SEE International
Sight is Freedom
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
International Clinics
Local health authorities all over the world invite us to share our knowledge, expertise, and resources with their clinics. We recruit and organize medical teams and get them the critical supplies and logistical support they need to conduct comprehensive eye clinics. These fast-paced clinics can last for up to 5 days, and depending on the conditions and the size of the surgical team, 50 to 300 people in need can have their sight restored and lives changed forever.
Santa Barbara Vision Care Program
The Santa Barbara Vision Care Program serves low-income and uninsured individuals in our local community.
MSICS Education Program
As part of our commitment to advancing eyecare around the world, SEE offers Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) training to practicing ophthalmologists and medical residents. MSICS is a revolutionary surgical technique that removes advanced cataracts and restores sight without the need for expensive equipment, or facilities. With MSICS, low-income individuals afflicted with cataracts can receive the care they need. We anticipate holding 12 courses in 2021 with 90 participants completing the course. We offer two levels of MSICS training: Level I introduces participants to the technique through both lecture and wet-lab practice, and Level II allows participants who are familiar with the technique to shadow faculty in humanitarian settings to develop real world experience.
Where we work
Awards
MSICS Training Program Award for Ophthalmologic Services to El Salvador 2009
Johnson & Johnson
Congressional Recognition for outstanding service to the community 2008
U.S. Congress - Lois Capps, Member of Congress
Leadership in Action Award for Nonprofit & Business Partnership 2008
The Nonprofit Support Center
Affiliations & memberships
Association of Fundraising Professionals - Member 2009
Chamber of Commerce 2009
Vision 2020 - Member 2010
International Association for the Prevention of Blindness - Member 2015
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of people screened for vision problems
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, People with diseases and illnesses, People with vision impairments
Related Program
International Clinics
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2020 numbers decreased significantly due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Number of sight-restoring surgeries provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with vision impairments, Economically disadvantaged people, People with diseases and illnesses
Related Program
International Clinics
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2020 numbers decreased significantly due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Number of sight-restoring programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, People with diseases and illnesses, People with vision impairments
Related Program
International Clinics
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2020 numbers decreased significantly due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
SEE works to create a future free of avoidable blindness and visual impairment, where individuals can lead independent lives, regardless of their income or where they live. To make this goal a reality, we recruit and organize medical teams, then get them the critical supplies and logistical support they need to transform lives. Since 1974, SEE International has provided almost 5,000,000 eye exams and over half-a-million surgeries.
We work with over 600 volunteer ophthalmologists to make a difference in the world by treating preventable vision impairment in developing countries. We support their philanthropic leadership by maintaining working relationships with surgeons around the world, coordinating international clinics, gathering the best medical supplies available, and offering cutting-edge training for cataract surgery.
SEE International's primary focus is on cataract surgery. Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery is a revolutionary, sight-restoring surgical technique that is one of the most cost-effective of all health interventions. A volunteer SEE International surgeon can restore the sight of a person who has been blind with cataracts for 5, 10, or even 20 years with a local anesthetic and a 30-minute surgery.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
SEE International is the link that connects volunteer ophthalmologists to host clinic sites that are in desperate need of help alleviating the overwhelming numbers of people living in darkness. SEE International organizes the clinics and provides most of the equipment and supplies that are needed. SEE International's volunteer eye surgeons donate their time and pay for all their own travel expenses. During each clinic (approximately five days long), sight is typically restored to 50 to 300 people.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
To make this extraordinary work both far-reaching and sustainable, SEE relies on donors. We have created a network of in-kind donors, including Alcon, Allergan, Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb and more, who donate most of the supplies that are used for the clinics. The remainder of the cost—approximately $50 per surgery—is covered by generous individuals and foundations around the world.
To further enhance the sustainability and scalability of our work, SEE devotes significant resources toward the education of eye care professionals, particularly in regions that lack ophthalmologists and optometrists. By disseminating knowledge and skills of vision-restoring techniques like Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery, we create a rippling effect that diminishes the pervasiveness of visual impairments around the world.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Over the last four decades, SEE International has screened just under 5 million individuals and provided over half-a-million surgeries worldwide through a generous global volunteer network of more than 600 ophthalmic surgeons, registered nurses, and technicians. We have seen similar progress in our education initiatives, as well. Since 2012, we have trained a total of 662 surgeons, physicians, and residents in Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery across over a dozen locations. SEE's goal is to continue working in new countries and with new partners for as long as visual impairment remains a global issue.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
SEE International
Board of directorsas of 07/27/2021
Mr. Scott Groff
John I. Crowder
Howard R. Hudson
Brian Kelly
Michael J. Paveloff, M.D., F.A.C.S
Dante J. Pieramici, M.D.
Wright Watling
Patrick T. Welch
Lauren Ackerman
Ken Gack
Andy Doraiswamy
Jeffrey Levenson
Andrew Butcher
Randall Goodman
Olivia Dam
George Rudenauer
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data