Program areas at LCIF
Humanitarian initiatives - as members of their community, Lions are uniquely positioned to identify local initiatives and implement projects that strengthen their communities, improve health and well being, and support those in need. Grants are combined with locally raised funds, to address unmet humanitarian needs for capital construction, equipment, or vital community resources. Special areas of focus for Lions include service in the areas of childhood cancer, hunger, diabetes, and youth. Lions quest grants are awarded to expand a social and emotional learning program, which focuses on delivering life skills training in educational settings for grades pre-k through high school. More than 20 million students and 800,000 educators in more than 110 countries have been positively impacted through this program. In addition, Lcif develops global initiatives and partnerships to further the impact of Lions and Lcif. For example, through the special olympics mission inclusion partnership, Lions have screened the vision of more than 449,057 athletes in more than 100 countries. Through involvement within the measles initiative and gavi, the vaccine alliance since 2010, Lions helped support the vaccination of millions of children in measles endemic countries.
Disaster relief - support disaster pre-planning, immediate needs, mid-term and long-term reconstruction in the wake of natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and floods. Grants support lions-led relief projects in the communities where they live and serve. Disaster funding enables Lions to collaborate with local partners to expand their impact. Immediately after a disaster, Lions quickly assess the most urgent needs in their communities. On average, Lcif annually awards 140-160 emergency grants to deliver immediate needs such as water, food, clothing, and medicine. Depending on the scale and scope of damages, additional community recovery or major catastrophe grants may be awarded. To date, nearly 5,300 emergency grants have been awarded worldwide.
Vision - Lions are known throughout the world for their work to improve the lives of the visually impaired and to prevent avoidable blindness. The Foundation proudly serves their continued efforts by offering impactful initiatives, programs and grants. Sightfirst is the Foundation's program that has played a key role in reducing blindness and visual impairment around the world. The sightfirst program positions Lions as a global leader in the prevention of blindness. To date, sightfirst has invested $377 million in 1,419 blindness prevention projects, impacting more than 488 million people worldwide in nearly 120 countries. The sightfirst program works to develop high-quality, locally-driven, sustainable projects that deliver affordable eye care services, improve infrastructure, promote eye health education and awareness, and train eye care personnel in communities of need. Support has included attention to the major causes of blindness: cataract, trachoma, uncorrected refractive error, diabetic retinopathy, onchocerciasis, and glaucoma. Strategic partnerships with the carter center and world health organization have strengthened services and outreach in underserved regions and communities with limited access to quality eye health services.