Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation

What Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation does

Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation is a charitable foundation established in 1991 and the sole fundraising body dedicated to Sydney Eye Hospital, which it describes as the largest specialist eye hospital in the southern hemisphere and Australia's first hospital (tracing origins to 1878). The Foundation raises funds to support translational ophthalmology research, world-class equipment, specialist training and fellowships, and patient care programs delivered through Sydney Eye Hospital, which itself sits within the South East Sydney Local Health District (NSW Government). Its programs span the Eye Donor App (launched 2021 with University of Wollongong, University of Sydney, NSW Health and DonateLife), the Keratoprothesis Program (Australia's only provider for patients unsuitable for routine corneal transplant, established 2014), the Bioengineered Cornea Project (which received a near-A$1M Federal Government grant in 2021), the Corneal iFixPen/iFixInk instant corneal repair technology (joint with Lions Eye Bank, Save Sight Institute and two universities), Australia's first 3D microscope with OCT, the Critical Care Program (regional patient travel and accommodation), an automated queueing system in clinics, and an emerging Tele-Vision program that transmits high-resolution eye images from regional emergency departments to specialists.

The Foundation operates a community-led go-to-market built around individual donations, bequests, corporate partnerships, and event-based fundraising including City2Surf, Sydney Marathon, an annual gala, and Family Open Days. Donations are tax-deductible under its Deductible Gift Recipient status, with suggested tiers at A$50 (Access), A$75 (Research), A$125 (Training), and A$250 (Technology), supplemented by recurring giving, the Play For Purpose community raffle, Gift of Sight e-cards, and a Gift in Will bequest program. Grantmaking totals over A$20 million cumulative, with a stated need to raise more than A$1 million annually to fund its research, equipment, and fellowship pipeline. The Foundation reports funding 150 Fellows from 31 countries since 1991, an annual intake of 8 specialist doctors, training of 45+ registrars, and downstream hospital activity of 50,000 outpatient services, 6,200+ surgical procedures, 6,400+ inpatient admissions, and 15,000+ emergency services.

Commercially, the Foundation is a small nonprofit organization (1-10 employees, ABN 12 454 623 050) led by CEO Linda Fagan and chaired by Associate Professor Andrew Chang. Its customer base is bifurcated: end beneficiaries are Sydney Eye Hospital patients (70,000+ annually, including regional and remote NSW patients), while the Foundation's commercial "customers" are its donors and philanthropic supporters, with diversified revenue across individual giving, bequests, raffle proceeds, e-card sales, and community events. Distribution is concentrated through Sydney Eye Hospital's physical footprint on Macquarie Street in Sydney, an online donation portal, the Play For Purpose raffle platform, and community events, with no disclosed equity, venture, or institutional funding and a governance structure that includes a board with directors such as Eileen Ong.

Name

Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation

Legal name

Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation Ltd

Website

https://sydneyeyehospitalfoundation.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation is a Sydney-based nonprofit charity established in 1991 that is the sole fundraising body for Sydney Eye Hospital, the largest specialist eye hospital in the southern hemisphere. It raises tax-deductible donations, bequests, and event proceeds to fund translational ophthalmology research, medical equipment, the Foundation Fellowship Program, the Critical Care Program, and innovative programs such as the Eye Donor App, Bioengineered Cornea Project, Corneal iFixPen, and emerging Tele-Vision regional care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Philanthropy and Ophthalmology Research Funding

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology research funding
• Medical fellowship programs
• Healthcare philanthropy services
• Eye care research grants
• Ophthalmic equipment funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, with suggested amounts of $50, $75, $125, $250. Supports access to care, research, training, and technology programs.
2. Bequests and Legacy Gifts: Gifts in Wills left by supporters, enabling lasting impact on eye health and research for generations to come.
3. Community Events: Fundraising through City2Surf, Sydney Marathon, Family Open Days, and Gala dinners.
4. Raffle: Play For Purpose community raffle - Australia's not-for-profit raffle platform.
5. E-Cards and Gift Products: Gift of Sight E-cards and other products where profits support Sydney Eye Hospital services.
6. Grants and Fellowship Funding: Annual grant program funding research, equipment, and fellowship programs. Each year needs to raise over $1 million for these projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation is a registered charitable foundation that raises funds through donations, bequests, community events, raffles, and corporate partnerships, and distributes them as grants and program funding to Sydney Eye Hospital. Funds support four pillars: translational ophthalmology research, specialist equipment and technology acquisition, ophthalmology fellowship training, and patient care programs including the Critical Care Program that subsidises travel and accommodation for regional patients.

