Operation Eyesight Universal is a 4-star charity that is financially transparent. It has an above-average results reporting grade of A- and overhead spending of 69% which is outside of Ci’s reasonable range.

Founded in 1963, Operation Eyesight Universal (OEU) is a development organization that works to prevent blindness and restore sight. Operation Eyesight wants to eliminate avoidable blindness globally. It currently works in Liberia, Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Zambia, and plans to expand to Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Myanmar, and Bhutan. The charity reports that 1.1 billion people live with vision loss globally, that 90% of vision loss occurs in middle and low-income countries, and that 90% of all vision loss is avoidable. In F2023, Operation Eyesight spent $4.3m on its five charitable programs: Community Eye Health, Integrated Eye Health, Hospital Strengthening, Disease Control, and Advocacy and Research.

A Charity Intelligence 2023 Top Impact Charity

Hospital Strengthening: OEU invests in hospital equipment and infrastructure, provides training for healthcare professionals, and establishes vision centres for communities. The vision centres provide eye exams and eyeglasses and refer patients to the base hospital for surgery or other treatment. In F2023, Operation Eyesight established or upgraded 22 new vision centres, primary eye clinics, or hospitals. OEU also preformed 232,767 eye surgeries and trained 718 healthcare staff in primary eye care.

Disease Control: Operation Eyesight Universal addresses major causes of avoidable vision loss: cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, uncorrected refractive error, and other conditions. The charity also focuses on sanitation and clean water, poverty, and public education. In F2023, OEU drilled or rehabilitated 25 water boreholes and trained 20 area pump winders to maintain and repair boreholes.

Community/Integrated Eye Health: OEU trains local community health workers who conduct door-to-door eye health screenings, refer patients to a vision centre, and provide health education. OEU works to strengthen areas of overlap between eye care and health care and address the root causes of avoidable vision loss. In F2023, Operation Eyesight distributed 275,800 pairs of prescription eyeglasses and trained 253 community health workers in primary eye care. The charity also screened 2,453,654 people for eye conditions through hospitals and vision centres and screened 240,571 students through school eye health programs.

Advocacy and Research: In F2023, Operation Eyesight Universal reached 726,960 people though public awareness programs.

Operation Eyesight Universal had Canadian donations of $3.8m and international donations of $1.2m in F2023.

Administrative costs are 22% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 47% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 69%, which is outside of Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. 

Operation Eyesight Universal has $5.3m in reserve funds. These reserve funds are the charity’s cash and investments. The charity has 1 year and 3 months of annual program costs covered by its current reserves.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Operation Eyesight Universal for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on July 15, 2024, by Lily Ferguson.