Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) USA is a US-based

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that works toward eliminating curable

blindness Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. SEF is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit organization. The charity has a perfect rating on

Charity Navigator Charity Navigator is a charity assessment organization that evaluates hundreds of thousands of charitable organizations based in the United States, operating as a free 501(c)(3) organization. It provides insights into a nonprofit’s financial s ...

Beginning

Founded in 1998 by Murali Krishnamurthy, K. Sridharan, and Sridharan's neighbor Ahmad Khushnood with the help of their first donor, Harihara Moorthy. SEF has risen to great heights from its humble beginnings. At the urging of their uncle Mr. P. Balasubramaniam of India, brothers Murali and Sridharan became motivated to help

Sankara Eye Hospital Sankara Eye Hospital is a not for profit charitable trust which aims at providing affordable eye care and eliminating curable eye blindness in India. Having its headquarters in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Sankara is among the largest community eye ...

run by Dr. R.V. Ramani, whose mission headquarters is in

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...

, India.

Activities

SEF initiates and drives community eye care activities in India by working with Sankara Eye Care Institutions (SECI), India, which runs the "Gift of Vision" rural outreach program through Sankara Eye Hospitals in Coimbatore, Krishnankovil,

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

Shimoga Shimoga, officially known as Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the central part of the state of Karnataka, India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of ...

Guntur Guntur () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Guntur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Guntur is spread across 168.49 km square and is the third-largest city in the state. It is situated to the west of the Ba ...

, Anand, Pammal and Silvassa. Each hospital is set up to become fully self-sustaining within five years of service. The Gift of Vision program is based on an "80/20" model, i.e., four free eye surgeries are performed for each paid surgery. Thousands of rural poor have received free eye surgeries. SEF has its headquarters in

Milpitas Milpitas (Spanish for "little milpas") is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in Silicon Valley. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 80,273. The city's origins lie in Rancho Milpitas, granted to Californio ranchero José Marí ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It has 100+ volunteer leaders all around the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The majority of SEF's funds is raised through its own events, booths at other events, donations including Founding Memberships, and advertising. Through these fund-raising efforts, SEF has played a pivotal role in increasing the number of free surgeries for the rural poor more than eightfold since 1998. The projected annual rate is 100,000 free eye surgeries in 2009. Funds collected under specific programs are sent in its entirety to India. In addition, SEF provides extensive feedback to its donors on how the money is used. SEF has been rated 4-star by Charity Navigator.{{Cite web, title=Charity Navigator - Rating for Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, url=https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/776141976, access-date=2021-12-08, website=www.charitynavigator.org, language=en-US Current Focus: Funds are being raised to:
1) Increase the number of free eye surgeries performed annually at the existing Sankara Eye Hospitals,
2) Establish a brand new hospital in Punjab (see news item below)
3) Establish a second brand new hospital in Uttar-Pradesh. Partner Organizations: SEF has been supported by various organizations including the Association of Kannada Kootas of America (AKKA), Kannada Koota of Northern California (KKNC), Bay Area Tamil Manra
(BATM)
Telugu Association of North Americ
(TANA)

Asian American Hotel Owners Association The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) is a trade association that represents hotel owners. As of 2022, AAHOA has approximately 20,000 members who own about 60% of the hotels in the United States. AAHOA provides service and support for ...

(AAHOA), Charotar Leua Patidar Samaj Bay Area (CLiPS), Uttar Pradesh Mandal of America (UPMA) and The Rotary Club of Cupertino (Cupertino Rotary). Save Eye

References

External links

Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, Official Website

Sankara Eye Care Institutions (SECI) India

Rotary Club of Cupertino - Sankara Partnership for Vision
Health charities in the United States Blindness organizations in the United States Foreign charities operating in India Medical and health organizations based in California Eye care in India