Florida Lions Eye Clinic

What Florida Lions Eye Clinic does

Florida Lions Eye Clinic (FLLEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 in Bonita Springs, Florida, by retired ophthalmologists and members of the Lions Club to address the lack of affordable eye care for underserved Southwest Florida residents. The clinic provides free comprehensive ophthalmic services — eye exams, diagnostic testing, medical treatment, medications, prescription eyeglasses, specialty care (cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy), and sight-restoring surgery — to Florida residents who are uninsured and have household incomes at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. FLLEC also runs a School Vision Program and monthly Children's Eye Clinics that screen children for amblyopia, nystagmus, and refractive errors.

FLLEC claims to be the only free eye-care clinic in Florida providing free eye surgery. Each year it serves more than 3,200 patients, performs 325+ in-house surgeries, and distributes 700+ eyeglasses, providing over $3 million in charitable services. Operations are delivered by a roster of volunteer ophthalmologists (including a pediatric ophthalmologist) supported by a small employed staff — a clinic manager, ophthalmic technicians, and patient coordinators — under the leadership of Executive Director Daniel Christenbury and a Board of Directors chaired by Larry DeArmond.

FLLEC generates no patient revenue. Operating funding comes exclusively from individual donations, private foundation grants, and community partner contributions (United Way, Naples Children & Education Foundation, Shadow Wood Charitable Foundation, Lighthouse Bay Charitable Foundation, The Bridge Fund), with patient referrals flowing in from a network of more than eight community partners including the Florida Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, Neighborhood Health Clinic, Salvation Army, St. Matthew's House, and Health Care Network of Southwest Florida. Technology consists of conventional ophthalmic diagnostic and surgical equipment, an AdvancedMD patient portal for online intake, Volgistics for volunteer management, and PayPal and Square for donation processing.

Name

Florida Lions Eye Clinic

Legal name

Florida Lions Eye Clinic

Website

https://fllec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Florida Lions Eye Clinic is a Bonita Springs-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free medical, surgical, and routine eye care to uninsured Florida residents at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, serving 3,200+ patients annually through volunteer ophthalmologists and foundation funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Ophthalmic Care Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Offices of Optometrists (621320)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care) (HLAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA), Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus (HLAKAKAD)

Keywords

• Free eye care services
• Ophthalmic surgical care
• Vision health charity
• Community eye clinic
• Diabetic retinopathy treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonita Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Private Grants: As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, FLLEC relies exclusively on donor contributions and private grants to fund operations. No revenue is generated from patients, as all services are provided free of charge to qualifying individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Florida Lions Eye Clinic (FLLEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that provides free medical, surgical, and routine eye care services to uninsured and underinsured Florida residents with household incomes at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Eligible patients receive comprehensive services at no cost, including eye exams, diagnostic testing, medical treatment, medications, prescription eyeglasses, specialty ophthalmic care, and sight-restoring surgical procedures.

Product overview

Florida Lions Eye Clinic is a nonprofit healthcare organization offering a unified set of free eye care services rather than a modular product platform. The core offerings include comprehensive eye exams, diagnostic testing, medical treatments, medications, prescription eyeglasses, and sight-restoring surgeries (including cataract surgery). Additional services include pediatric eye care for conditions like amblyopia and nystagmus, specialty ophthalmic care for cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, and a school vision program for early detection in children. All services are provided at no cost to eligible Florida residents who are uninsured and at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Eye Care Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,200+ patients served annually with over $3 million in free services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• Florida Association of Free & Charitable ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner that trusts FLLEC to serve patients in need. Helps connect underserved individuals to FLLEC's free eye care services throughout Florida.
• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor referral and funding partner supporting FLLEC's mission to provide free eye care to underserved Florida residents.
• Neighborhood Health CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner that directs patients in need to FLLEC for comprehensive eye care services.
• Health Care Network of Southwest FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner referring patients in need of eye care services to FLLEC.
• Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner that refers underserved individuals who need free eye care services.
• St. Matthew's HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner serving homeless and low-income individuals, referring those in need of eye care to FLLEC.
• Bonita Springs Lions ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding and ongoing support partner. Major supporter of establishing the clinic; Joe Jackson serves as FLLEC Liaison and past president. Coordinates Lions Preschool Screening Program for Lee County.
• FGCU (Florida Gulf Coast University)supportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership providing student volunteers to support clinic operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SEE International: A nonprofit that provides free sight-restoring surgeries to underserved people worldwide, closely comparable to FLLEC's surgical mission and volunteer-physician model for charitable eye care.
• Operation Sight (ASCRS Foundation): An ophthalmologist-led charity program providing free cataract surgery to uninsured patients in the US, directly paralleling FLLEC's surgical offering for the underserved.
• New Eyes for the Needy: A nonprofit that provides free eyeglasses to low-income individuals in the US; directly comparable to FLLEC's prescription eyewear program for underserved patients.
• Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research: A Lions-affiliated nonprofit focused on eye banking, transplant tissue, and vision research; comparable to FLLEC through shared Lions Club heritage and mission of sight preservation.
• Prevent Blindness: A national nonprofit focused on eye health education, vision screenings, and access to care for underserved populations; comparable to FLLEC's screening, prevention, and patient access programs.
• Mission Cataract USA: A nonprofit network providing free cataract surgery to uninsured US patients, mirroring FLLEC's sight-restoring surgical mission and volunteer surgeon model.
• VOSH International (Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity): A volunteer-driven nonprofit providing free vision care and eyeglasses to underserved populations globally; closely matches FLLEC's free exams, glasses, and volunteer-clinic model.

Emerging players

• Remote Area Medical: A nonprofit operating free pop-up medical, dental, and vision clinics across the US for underserved populations; comparable in mission and free-service model, though broader in scope than FLLEC.

Regional players

• Health Care Network of Southwest Florida: A regional free/sliding-scale clinic network serving uninsured Southwest Florida residents; comparable as a regional safety-net provider and an actual referral partner of FLLEC.
• Neighborhood Health Clinic (Naples, FL): A volunteer-driven nonprofit medical clinic in Collier County providing free care to low-income uninsured adults; comparable to FLLEC as a Florida-based free-clinic peer and active referral partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florida-lions-eye-clinic

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Florida Lions Eye Clinic