The Fred Hollows Foundation
An international nonprofit organization working to prevent avoidable blindness and strengthen eye-care systems.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The Fred Hollows Foundation is an international nonprofit aid organization founded in Australia in 1992 by ophthalmologist and social justice advocate Fred Hollows. Its work centers on preventing and treating avoidable blindness, improving access to eye care, and building the long-term capacity of health systems in underserved communities. Although the organization is associated with New Zealand through the country information supplied for this record and has an international network of operations, its canonical Wikipedia subject is headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The foundation grew out of Fred Hollows's earlier work in public and community eye health. In 1976, Hollows and teams of health workers began the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program, which surveyed eye conditions in rural and remote Australia and delivered treatment to communities with limited access to medical services. The program helped reduce blindness among Indigenous Australians and established an approach based on combining clinical care, public-health investigation, training, and advocacy. Hollows founded the foundation on 3 September 1992, shortly before his death. Afterward, his widow, Gabi Hollows, helped continue and expand his work, including projects in Vietnam and other countries. The foundation does not sell conventional consumer products. Its principal activities include training ophthalmologists, nurses, community health workers, and other eye-care personnel; screening for cataracts, trachoma, refractive error, and other causes of impaired vision; supporting surgery and subsidized treatment; supplying spectacles; and helping clinics obtain equipment, buildings, transport, and other infrastructure. Rather than relying only on individual medical interventions, the organization generally seeks to develop comprehensive and sustainable eye-health systems that can continue serving local populations after a particular project ends. In Africa, its programs have included eye-health-system development, workforce training, disease screening, subsidized treatment, and provision of equipment and infrastructure in countries including Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Burundi. In South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, it has worked in countries and territories including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Palestine, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Laos, and Vietnam. Its Indigenous Australian work includes service delivery, partnerships, and advocacy aimed at reducing the gap in eye health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian population. The foundation has also worked with governments, local health providers, community organizations, and corporate partners. It is associated with the Australian Council for International Development and has been accredited by Australia's overseas aid agency, historically known as AusAID, making it eligible for Australian government support for overseas aid programs. Recognition has included Australian charity and nonprofit awards, a ranking among leading global nongovernmental organizations, and awards for community partnerships and fundraising communications. Its public identity remains closely linked to Fred Hollows's emphasis on practical medical action, local capacity building, social justice, and equal access to sight-saving care.
History
The Fred Hollows Foundation emerged from Fred Hollows's career in ophthalmology, public health, and social justice. Hollows became particularly known for challenging unequal access to medical care and for combining specialist treatment with community-based health work. A major foundation for his later activities was the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program, launched in 1976. Hollows and multidisciplinary teams traveled through rural and remote Australia to examine eye conditions, document the state of eye health, and provide services to communities that were poorly served by conventional medical systems. Trachoma and other preventable conditions were especially significant among Indigenous Australians. The program contributed to a substantial reduction in blindness in those communities and demonstrated the value of linking clinical treatment with surveillance, prevention, and public advocacy. Hollows established the foundation on 3 September 1992, shortly before his death. The organization was created to continue his practical campaign against avoidable blindness in Australia and internationally. After his death, Gabi Hollows played a central role in preserving and extending the foundation's mission. The organization continued work in Vietnam and developed broader partnerships across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Pacific-facing region. Its model emphasized local ownership: rather than simply sending medical teams to perform isolated procedures, the foundation supported training, equipment, infrastructure, referral systems, and public-health programs so that local providers could deliver eye care over time. The foundation's international programs have addressed cataracts, trachoma, poor vision, refractive error, and other causes of avoidable sight loss. Activities have included community screening, surgery, subsidized treatment, provision of spectacles, health education, and attention to lifestyle or environmental factors that contribute to eye disease. It has also helped establish or improve clinics and supplied the technology and equipment required for diagnosis and treatment. In Africa, the organization has described its work as comprehensive eye-health-system