managing and implementing the projects. In supporting the pilot program, Lions join the Measles Initiative, a worldwide effort. The partnership helped vaccinate 41 million children.
	The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation The Hilton Foundation is giving US$150,000 for the Lions' health education activities in Mali and Niger as part of the West African Water Initiative. The five-year grant helps Lions mobilize political will, increase the effectiveness of health education and enhance trachoma control activities.
	Essilor Essilor will work with Lions to identify institutions in areas with significant blindness prevention needs and a lack of URE services. Essilor will supply lenses and lab equipment at cost, assist in training Lions volunteers on how to make new glasses, help secure frame vendors and find customers to purchase recycled materials from Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers.
	First Response Team of America Partnering with the First Response Team of America to rebuild homes, Lions helped to clear debris from 45 home sites after a tornado tore through Joplin, Missouri, destroying 7,500 homes and displacing 50,000 people.
	Japan-America Society of Dallas/Forth Worth (JASDFW) The Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth (JASDFW) donated US$100,000 to LCIF to assist ongoing disaster relief efforts in Sendai, Japan, after the earthquake and tsunami. The donation is helping to support Sendai Lions clubs’ immediate, medium- and long-term relief projects.
	Johnson & Johnson Vision Care - Asia-Pacific Johnson & Johnson has committed US$2 million to help fund Sight for Kids screenings for 17 million children throughout Asia since 2002. Sight for Kids involves eye health awareness, education and children's eye screening. The screenings are coordinated by local Lions, Johnson and Johnson staff and local medical personnel.
	Merck & Co., Inc. Merck has donated just over 153 million treatments of Mectizan® to prevent river blindness in Latin America and Africa.
	NoVo Foundation A US$100,000 grant from NoVo Foundation will expand the Lions Quest program throughout one entire school district in the United States by 2013. Expansion of Lions Quest, LCIF's kindergarten through 12th grade life skills and youth development program, will ensure even more students benefit from the values of social and emotional learning. The grant supports LCIF’s Commitment to Action through the Clinton Global Initiative.
	Organization of American States' Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) In April 2005, LCIF and CICAD signed a partnership agreement to collaborate for five years to promote Lions Quest pilot programs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. To date, funds have been invested in Belize, Colombia, Peru and Paraguay and tentative commitments have been reached to support new activity in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico and several island nations of the Caribbean. CICAD's financial support generally runs approximately US$100,000 per country to be disbursed over a three-year period. CICAD invested about US$1.5 million in Lions Quest programs in the region between 2005 and 2010.
	Rexton Rexton provides discounted and in-kind hearing aid contributions for the Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project.
	United States Agency for International Development (USAID) USAID has given LCIF US$100,000 for Lions-led vocational training programs in Brazil and Sri Lanka, US$50,000 for Lions Quest in South Africa and Malawi and US$150,000 for Lions-led youth vocational programs in South Africa (in cooperation with the International Youth Foundation).
	U.S. State Department The US State Department has awarded US$150,000 to support Lions Quest pilot programs in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. Funds were used to train more than 700 teachers to implement the program for the benefit of 30,000 students. LCIF was previously awarded funds of more than US$1 million to expand Lions Quest throughout six countries in Central and Eastern Europe.