Wisconsin Lions Foundation

What Wisconsin Lions Foundation does

The Wisconsin Lions Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1956 and operated by the Lions of Wisconsin, delivering free services across five core programs: the Wisconsin Lions Camp, Eyeglass Recycling, Vision Screening, Hearing aid distribution, and Diabetes Awareness. The Wisconsin Lions Camp, situated on a 440-acre site in Rosholt, WI, hosts people with disabilities at no cost and served 1,007 campers during the summer of 2025; the Eyeglass Recycling program operates as one of 19 Lions International Certified centers worldwide and has processed 1.2 million pairs of eyeglasses since inception. Vision screening is delivered through dedicated chairs placed across all 10 Wisconsin Lions districts.

The foundation's business model is donation-funded. Revenue is assembled from individual contributions, Friends of WLF memberships, Wisconsin Lions Clubs district allocations, memorial and honorary gifts, planned giving, the deer hide collection fundraiser, and ancillary recycling streams including printer cartridge and used eyeglass processing. A 2026 operating budget of $2.9M establishes the current scale. Programs are delivered through the foundation's own staff and facilities in partnership with local Lions Clubs, optical retailers (Shopko Optical's Kids in Focus program), eye-care practices (Beloit Family Eye Care), and international humanitarian organizations (Sharing Resources Worldwide). Recent strategic moves include a leadership transition to new Executive Director Brad Behrens, a NASA DISCOVERIES STEM-education pilot begun in 2024, a January 2026 satellite eyeglass recycling site in Beloit, and a School Technology Grant launching April 2026.

Name

Wisconsin Lions Foundation

Legal name

Wisconsin Lions Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://wisconsinlionsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Wisconsin Lions Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1956 that delivers free programs — including a summer camp for people with disabilities, eyeglass recycling, vision screening, hearing aids, and diabetes awareness — to Wisconsin residents, funded through donations and Lions Clubs statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Community Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit charitable services
• Summer camp programs
• Eyeglass recycling services
• Vision screening services
• Hearing aid assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Rosholt

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The primary revenue source is donations from individuals, Lions Clubs, and businesses. Donors can designate funds to specific projects or general operations.
2. Event Fundraising: Annual events including the Birch-Sturm Memorial Golf Outing ($125 registration), Hustle S'more for Lions Camp, and Lions Camp for Kids Raffle ($10 tickets with $2,500 top prize).
3. Deer Hide Collection: Hunters donate deer hides which are sold to a buyer, with proceeds supporting Wisconsin Lions Camp. Last year raised over $117,000.
4. Lions License Plates: $25 annual donation to Wisconsin Lions Foundation through special license plate program administered by Wisconsin DOT.
5. Planet Green Inkjet Cartridge Recycling: Free mail-in recycling program where individuals send used inkjet cartridges; Wisconsin Lions Foundation receives funds from Planet Green Recycle based on cartridges sent.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Wisconsin Lions Foundation delivers five statewide service programs for Wisconsin residents: free week-long summer camp experiences at Wisconsin Lions Camp for youth and adults with disabilities, eyeglass recycling and global mission distribution from one of 19 Lions International Certified centers, free vision screenings in schools and communities using PlusOptix and Spot devices, hearing aid financial assistance through the Hearing Project, and the Diabetes Awareness Project distributing educational materials statewide. All core services are provided free to qualifying beneficiaries, with revenue generated through donations, fundraising events, sponsorships, and paid facility rentals.

