The Fred Hollows Foundation
The Fred Hollows Foundation is a non-profit international development organization founded in 1992 that delivers sight-restoring eye care across 25+ countries, including cataract surgery, trachoma treatment, and training of eye health professionals for underserved populations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Fred Hollows Foundation does
The Fred Hollows Foundation is an independent, non-profit international development organization founded in 1992 by Professor Fred Hollows and Gabi Hollows AO, headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The Foundation delivers sight-restoring and blindness-prevention services across 25+ countries in Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and Australasia, with regional offices in the US, UK, Hong Kong, Kenya, and Rwanda. Its core work spans cataract surgery, trachoma treatment, diabetic retinopathy management, refractive error correction, and training of eye health professionals from community health workers to surgeons. The Foundation operates a distinctive proprietary manufacturing capability through intraocular lens factories in Eritrea and Nepal, producing lenses for approximately $5 each (compared to hundreds in Western markets) and exporting 4+ million lenses to 40+ countries. It also distributes the Arclight, a ~$10 solar-powered pocket ophthalmoscope, and invests in AI diagnostic tools and teleophthalmology to extend reach into low-resource settings.
The Foundation's revenue model is diversified across individual donations (monthly "Visionaries" subscriptions), corporate partnerships (notably a 15-year Specsavers eyewear partnership donating $25 per $199 AUD pair), government grants (notably the Australian DFAT AU$16.5M SPARK commitment), philanthropy and bequests, and fundraising events. Delivery occurs through partnerships with local and national governments, WHO, UNDP, ATscale, and grassroots NGOs rather than direct service provision. The Foundation is funded primarily through donations rather than commercial sales; the average cost to restore someone's sight is approximately $25, with cataract surgery generating an estimated $20-$28 return per dollar invested. The Foundation's 2024-2028 Five-Year Strategy emphasizes health systems strengthening, gender equity (women account for 55% of vision loss), and Indigenous Australian eye health. Recognition includes the 2025 António Champalimaud Vision Award (€1 million, shared with LCIF and IAPB), the world's largest vision award. Operations serve 1.1 billion people globally affected by vision loss, of which 90% is preventable or treatable.
The Fred Hollows Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Fred Hollows Foundation
- Legal name
- The Fred Hollows Foundation
- Website
- https://hollows.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Fred Hollows Foundation is a non-profit international development organization founded in 1992 that delivers sight-restoring eye care across 25+ countries, including cataract surgery, trachoma treatment, and training of eye health professionals for underserved populations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Fred Hollows Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Eye Health Humanitarian Services
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)
Keywords
Where The Fred Hollows Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices6 records
Markets served
The Fred Hollows Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. The foundation runs monthly giving programs (Visionaries) where donors commit to regular contributions to restore sight and transform lives.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations like Specsavers who donate portions of product sales. The 15-year partnership with Specsavers generates funds through eyewear collections.
- Philanthropy and Major Gifts: Support from high-net-worth individuals, philanthropists, and estate gifts/bequests. The foundation encourages legacy giving through wills.
- Government Grants: Support through Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and other government development programs. Australian Government DFAT supports initiatives like SPARK in Solomon Islands.
- Fundraising Events: Community fundraising events including Fred's Big Run, workplace giving programs, and Create Your Own Event fundraising.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Donation - $25 AUD matched |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Donation - $50 AUD matched |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Donation - $100 AUD matched |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cost to Restore Sight |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Specsavers Partnership - $25 per eyewear pair |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Fred Hollows Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Fred Hollows Foundation is a charitable non-profit that prevents and treats avoidable blindness in low- and middle-income countries by delivering sight-restoring surgeries (primarily cataract, trachoma, and diabetic retinopathy), training local eye surgeons and community health workers, and distributing affordable medical devices. It funds these activities through individual donations, philanthropy, government grants, and corporate partnerships, and supplements them with proprietary low-cost intraocular lens production in Eritrea and Nepal.
Product overview
The Fred Hollows Foundation is a charitable organization focused on eliminating avoidable blindness worldwide, not a technology company with software products. The Foundation offers a portfolio of eye health programs and services including: comprehensive eye health screenings, surgeries, and treatments for conditions like cataract, trachoma, and diabetic retinopathy; the Sight Simulator tool to help people understand vision impairment; affordable medical technologies including intraocular lenses (manufactured in Nepal and Eritrea) and the Arclight portable ophthalmoscope; training programs for eye health professionals; and research and technology initiatives. Additional offerings include the Indigenous Australia Program, the Humanity Award for children, and fundraising events like Fred's Big Run. The Foundation operates across 25+ countries in Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and Australasia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Eye Health Programs
Quantifiable outcome
- 4,693,172 people screened in 2025
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use The Fred Hollows Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Fred Hollows Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Fred Hollows Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- SpecsaverscoreSpecsavers has partnered with The Fred Hollows Foundation for 15 years to support Indigenous eye health. A limited-edition eyewear collection donates $25 from each $199 AUD pair sold to the Indigenous Australia Program. In 2025, this partnership helped screen over 24,000 people, deliver 330 surgeries, and provide 3,600 diabetic retinopathy treatments.
