Fred Hollows Foundation Match Campaign
Investing in Sight: Transforming Eye Care in Laos and Ethiopia.
EVERY DONATION MATCHED – DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR, UP TO $250,000
Donate to Fred Hollows Match
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Support proven eye care interventions that restore sight and transform lives. Give by March 31, 2026 and your donation will be matched dollar for dollar, up to US$250,000—part of a US$10 million match pool.
Impact at a Glance
8,102,299
people screened
562,213
eye operations and treatments performed
178,638
pairs of glasses distributed
66,852
people trained including community health workers, teachers, and surgeons
The Fred Hollows Foundation Match Campaign Opportunity
$10 Million to Eliminate Cataract Backlogs
An anonymous donor has committed US$10 million to the Fred Hollows Foundation and Cure Blindness Project to eliminate cataract backlogs in Laos and Ethiopia. Pledges will be made by December 31st, 2025, and the match campaign runs through March 2026.
The Life You Can Save’s US$250,000 contribution forms part of this larger match pool. The Fred Hollows Foundation is raising funds across Australia, the US, the UK, and Hong Kong/Singapore to meet this goal.
The funds will clear cataract backlogs, establish seed funds in both countries, and build sustainable eye care systems to eliminate avoidable blindness in the next five years.
Every dollar you give is matched dollar for dollar.
Where Your Donation Goes
Your Fred Hollows Foundation match campaign donation supports surgical care, training, and infrastructure in two countries where the need is greatest.
Laos: Eliminating Avoidable Blindness
The Challenge: Significant cataract backlog keeping thousands needlessly blind.
Preventable blindness doesn’t just affect vision. Adults who lose their sight often can’t work, cutting off household income. Losing sight means losing independence and the ability to provide for loved ones.
The Goal: Completely eliminate cataract backlog by 2030 and eliminate avoidable blindness within five years
The Approach: Working with Laos’s government and new National Eye Health Strategy, the investment of approximately $11.1 million will clear the cataract backlog and embed lasting systems for care across the country through surgical outreach, training for local eye care professionals, and infrastructure development.
Ethiopia: Halving the Cataract Burden
The Challenge: 700,000-person cataract backlog, among the highest in the world
The Goal: Halve the country’s cataract burden
The Approach: The Fred Hollows Foundation is the lead agency on national eye health in Ethiopia, with decades of experience and a strong track record of large-scale impact. This investment scales proven models of surgical outreach, training, and system strengthening to reach the most underserved regions and address the cataract backlog.
The Foundation is also furthering trachoma elimination efforts in the Oromia region, where rates have already decreased by 84% in the last decade.
Why The Fred Hollows Foundation
Simple Solutions to Preventable Blindness
At least 2.2 billion people worldwide have vision impairment. Half of these cases are preventable or treatable. Yet 90% of those affected live in low and middle-income countries where blindness denies people education, independence, and the ability to work.
In some countries, sight can be restored for as little as US$25. A 10-minute cataract surgery can transform someone’s life, returning their independence, livelihood, and ability to care for their family.
The Fred Hollows Foundation operates in more than 25 countries throughout Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific. They strengthen entire health systems by training local doctors and health workers, building facilities in remote areas, and partnering with governments to create sustainable change.
What Makes Them Effective
The World Bank identifies cataract surgery as among the most cost-effective public health interventions. The Foundation delivers results through:
- Low-cost innovation: Manufacturing intraocular lenses for US$5 instead of US$150. Since 1994, factories in Nepal and Eritrea have produced over 7.5 million lenses.
- Local capacity building: Training health professionals who continue providing care long-term. In 2024, they trained 66,852 surgeons, community health workers, and teachers.
- Compounding impact: After cataract surgery, patients regain independence and family caregivers can return to school or work, generating income and breaking poverty cycles.
Give Now and Double Your Impact
The Fred Hollows Foundation ranks in the top five of Australia’s most trusted charities and is ranked on the Global Journal’s Top 50 NGOs.
Every donation is matched dollar for dollar until we reach US$250,000, part of a US$10 million match pool to eliminate cataract backlogs in Laos and Ethiopia.
Your donation supports sight-restoring surgeries, training, and sustainable eye care systems.