Product overview

Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to raising funds for Sydney Eye Hospital, the largest specialist eye hospital in the southern hemisphere. The Foundation's product portfolio centers on funding world-class equipment, translational research, training, and patient care programs. Key products include the Eye Donor App (Australia's first eye donor app), the Keratoprothesis Program (Australia's only provider for corneal transplants), and the Bioengineered Cornea Project. The Foundation also supports the Corneal iFixPen medical device, the Foundation Fellowship Program training 8 specialists annually, the Critical Care Program for patient travel assistance, and the emerging Tele-Vision program for regional eye care. Fundraising products include a donation platform, Play For Purpose raffle, bequest program, and Gift of Sight e-cards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Critical Care Program: Program providing travel and accommodation assistance for regional patients needing to access Sydney Eye Hospital specialist appointments.
• Tele-Vision

Products and services

• Donation Platform Tier-based online giving service for individual donors supporting research, training, technology, and patient access programs at Sydney Eye Hospital. Supports one-time and recurring gifts with honour and memory dedication options.
• Foundation Fellowship Program Funded subspecialty training program placing 8 specialist doctors annually across ophthalmology sub-specialities at Sydney Eye Hospital. Over 150 Fellows from 31 countries have completed the program since 1991.
• Critical Care Program Patient support program subsidising travel and accommodation for regional and remote NSW patients requiring specialist eye care at Sydney Eye Hospital, removing geographic barriers to specialist appointments.
• Gift in Will / Bequest Program Legacy giving service allowing donors to make bequests through their Wills to support Sydney Eye Hospital patients and research now and into the future.
• Play For Purpose Raffle Raffle participation service via Australia's 100% not-for-profit community raffle platform providing ticket purchase opportunities that raise funds for Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation.
• Gift of Sight E-card Digital eCard donation product allowing donors to give a gift in honour of a loved one, with proceeds supporting Sydney Eye Hospital services.
• Eye Donor Australia App Australia's first mobile application dedicated to improving eye donation knowledge and awareness; helps Australians register as eye donors and learn about the donation process. Developed in partnership with University of Wollongong, University of Sydney, NSW Health, and DonateLife; available free on iOS and Android.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of vision loss is treatable if diagnosed quickly
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of WollongongcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Joint partner in Eye Donor App development and Bioengineered Cornea Project. Collaboration between Sydney Eye Hospital, University of Sydney, NSW Health and DonateLife for the Eye Donor App initiative launched in 2021. Also collaborated on Bioengineered Cornea Project that resulted in nearly $1 million Federal Government grant.
• University of SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Joint partner with Sydney Eye Hospital, University of Wollongong, Save Sight Institute, and Lions Eye Bank for Corneal iFixPen project and Eye Donor App development. Collaboration on Bioengineered Cornea research project.
• NSW HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in Eye Donor App initiative along with Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation, University of Wollongong, University of Sydney, and DonateLife. Aims to improve eye donation knowledge and awareness through Australia's first Eye Donor app.
• DonateLifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in Eye Donor App initiative, the national organ and tissue donation authority working to increase eye donations in Australia.
• Lions Eye BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Joint project partner with Sydney Eye Hospital, Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney and University of Wollongong for Corneal iFixPen and iFixInk development for instant corneal repair.
• Save Sight InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner for Corneal iFixPen and iFixInk, collaborating on innovative eye repair technology development.
• University of Notre DameminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with the Foundation on Graduate Certificate in Ophthalmic Nursing, a two-year clinical placement program providing pathway for registered nurses wanting to specialise in ophthalmology.
• South East Sydney Local Health DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSydney Eye Hospital is part of South East Sydney Local Health District (NSW Government). Foundation collaborates with local health districts on Tele-Vision program to connect regional Emergency Departments with Sydney Eye Hospital specialists.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Fred Hollows Foundation: Large Australian-founded international eye health nonprofit. Comparable as a fundraising and program-delivery foundation dedicated to eye care research, training and treatment, but operating at much greater global scale than Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation.

Direct peers

• Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) Eye Foundation: Australia's peak ophthalmology professional body's charitable arm, funding eye research, fellowships and Indigenous eye health. Directly comparable mission around ophthalmic research, training and patient access in Australia.
• Lions Eye Institute: Perth-based medical research institute focused on eye disease. Comparable as an ophthalmic research and clinical training organisation; Foundation partners with Lions Eye Bank on the iFixPen project.
• Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA): Leading Australian ophthalmic research centre affiliated with University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Comparable translational eye research focus.
• Save Sight Institute: Sydney-based ophthalmic research institute affiliated with University of Sydney. Direct collaborator with Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation on iFixPen, Bioengineered Cornea and other projects, with very similar research and training mission.
• Macular Disease Foundation Australia: Australian charity dedicated to macular disease research, education and support. Comparable community-fundraising, research-grantmaking model focused on a specific eye condition.
• Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital: Specialty public eye and ear hospital in Melbourne. Comparable as the Victorian counterpart of Sydney Eye Hospital; operates with similar specialist training and research mission.
• Retina Australia: Australian charity funding inherited retinal disease research. Comparable disease-specific grantmaking and donor-funded research model in ophthalmology.
• Glaucoma Australia: Australian peak body for glaucoma awareness, support and research funding. Comparable condition-specific eye health charity with similar donation, bequest and research-grant model.

Regional players

• Guide Dogs NSW/ACT: Major Australian vision-related charity providing services and funding research. Comparable community-led fundraising, bequest programs and mission centred on blindness prevention and vision support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sydneyeyehospitalfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sydney-eye-hospital-foundation
• Xx.com/sehf1981

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation