Giving Tuesday is tomorrow and it’s important to reflect on what the giving season means. The giving season embodies the spirit of compassion and emphasizes the importance of helping those in need, fostering a sense of community and togetherness.
Santa Barbara’s nonprofit sector thrives on a shared commitment to the well-being of its diverse population and we encourage you to look at our community nonprofits who are in need of your support this holiday season.
Noozhawk is teaming up with local nonprofits to encourage you to take part in this international day of giving, which takes place on November 28th, 2023.
Our Good for Santa Barbara Nonprofit Section provides all the resources you need to donate this Giving Tuesday!
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Rachel Tennant, Chief Development Officer at SEE International, to learn more about how the nonprofit is dedicated t0 providing eyecare services to anyone in need of them, regardless of their background or ability to pay.
SEE International
Question: What is the name and mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: SEE International’s mission is to eliminate preventable blindness worldwide. SEE provides free sight-restoring surgeries and essential eyecare services to people who would otherwise be unable to access the care they need. With our expert volunteer doctors and your donation, we can create a visibly brighter future.
Question: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: Dr. Harry Brown spent a year working as a visiting ophthalmologist in developing countries. Harry witnessed the overwhelming need for eyecare and was driven to inspire medical volunteers to join in changing lives through sight-restoring surgeries.
Established in the heart of Santa Barbara, our organization’s legacy of support in our community to fulfill this mission of transforming lives is an inspiration in itself. We are thankful to be able to serve our patients alongside our partners.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded and what are your greatest needs?
A: Our most impactful financial resources stem from donations made by individuals, organizations and corporations that support our mission to end preventable blindness worldwide.
We are known for our international work, but we also allocate time and resources to educating the next generation of humanitarian ophthalmologists, and to bringing comprehensive eyecare to our local community.
Our greatest needs include general operating support, cash and in-kind donations, medical supplies, medical equipment, and volunteers.
Q: In what ways does your nonprofit utilize its funding?
A: We constantly evaluate where funds are being spent and how best to allocate those funds to have the biggest impact. Funds donated to SEE International are used to bring cost-effective sight-restoring surgery to individuals who would not have access otherwise.
SEE uses funds to accomplish a comprehensive approach to global blindness that involves four initiatives:
1. Taking direct action through vision screenings, treatment, and sight-restoring surgeries, both locally in the Santa Barbara community and in more than 40 countries around the world.
2. Educating ophthalmologists to perform the Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) procedure, to enable high-volume, cost-effective cataract surgeries in resource-limited environments.
3. Advocating for vision health and educating individuals on the importance of comprehensive vision care.
4. Investing in sustainable programs which address inequities in vision care and create viable future treatment options.
Q: What types of fundraisers and/or programs does your nonprofit run?
A: SEE International serves those in need across the globe with these core programs:
Santa Barbara Vision Care provides free comprehensive vision care services in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties in partnership with local ophthalmologists, optometrists, and organizations.
By providing comprehensive eyecare to our patients free of charge, our local program bridges the gap of healthcare equity in our community. This program ensures underserved individuals don’t have to pick and choose what services they receive.
Our services include preliminary screenings, comprehensive eye exams, and any necessary follow-up care, such as vouchers for free, prescription eyeglasses.
International and U.S. Programs are organized by our teams. At the invitation of our partners, we work with doctors and health officials to provide care to thousands of people blinded by treatable eye conditions.
Visiting teams volunteer their time and expertise to assist in areas in need to relieve the burden of blindness. Additionally, SEE provides trusted partners and sites that have the capacity for providing ongoing surgical care with essential medical supplies. This ensures high-quality care in a year-round effort.
Education is a crucial element in the foundation for more sustainable solutions. Therefore, SEE coordinates and oversees educational exchanges to increase access to high-quality eye care and to foster the sustainable growth of eye care systems around the world.
Our educational courses primarily focus on Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS). MSICS is a time- and cost-efficient surgical procedure that can restore sight to patients with advanced cataracts in rural and remote locations.
Every year, our fundraising efforts are geared towards supporting these initiatives that will continue to serve individuals and strive towards our vision of ending preventable blindness around the world.
