Operation Eyesight is an international development organization and registered charity, founded in Calgary in 1963, that works to prevent blindness and restore sight in 11 countries across Africa, North America and South Asia. Work is supported by generous donors and a growing global community.

Globally, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss, which is projected to reach nearly 1.8 billion by 2050, costing the global economy an estimated $411 billion USD annually. Fortunately, 90 per cent of all vision loss is preventable or treatable. That’s where Operation Eyesight comes in.

With a global focus and a local approach, Operation Eyesight’s work is fueled by the belief that everyone should have access to quality, affordable eye health care, regardless of ability to pay, gender, age or location. People in low- and middle-income countries as well as in rural and remote communities everywhere are often underserved. Addressing avoidable vision loss for all helps people better secure quality education, employment, independence and opportunities. This helps people transform their lives – see Benjamin’s story to learn how. 

Operation Eyesight’s impact comes from facilitating locally driven solutions. In-country teams are on the ground, building partnerships with communities, ministries of heath and education, and like-minded organizations. This builds local eye health systems that communities run now and for generations to come – For All The World To See. 

Impact in 2024

Vision is about far more than sight – it is about reducing poverty, improving good health and well-being, supporting access to quality education, contributing to gender equality, ensuring clean water and sanitation, addressing climate action and building partnerships for the goals. These are all United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that will help to build a more peaceful and prosperous world for all. Through the support of its generous donors, Operation Eyesight has been contributing to building a more equitable world for more than six decades.

In 2024 alone, through local partnerships, Operation Eyesight screened 2.36 million people, performed more than 280,000 eye surgeries and distributed more than 270,000 pairs of prescription eyeglasses, while also declaring 233 villages Avoidable Blindness-Free. Read Operation Eyesight’s Annual Report to learn more. View 2024 highlights below.

About Operation Eyesight

Operation Eyesight Universal is an international development organization working to eliminate avoidable vision loss and bring quality eye health care to communities where it’s needed most.

Founded in Calgary, Canada in 1963, over the past six decades Operation Eyesight has grown to become a global community that spans four continents and includes health workers and volunteers, physicians and ophthalmic personnel, donors, partners, staff and board members.

Whether it’s a simple pair of eyeglasses or a more complex eye surgery, Operation Eyesight believes that everyone should have access to affordable, quality eye health care services. Operation Eyesight’s mission is to prevent blindness and restore sight – For All The World To See. 

Operation Eyesight exists due to the generosity of donors who have supported this work for more than 60 years.

Donate today to make a lasting impact.

The post Operation Eyesight a 2025 Top 10 Impact Charity (eighth year as a top 10) appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

We’re thrilled to have been named one of the Top 10 Impact Charities of 2018 by Charity Intelligence Canada. Just as for-profit organizations have an obligation to their shareholders, we have an obligation to our donors. We invest donor funds carefully and efficiently to create the long-term changes that will help eliminate avoidable blindness.

This recognition is a significant milestone on our shared path to help more people who are needlessly suffering, and to make a generational impact that will ensure the communities we work in will have access to the eye care they need today, tomorrow and in the future.

Charity Intelligence’s impact rating is determined by analyzing the measurable return for every dollar donated. They hold charities accountable for the support they receive from Canadian donors, and they observe that people will generally give more to charities when they are confident their donation will make an impact. Operation Eyesight made the list by eliminating avoidable blindness at the community level, through our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Program model.

When assessing our impact, we look at how well we are meeting our strategic goals. We look at the number of patients treated, how much local capacity is being built and how well our hospital partners are progressing towards operational sustainability.

We create eye health-seeking behaviour in the communities we work in through outreach and education programs, and we empower communities to take responsibility for their eye health needs. This plays a vital role in helping to ensure our projects are sustainable and that people will continue to seek help even after our formal partnership with the hospital has ended.

The ripple effect is incredible! Kids can see to read and go to school, giving them the opportunity to get an education and later find a job and provide for themselves. Parents can return to work and provide for their families. Grandparents can watch their grandkids grow up, and their grandkids don’t need to stay home to care for them. This way, children can get an education and thrive in the future. Entire communities are transformed with the gift of sight!

We can’t thank our donors enough for supporting our sight-saving program model. Thanks to people like you, we’ve declared over 1,000 villages avoidable blindness-free in India and Nepal. And we’re not done yet! We’ve had great success in the communities we work in, but there are still millions of people who need our help. With your help, we can reach them – For All The World To See!

 Click here to donate and make an IMPACT.

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