Dakota Lions Sight & Health

What Dakota Lions Sight & Health does

Dakota Lions Sight & Health (DLSH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, operating as the only nonprofit eye and tissue bank locally based in the Dakotas. The organization recovers, processes, and distributes human eye tissue (corneas, sclera), non-ocular tissue (heart valves, skin, bone, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, vascular tissues), birth tissue (placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid), and research tissue to surgeons, eye banks, and research institutions. Its four-state service area for recovery — South Dakota, North Dakota, northern Nebraska, and western Minnesota — is supported by a referral network of hospitals, funeral directors, and EMS personnel, while distribution extends nationally and globally through direct surgeon relationships, other eye banks, and FDA-registered processing partners.

The organization's underlying infrastructure centers on a state-of-the-art Sioux Falls facility completed in 2010, which houses a dedicated laboratory, two surgical recovery suites, and in-house instrument sterilization. DLSH maintains concurrent accreditations from the Association for Advancing Tissue and Biologics (AATB, through 2028), the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA, through 2029), and FDA registration — collectively the regulatory baseline for legal U.S. tissue banking operations. The organization is led by CEO Marcy Dimond, CEBT, CTBS, supported by a board of directors and multiple medical directors for ocular and non-ocular tissue. Throughput metrics reported annually include 500+ eye and tissue donors, 4,000+ birth tissue donors, 550+ cornea transplants, and 10,000+ lives touched by other transplants.

DLSH's business model blends tissue-processing revenue with charitable fundraising. Tissue is sold to surgeons, other eye banks, and processing partners on a fee-for-service basis, while charitable donations from the community and the 180+ Lions Clubs across the Dakotas underwrite no-cost corneal tissue for uninsured recipients, donor family bereavement services, community education, and the annual $1,500 scholarship program. Adjacent programs include research tissue donation to academic and clinical partners (NDRI, Sanford Research, Avera, Mayo Brain Bank, Harvard Brain Bank, among others) and CEU-accredited nursing and social worker training across the four-state region. The organization originated from the South Dakota Lions Eye Bank (1991-2010), was renamed South Dakota Lions Eye & Tissue Bank in 2010, and assumed its current form in 2016 following the merger with Lions Eye Bank of North Dakota.

Name

Dakota Lions Sight & Health

Legal name

Dakota Lions Sight & Health

Website

https://dakotasight.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dakota Lions Sight & Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit eye and tissue bank headquartered in Sioux Falls, SD, recovering and distributing corneas, non-ocular tissue, and birth tissue across South Dakota, North Dakota, northern Nebraska, and western Minnesota, supported by a 180+ Lions Club referral network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eye and Tissue Banking Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Eye tissue donation
• Cornea transplantation
• Birth tissue recovery
• Tissue banking services
• Donor family support

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Dakota Lions Sight & Health relies on financial contributions from the community to fund programs including community education, no-cost corneal tissue for those without medical coverage, and donor family care and bereavement support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dakota Lions Sight & Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit eye and tissue bank that recovers, processes, and distributes donated human eye tissue (corneas, sclera), non-ocular tissue (heart valves, skin, bone, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, vascular tissue), and birth tissue (placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic fluid) for transplantation and research. It distributes tissue directly to surgeons, other eye banks, and national processing partners while providing donor family care, continuing education for medical professionals, and a scholarship program supporting sight and health careers.