Q: How do people get involved/volunteer for your nonprofit?
A: There are several ways to get involved with what we do by visiting our website (www.seeintl.org). or contacting us directly (development@seeintl.org). Online you can make a donation to join in transforming lives around the world.
Additionally, we have volunteer opportunities for medical professionals (an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or ophthalmic technician) and for local events, marketing, and helping out at our office! Another powerful support is advocating and sharing awareness of our organization through social media and creating fundraisers.
United together through any of these ways will further our efforts of ending preventable and treatable blindness and ensuring access to eyecare is available for all.
Q: What is one best kept secret or fun fact about your nonprofit that not everyone knows?
A: SEE will be celebrating 50 years of these life-changing transformations in 2024 and highlighting work done in over 80 countries that has served over 5 million people! The primary condition causing preventable blindness, and the one our organization focuses on, is cataracts.
Q: Can you share one or two stories of individuals whose lives have been changed because of your organization?
A: Santa Barbara, CA – In August 2023, SEE held our annual Children’s Sight Month event that helps children in the greater Santa Barbara area get the essential eyecare they need while raising awareness of SEE’s local programs.
This event supports free comprehensive eye exams and free glasses for kids right here in our local community, specifically at SBVC clinics in Goleta, Ventura, Oxnard, and Thousand Oaks. We provided screenings and exams to a total of 461 children this year!
Among the many children we helped during this event was Juan, a first grader who visited our clinic for a comprehensive eye exam and glasses. Juan loves to play soccer with his friends and wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. After getting his eyes examined, he told us that sight is important because it helps him to do well in school, to listen, and to be healthy.
Pangasinan, Philippines – economic conditions make access to vision screenings and cataract surgeries a luxury for many in the Philippines. But a glimmer of hope emerged for people in need when we hosted a program in the Province of Pangasinan. Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jeffrey Levenson, worked alongside Filippino ophthalmologist, Dr. Frederico Malubay, to restore sight to hundreds in this community.
Supported by our exceptional partners, this initiative defied the odds and brought hope to more than 600 individuals in need. Every patient we encountered had a unique journey and a life profoundly transformed by these surgeries.
Corazón, a dedicated 68-year-old teacher at a child development center, found herself in a challenging situation. She needed an eye operation but was unable to afford it. Despite visiting several clinics and receiving recommendations for cataract removal, the financial burden of paying for the surgery seemed insurmountable.
To make matters more pressing, she also had a child with diabetes who required costly dialysis treatment. After her procedure she expressed her heartfelt appreciation, “I am deeply thankful to all the doctors and staff involved in my journey. It brings me great joy to share the incredible work you do for people like me.
Many of us face financial constraints that make accessing these life-changing operations impossible. Yet, you have touched the lives of countless individuals, providing them with the precious gift of sight. From the depths of my heart, thank you!”
Q: How does the work of your nonprofit get communicated to the public?
A: Our local SBVC program regularly collaborates with organizations to effectively share available resources with our community. Additionally, we are passionate about sharing our impacts with supporters through personal outreach, those subscribed to our email lists, and to our followers on social media!
Q: Why should donors trust your organization and are there other ways to help outside of donations?
A: SEE International is highly rated on Charity Navigator, Better Business Bureau, and Guidestar’s Platinum Seal of Transparency. These reputable organizations provide accreditations through their review and high standards of accountability in the nonprofit domain.
Because of this, you can be sure that your donation is making the biggest impact possible in restoring sight locally and globally. Additionally, every year we conduct an audit to produce audited financial statements and file returns with the IRS. We value transparency in our endeavors, and regularly report on our activities, finances, and impact.
Alongside directly volunteering or donating to our efforts, one of the most empowering ways to help our mission is to share it! Our mission cannot be done alone, and together, we can create a visibly brighter future for all. Please visit our website (www.seeintl.org) or contact us (development@seeintl.org) to learn more.
Click here to support SEE International’s mission to create a world where preventable and treatable blindness no longer exist and high-quality eyecare is accessible to all.
Check out Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of nonprofits to donate to this giving season.
If you would like to include your nonprofit in our Good for Santa Barbara section and Giving Guide click HERE.