LCIF - LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization. 1.38 million members of the organization belonging to over 49,800 clubs serve communities in more than 200 countries and geographic areas around the globe. Since 1917, Lions clubs have assisted the blind and visually impaired, championed initiatives for youth, and strengthened local communities through various volunteer and humanitarian projects.
The Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is essentially an arm established in 1968 that provides funding and grants for local and global humanitarian efforts, funded entirely by donations from Lions members worldwide.
To date, LCIF has provided over $1 billion in funding through 15,000 grants focusing on four core areas:
Sight - Preventing blindness through the SightFirst program, which has provided over 9 million cataract surgeries, over 270 million treatments for blindness, and trained over 3 million health workers worldwide.
Youth - Creating social and emotional learning programs delivered by specially trained educators through the Lions Quest program, making a difference in the lives of over 16 million youth globally.
Disaster Relief - Funding emergency response and rehabilitation for victims of natural disasters. The foundation has provided over $118 million for immediate needs and long-term reconstruction for communities impacted by natural disasters.
Other Humanitarian Initiatives - Assisting millions to gain access to education, technology, health services, safe play areas and various humanitarian activities significantly impacting quality of life and health for populations worldwide.
Campaign 100
In its 100th year of the Lions Clubs, LCIF launched "Campaign 100" - a fundraising campaign that began in 2017 and continued until June 2022 (due to the coronavirus pandemic), raising around $320 million. This campaign provided the organization with resources to expand Lions' commitment to various communities and broaden the areas of activity to which the Lions organization is committed.
For example, combating diabetes, identifying areas with significant need for assistance, and building short-term and long-term programs in areas such as hunger relief, childhood cancer, sustainability and environmental quality.
Lions Clubs in Israel donates to the foundation annually, allowing us both to assist with contributions and to be partners in the foundation's international activities, which also contribute in Israel, In Israel we make special efforts to purchase advanced equipment for ophthalmology departments in hospitals across the country.