Product overview

The Wisconsin Lions Foundation operates five core community service programs: Wisconsin Lions Camp (a free summer camping program for people with disabilities), Eyeglass Recycling (one of only nineteen Lions International Certified Eyeglass Recycling Centers), Vision Screening (free screenings using PlusOptix/Spot screeners), Hearing (providing hearing aids to those in need), and Diabetes Awareness (educational materials distribution). The organization also runs several complementary programs including Camp Rentals for event hosting, Deer Hides for Lions Camp and other annual fundraisers (Birch-Sturm Memorial Golf Outing, Hustle S'more, Camp for Kids Raffle), donor recognition through the Friends and Honors Garden, Lions Foundation License Plates, and the Planet Green inkjet cartridge recycling program. New initiatives include the School Technology Grant supporting CGM monitoring in schools and satellite eyeglass recycling locations like Beloit Family Eye Care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wisconsin Lions Camp A free week-long summer camping program for Wisconsin youth and adults with disabilities including those who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, or have intellectual disabilities, autism, diabetes, or epilepsy. Campers are served free of charge across a 10-week season on a 440-acre accessible site in Rosholt, Wisconsin.
• Eyeglass Recycling A Lions International Certified Eyeglass Recycling Center that collects, sorts, washes, reads prescriptions, packages, and ships donated eyeglasses to medical missions around the globe. Receives over 1 million pairs annually and ships over 200,000 to missions, including 73,920 shipped to 44 missions in a recent six-month period.
• Vision Screening Free vision screenings conducted by trained Lions volunteers using PlusOptix or Spot screening devices at schools, preschools, and community centers across Wisconsin to support early detection of vision issues. Lions screened 78,688 children in the fall 2025 semester with 9,236 referred for follow-up.
• Hearing Project Provides hearing aids at reduced or no cost to Wisconsin residents who are hard of hearing and cannot afford them. Applications are reviewed by District Hearing Chairs; the program is funded through Lions Club donations and credit from recycling used hearing aids. 19 hearing aids were approved for purchase in a recent period and 5,300 used hearing aids were sent in for recycling credit.
• Diabetes Awareness Project Statewide educational program distributing diabetes awareness materials to Lions Clubs and Wisconsin residents to support diabetes prevention and quality care. Distributed 35,452 pieces of awareness materials to clubs in a recent period, and now also operates the School Technology Grant funding CGM monitoring technology for Wisconsin schools.
• Wisconsin Lions Camp Rentals Facility rental program offering the 440-acre Wisconsin Lions Camp property for meetings, retreats, corporate events, family gatherings, and group activities including the 18-hole disc golf course. Named Top 3 Finalist for Best Event Venue in Portage County.
• Birch-Sturm Memorial Golf Outing Annual four-person scramble golf event held at Glacier Wood Golf Club in Iola, WI, supporting all five WLF projects. Registration is $125 per golfer and includes lunch, 18 holes of golf, banquet dinner, and prize opportunities up to $10,000 cash; sponsorship tiers range from $150 (Hole Sponsor) to $5,000 (Dinner Sponsor).
• Lions Camp for Kids Raffle Annual raffle with 18 cash prizes supporting Lions Camp; tickets are $10 each, top prize $2,500, drawing held at the WLF offices.
• Hustle S'more for Lions Camp Annual fundraiser event for Lions Camp featuring a race event with virtual race options available for remote participation. The 2024 Hustle S'more raised over $23,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,007 campers served free of charge in summer 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Planet Green RecycleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Free mail-in inkjet cartridge recycling program. Individuals request free shipping labels using WLF Program ID Code 32877, mail cartridges, and WLF receives funds based on cartridges sent.
• Beloit Family Eye Care, SCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026First year-round eyeglass recycling satellite location for Wisconsin Lions Foundation. Eyeglasses are read using automatic lensometer and packaged for missions. Overseen by Dr. Douglas Kelley.
• Sharing Resources WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Long-standing partnership for medical mission trips to Honduras. Wisconsin Lions Foundation supplies all eyeglasses for the missions. In January 2026, the 18th visit to Siguatepeque screened 328 patients, with 228 receiving eyeglasses. Three ophthalmologists, two RNs, and two ocularists participated.
• Wisconsin Department of TransportationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Administers the Lions Foundation special license plate program. $25 annual donation supports WLF through license plate sales.
• Shopko Optical Kids in FocusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to provide vouchers for eye exams and glasses for students without vision insurance. WLF vouchers cover costs through this program.
• NASA GLOBE ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Wisconsin Lions Foundation is the only facility in the country leading NASA DISCOVERIES (Developing Interconnected STEM Communities of Vested Educational Relevance in Earth Science). Two-year pilot program providing STEM education for K-12 students.
• Lake Tomahawk Lions ClubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1997Satellite eyeglass recycling processing location since 1997. Club recycles 11,000-12,000 pairs of glasses annually, donating approximately 450 volunteer hours per year. Since 1997, has recycled over 300,463 pairs of eyeglasses.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA): National advocacy and support organization for people with hearing loss. Overlaps with WLF's Hearing Project mission in serving low-income individuals needing hearing aids and hearing loss support.
• United Way of Wisconsin: Statewide community fundraising and grantmaking organization. Broader incumbent in the same donor ecosystem, with overlapping funding sources from Wisconsin individuals, businesses, and employer campaigns.
• Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF): The global humanitarian foundation of Lions Clubs International. WLF operates as a sub-unit of this broader Lions ecosystem; LCIF funds and certifies programs that WLF implements.
• Easter Seals Wisconsin: Large disability services nonprofit operating in Wisconsin. Provides camping, respite, and disability services, overlapping with WLF's Lions Camp in target population and disability programming.

Direct peers

• Minnesota Lions Foundation: Minnesota's state Lions Foundation supporting district-wide projects including diabetes awareness, hearing, and vision programs. Closest geographic and structural peer to WLF's multi-project service model.
• Lions World Vision Institute: Largest Lions International Certified Eyeglass Recycling Center globally, headquartered in Tampa, FL. Direct peer in the eyeglass recycling program, with similar volume and global mission distribution model.
• Sharing Resources Worldwide: Partner organization running medical mission trips to Honduras. Direct peer in the international eyeglass distribution pipeline, screening 328 patients in January 2026 with WLF-supplied eyeglasses.
• Lions of Illinois Foundation: State-level Lions Foundation operating camps and statewide service projects in Illinois. Direct parallel to Wisconsin Lions Foundation in mission, structure, and program mix (camp, eyeglass recycling, hearing, vision, diabetes).

Regional players

• Camp Chi (Wisconsin): Wisconsin-based Jewish summer camp offering inclusion programming. Regional peer competing for the same Wisconsin youth camper market, particularly families seeking inclusive camp experiences.

Emerging players

• VSP Eyes of Hope: National vision care nonprofit providing free eyeglasses and eye exams to low-income individuals. Adjacent peer in the eyeglass access mission, operating at significantly larger scale than WLF's eyeglass recycling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WILionsFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisconsin-lions-foundation-inc.

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Wisconsin Lions Foundation