- Villgro AfricacoreImpact investor Villgro Africa and The Fred Hollows Foundation launched the 2026 Eye Health Accelerator, selecting eight health-tech startups from Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. The program offers catalytic capital, technical support, and market access to develop affordable eye-care solutions.
- Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)majorLCIF co-won the 2025 António Champalimaud Vision Award (€1 million) with The Fred Hollows Foundation and IAPB for contributions to preventing and treating blindness globally.
- International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)majorIAPB co-won the 2025 António Champalimaud Vision Award with The Fred Hollows Foundation and LCIF. Together, the three organizations provided eye health services to over 544 million people and trained millions of eye health professionals across 100+ countries.
- World Health Organization (WHO)coreWHO partnered with The Fred Hollows Foundation on the SPARK program in Solomon Islands, targeting 24,194 children for assistive technology screening. The program also provides 1,452 glasses, 76 hearing aids, and 250 mobility assistive products.
- ATscalemajorATscale is a global partnership for assistive technology, collaborating with The Fred Hollows Foundation on the SPARK program in Solomon Islands to improve access to assistive technology for school-aged children with disabilities.
- UNDPmajorUNDP supports the SPARK program in Solomon Islands alongside The Fred Hollows Foundation, WHO, ATscale, and DFAT.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Fred Hollows Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sightsavers: Sightsavers is a UK-based international development NGO working to eliminate avoidable blindness in low- and middle-income countries across Africa and Asia. Highly comparable to The Fred Hollows Foundation in mission, geographic focus, target diseases (trachoma, cataract), and funding model (individual donations, government grants, corporate partnerships).
- Orbis International: Orbis operates the Flying Eye Hospital and partners with local hospitals to deliver eye care training in low- and middle-income countries. Comparable to The Fred Hollows Foundation in mission, training-intensive delivery model, and global program footprint.
- Helen Keller International: Helen Keller International addresses preventable blindness (trachoma, cataract, vitamin A deficiency) plus child nutrition globally. Comparable mission and target beneficiary populations, with significant overlap in countries of operation in Africa and Asia.
- CBM (Christian Blind Mission): CBM is an international disability and eye health NGO focused on preventable blindness and disability inclusion across the developing world. Directly comparable operating model: trains local ophthalmologists, supports community-based rehabilitation, and serves populations similar to those reached by The Fred Hollows Foundation.
- Cure Blindness Project: Cure Blindness Project (formerly Himalayan Cataract Project) is explicitly listed as a global partnership peer of The Fred Hollows Foundation. Both organizations focus on high-volume cataract surgery delivery and training ophthalmologists across Africa and South Asia.
- Light for the World: Light for the World is an Austria-based NGO focused on eye health and disability inclusion across Africa and Asia. Comparable mission, beneficiary segments, and partner-driven delivery model, operating at slightly smaller scale.
- Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF): LCIF is co-winner of the 2025 Champalimaud Vision Award and the world's largest volunteer eye health funder. Directly comparable in mission, training/surgery delivery, and global reach, while operating through a much larger volunteer base.
- International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB): IAPB is an alliance of eye health NGOs that co-won the 2025 Champalimaud Award alongside The Fred Hollows Foundation. Although structured as an umbrella/coalition rather than an operating NGO, it competes for institutional grants and convening influence in the same donor and policy ecosystem.
Emerging players
- OneSight: OneSight is a US-based nonprofit focused on vision care access including glasses distribution and sustainable clinic models in underserved communities. Partially overlapping on refractive error and glasses distribution work, with a stronger retail clinic orientation than The Fred Hollows Foundation.
Broad incumbents
- World Vision Australia: World Vision Australia is a large multi-sector international development NGO where incoming CEO Ross Piper previously served as COO. Compares as a broad incumbent in Australian headquartered international development organizations, with eye health as one of many program areas rather than a focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
The Fred Hollows Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Fred Hollows Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Fred Hollows Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
The Fred Hollows Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Fred Hollows Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Fred Hollows Foundation
What does The Fred Hollows Foundation do?
The Fred Hollows Foundation is a charitable non-profit that prevents and treats avoidable blindness in low- and middle-income countries by delivering sight-restoring surgeries (primarily cataract, trachoma, and diabetic retinopathy), training local eye surgeons and community health workers, and distributing affordable medical devices. It funds these activities through individual donations, philanthropy, government grants, and corporate partnerships, and supplements them with proprietary low-cost intraocular lens production in Eritrea and Nepal.
Is The Fred Hollows Foundation a public or private company?
The Fred Hollows Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Fred Hollows Foundation founded?
The Fred Hollows Foundation was founded in 1992. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The Fred Hollows Foundation based?
The Fred Hollows Foundation is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Fred Hollows Foundation make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, philanthropy and Major Gifts, government Grants and fundraising Events.
Who are The Fred Hollows Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sightsavers, Orbis International, Helen Keller International, CBM (Christian Blind Mission), Cure Blindness Project, Light for the World, Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). OneSight is listed as an emerging player. World Vision Australia is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Fred Hollows Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Fred Hollows Foundation.
What industry is The Fred Hollows Foundation in?
The Fred Hollows Foundation's product category is Eye Health Humanitarian Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAG, Disability Services & Independent Living Support, with a secondary code of HLAKAKAF, Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK). Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8300.