Product overview

Dakota Lions Sight & Health is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization serving as the only nonprofit eye and tissue bank locally based in the Dakotas. The organization operates as a single unified service offering comprising five interconnected programs: Eye & Tissue Donation Services (recovering and distributing corneas, sclera, and non-ocular tissues like heart valves, skin, and bone), Birth Tissue Donation (placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid for healing applications), Research Tissue Donation (supplying tissue to research partners), Donor Family Care (support services for grieving families including tribute events and correspondence programs), and Nursing & Social Worker Training (continuing education for medical professionals). The organization is headquartered in Sioux Falls, SD, with a state-of-the-art facility featuring a dedicated laboratory and surgical recovery suites, and maintains accreditation from AATB and EBAA along with FDA registration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eye & Tissue Donation Services Recovery and distribution of healthy eye tissue (corneas, sclera) and non-ocular tissue (heart valves, skin, bone, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, vascular tissues) for transplant purposes. The organization processes and distributes tissue to surgeons throughout the nation and world, with corneas screened, tested, and processed according to surgeon specifications.
• Birth Tissue Donation Program Recovery and distribution of birth tissues including placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid containing special healing cells. Collected following scheduled C-section deliveries and used to support cell growth for healing burns, skin infections, and surgery patients.
• Donor Family Care Program Comprehensive support services for donor families including letters and cards of support, personal phone calls during the year following donation, tribute events, donor quilt program, and assistance with writing to recipients.
• Research Tissue Donation Provides research tissue to partner organizations for medical research purposes. Currently recovers research tissue from approximately 90 donors each year for partners including NDRI, Sanford Research, and academic institutions.
• Nursing & Social Worker Training Continuing education program approved by the North Dakota Board of Nursing and North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners, teaching participants how to educate patients about tissue donation for CEU credits in North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
• Restoration of Sight & Health Scholarship Annual scholarship program awarding $1,500 to three South Dakota students and three North Dakota students pursuing education in fields related to sight and health restoration.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NDRI for research tissue donation. DLSH recovers research tissue from approximately 90 donors each year for use in human disease research.
• Sanford ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for medical advances in diagnosis and treatment of human disease using donated tissue.
• Avera Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership supporting medical advances in diagnosis and treatment through tissue donation.
• Vance Thompson VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership focused on eye and vision-related medical research and treatment advances.
• University of South DakotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership supporting medical education and tissue-based research.
• South Dakota State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership supporting medical education and tissue-based research.
• South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership supporting scientific research and tissue-based studies.
• Mayo Brain BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for brain tissue research supporting neurological disease studies.
• Harvard Brain BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for brain tissue research supporting neurological disease studies.
• Lions ClubscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 180 Lions Clubs in the Dakotas serve as eye and tissue donation ambassadors. Lions Club members provide fundraising and volunteer efforts throughout their communities, driving DLSH's nonprofit programs forward. Financial support helps provide corneas at no cost to individuals facing financial hardship, support education and outreach programs, and maintain the state-of-the-art facility.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LifeNet Health: National nonprofit tissue bank and processor offering a full range of allograft and birth-tissue products. Comparable as a downstream processing partner competitor, operating at significantly greater scale.
• Versiti: Large nonprofit blood and tissue services organization operating across multiple states. Comparable as a regional blood/tissue services consolidator, but with broader scope than DLSH.
• MTF Biologics: Large nonprofit tissue bank recovering and distributing a wide range of musculoskeletal and birth tissues nationally. Comparable as a tissue processor/distributor that could partner with or compete against DLSH for non-ocular and birth tissue flow.
• CorneaGen: Larger national eye bank and corneal tissue provider serving surgeons across the U.S. Operates at greater scale and broader geographic reach than DLSH; competes in downstream distribution of corneal tissue.

Direct peers

• Miracles in Sight: North Carolina-based nonprofit eye bank providing ocular tissue for transplant and research; closely comparable nonprofit recovery-distribution model and surgeon-direct distribution channels.
• Lions Gift of Sight: Minnesota-based nonprofit eye bank affiliated with the Lions Clubs; recovers, processes, and distributes corneal tissue for transplant and research. Highly comparable mission, Lions Club ties, and nonprofit operating model to DLSH.
• Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research: Florida-based nonprofit eye bank with Lions Club roots; recovers, processes, and distributes ocular tissue globally. Closely comparable nonprofit mission and donor-family care model.
• Saving Sight: Midwest-based nonprofit eye bank headquartered in Missouri; recovers and distributes ocular tissue for transplant, with similar donor-family care and Lions Club heritage. Comparable regional nonprofit eye-bank structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DakotaSight
• Facebookfacebook.com/dakotasight

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dakota Lions Sight & Health