It’s time to get into the holiday spirit and join in on giving back to your community. Join Noozhawk this #GivingTuesday and donate to your favorite local nonprofits.
Noozhawk is teaming up with local nonprofits to encourage you to take part in the international day of giving, which takes place on November 30th, 2021.
It is no secret that this past year and a half has been full of challenges. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, local nonprofits need your support now more than ever.
Our Good for Santa Barbara Nonprofit Section provides all the resources you need to donate this holiday season, including a full Giving Guide with a list of local nonprofits who need your help 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 to providing essential and transformative eye care and surgery around the world.
SEE International
Question: What is the name & mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: SEE International provides essential and transformative eye care and surgery around the world and right here at home. We bring medical volunteers and partners together to care for the people who need it most. Our teams work side-by-side with local doctors.
Q: How long has your nonprofit been in service?
A: SEE International was founded in 1974 by Dr. Harry Brown.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: Upon completing his education, Dr. Harry Brown embarked on a year-long trip across the globe with his wife, four children, and mother, working as a visiting ophthalmologist in Johannesburg, South Africa; North Gujarat, India; and Kabul, Afghanistan.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded and what are your greatest needs?
A: SEE receives the majority of its funding from individual donations, though we also receive support from organizations like the Alcon Foundation, or Johnson & Johnson Vision. SEE not only continuously strengthens existing partnerships, particularly with local organizations, but also constantly pursues new funding opportunities that are aligned with our mission and values. Thanks to this diversity in funding sources, SEE is able to guarantee continuous service without reliance on any one group, or organization.
Q: How has COVID-19 impacted your nonprofit?
A: Despite the many challenges brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, SEE is proud to have remained committed to our vital sight-restoring work. Although travel restrictions prevented our volunteers from participating in international clinics in 2020, SEE utilized that time to adapt our programs and find new ways to meet the needs of the communities we serve. To ensure our international efforts continue through this time, we shifted our focus to supplying our international partners with the essential consumables and equipment needed to continue providing sight-restoring surgeries in areas of need.
Q: In what ways does your nonprofit utilize it’s funding?
A: SEE uses its funding to address preventable and treatable blindness by providing short-term international clinics, education for aspiring humanitarian ophthalmologists, and domestic eyecare services, including our local Santa Barbara Vision Care program.
Q: How do people get involved/volunteer for your nonprofit?
A: In the 47 years since our organization’s establishment, we have restored sight to over 650,000 individuals in over 45 countries. Here at SEE, we value support in all the ways it can be given. There are many creative ways someone can help us transform someone’s life with the gift of sight! Here are a few suggestions for some other ways to support SEE’s sight-restoring efforts:
Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers – Create and host your own fundraising campaign! Gather your friends and family and inspire people across the nation to join us in our efforts of providing critical eyecare to individuals in need. With peer-to-peer fundraising, you can create your own fundraising page and invite others to join, bringing people together to transform lives with the precious gift of sight.
Share Us on Social Media – Spreading awareness is one of the first steps in taking action against preventable blindness. By sharing our content or tagging us on social media, you can not only inform others about the need to make vision care more accessible worldwide, but can welcome them to join in taking action with us!
Volunteer at HQ – Live in or near Santa Barbara? We occasionally need hands-on help with our operations and administration.
Q: Can you share one or two stories of individuals whose lives have been changed because of your organization?
A: One of the many patients that have recently benefitted from SEE’s efforts was six-year-old Olivia, who dreams of being an art teacher one day. A few years ago when she was just three-years-old, Olivia put on her grandma’s glasses to “play teacher” with her cousin. After spending some time wearing the glasses, she told her family that they actually helped her to see better. Her parents then took her to a SEE clinic for a screening, only to discover that she needed glasses of her own. Now, three years later, she’s back again for another pair. During Olivia’s appointment, her mother noted how important it is for her daughter to see: “Our vision is everything,” she said, “[Olivia] really enjoys drawing and painting and I want her to be able to do those things.” With her brand-new pair of glasses and school supplies, Olivia has everything she needs to not only be successful this school year, but to keep doing all the things she loves! “
Jhari Singha is a 70-year-old woman from Altapur Village in Karandighi, India. Unfortunately, the only living family she has is a single son, as her husband died 11 years ago. Before the death of her husband, Jhari had no issues with mobility, and her eyesight was clear. However, her vision progressively deteriorated over the years, and it became difficult for her son to care for her. Despite the care her son provided, Jhari lived in fear and began struggling to communicate as her vision dwindled, saddened by the loss of her independence. Worried about his mother’s worsening condition, Jhari’s son brought her to see a doctor, who diagnosed Jhari with a severe cataract in her left eye. Jhari and her son were unable to afford the treatment she needed, so she was quickly enrolled within a free surgical program in partnership with SEE. Shortly after, Jhari received free cataract surgery funded by SEE International. Her son reports that her vision has improved drastically, and he is happy to say that since having her sight restored, Jhari has regained her confidence.
Q: Why should donors trust your organization and are there other ways to help outside of donations?
A: SEE puts a premium on transparency with all of our individual donors, as well as organizational funders. To that end, SEE was awarded the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Guidestar in 2021, as well as an Encompass Rating of 100 out of 100 from CharityNavigator. For anyone who would like to see this transparency for themselves, we recommend reading our Annual Reports, or Financials at https://www.seeintl.org/annual-reports/.
Q: Can you tell us one short-term goal AND one long-term goal that your nonprofit has for the next year?
A: In the short term, SEE is focused on maintaining the scope and quality of care for our existing programs. This includes programs such as our local Santa Barbara Vision Care, direct supply support of our partners in India and Nepal, and Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery training courses. Our goal is to serve a total of over 30,000 individuals in 2021 through all our programs.
Our long-term goal is to continuously reduce the global epidemic of preventable blindness. Each year, volunteers from SEE’s global network of eye care professionals travel to where there’s a need, donating equipment and supplies, providing education, and utilizing their expertise to help host doctors relieve the burden of blindness in their area.
To do this, we are constantly scaling up our educational programs, exploring new partnerships with eyecare professionals and institutions that share our goal, and increasing our direct supply support of existing partners who need our help to treat patients suffering from conditions like cataracts.
Click here to support SEE International’s mission to improve access to high-quality eye care and surgery around the world.