Eye-care projects

ROI is a small contributor to this global humanitarian endeavour. It is nevertheless
proud & delighted to be able to help celebrate the tremendous voluntary energy and dedication displayed by so many individuals and groups around the world in support of the VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, & our campaign to make blindness history for so many

Leading up to World Sight Day on 11th November 2008 we will promote and create links to activities and projects for those that have engaged in an ROI matching grant project

If you wish to put a Matching Grant Application together we can facilitate that - see our Novices Guide to Matching Grants. Alternatively, have a look at, or complete an on-line application via the excellent guidance site provided by Rotarian Philippe Lamoise, Torrey Pines Rotary Club, District 5340 at
http://www.matchinggrants.org - where some 40 sight schemes are listed valued at nearly US $2m

A hard copy application form is available from RI at
http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/pdfs/141en_write.pdf

Sight-based matching grants can produce a 1,200% return on investment
(a worked example)

n	You receive a gift of £640(1) to support an avoidable blindness (AB) programme

Your Club agrees to match this(2) on the basis that your District will agree a District Designated Fund (DDF) contribution of the combined amounts to support an eligible RI Matched-funded (TRF) project. At this stage therefore you have cash of £1,280 set aside, & a DDF conditional approval of £1,280(3) giving a value of £2,560

You contact Stevenage Grange to find a suitable host Club / District to evidence need and help distribute ophthalmoscopes, undertake IOL’s or related activity for qualifying organisations in their location(s). You also seek our support to apply for an Avoidable Blindness Donor Advised Fund (cash) contribution of up to $2,000 - say £1,020(4)

n	The host country produces Club (cash) donations of £500(5) and their District Foundation Funding Chair approves an equivalent DDF(6)

n	You now have cash / pledges of £2,800(7) 1+2+4+5 and combined DDF’s of £1,780(8) 3+6

n	If approved, this will yield a RI matched funded grant of up to £3,180(9)

In total you now have a dedicated investment fund of £7,760(10) 7+8+9 to support the avoidable blindness
aim of the gift. This will purchase 220 ophthalmoscopes with a UK retail value of £12,590,
or fund a good number of cataract operations at around US $25 each.

Now, that is a good return on investment!

Please note: The minimum TRF award is $5,000
Therefore, a fully supported DDF contribution of $10,000 will need to be put together, more if not DDF supported
At the time of writing the value of the Avoidable Blindness Donor Advised Fund contribution is worth $3,000

Conditions: Where an ROI supported TRF grant project is being put together, following a needs assessment, we expect
that 10% to 20% of the project value will be applied to make the Optyse™, or equivalent, available to trained people,
living or working in remote locations, to undertake preventative general health & eye-care screening programmes.
The balance will be applied to fund cataract operations and other preventative treatments.

Your Matching Grant donation will score for Paul Harris Fellowship credits.

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