development, with programs in countries such as Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Burundi. In South Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East, it has worked in countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Palestine, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Laos, and Vietnam. Australia remains an important part of the foundation's identity and work. Its Indigenous Australian programs combine service delivery with advocacy for sustained government investment and seek to reduce the eye-health inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In 2008, the foundation committed up to A$3 million toward an eye clinic in Alice Springs. The project had not been completed by April 2010, generating public criticism about the role assigned to a charity in delivering public health infrastructure. The government response included the view that the foundation was appropriately placed to provide the service. The organization has developed relationships with governments, aid agencies, community groups, and businesses. It is a member of the Australian Council for International Development and a signatory to that body's conduct code, which addresses governance, management, financial control, and reporting. It was also accredited by AusAID, Australia's former overseas aid agency, allowing it to qualify for Australian government funding for overseas development programs. Its recognition has included a 2005 award for a community-business partnership, a 2009 international fundraising communications award, the 2013 Australian Charity of the Year award, and inclusion in a Global Journal ranking of leading nongovernmental organizations. The foundation has not been free from scrutiny. In 2009, media reporting questioned investment decisions and alleged that more than A$2 million had been lost through Goldman Sachs JBWere. The foundation rejected that characterization, reported a smaller investment loss alongside investment income, and acknowledged that its investments had been written down. The newspaper later corrected the report following correspondence from Gabi Hollows. Despite such controversies, the foundation's continuing public mission is to make eye care accessible to people who would otherwise face preventable blindness, using a combination of treatment, prevention, training, infrastructure, and social-justice advocacy.
- 2013
Recognized as Australian Charity of the Year
[1]The foundation won the National Charity Award in the inaugural Australian Charity Awards and was listed among the world's top nongovernmental organizations by The Global Journal.
- 2009
International fundraising communications award
[1]The foundation won a Gold Star award for a nonprofit video at the International Fundraising Congress in the Netherlands.
- 2008
Alice Springs clinic commitment announced
[1]The foundation committed up to A$3 million toward construction of an eye clinic in Alice Springs.
- 2005
Community-business partnership receives national award
[1]A partnership involving the foundation, Woolworths, and the Wugularr community received a National Award for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships.
- 1992
Foundation established
[1]Fred Hollows founded The Fred Hollows Foundation on 3 September to continue work against avoidable blindness and unequal access to eye care.
- 1976
National Trachoma and Eye Health Program begins
[1]Fred Hollows and health workers began a national program investigating and treating trachoma and other eye conditions in rural and remote Australian communities.
Products and positioning
A social-justice-oriented eye-health organization focused on eliminating avoidable blindness through clinical services, workforce development, local partnerships, advocacy, and durable health-system investment.
International development and health services
Comprehensive eye-health programs
Integrated programs designed to prevent and treat avoidable blindness. They may combine community screening, diagnosis, surgery, subsidized treatment, spectacles, health education, referral pathways, and support for local clinics. The foundation's approach is intended to improve both immediate access to care and the ability of local health systems to provide continuing services.
Medical training and capacity building
Eye-care workforce training
Training and professional development for ophthalmologists, nurses, community health workers, and other providers. The objective is to expand locally available expertise, improve clinical quality, and reduce dependence on short-term visiting teams.
Public health program · 1976
Trachoma prevention and treatment
Public-health activities addressing trachoma and related causes of preventable blindness. Work can include screening, treatment, community education, and broader eye-health measures informed by the foundation's historical involvement in Australia's National Trachoma and Eye Health Program.
Health infrastructure
Eye-clinic infrastructure and equipment support
Support for constructing or upgrading eye clinics and supplying diagnostic and treatment equipment. This offering addresses the physical and technological constraints that prevent communities from receiving reliable eye care, alongside workforce and service-delivery support.
Controversies
2009
Dispute over reported investment losses
Media reports alleged that the foundation had lost more than A$2 million through investments involving Goldman Sachs JBWere and questioned whether its management had become too commercially oriented. The foundation rejected the reported figure, described a smaller investment loss offset by investment income, and said its investments had been written down. The reporting was subsequently corrected after Gabi Hollows complained to the newspaper.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Alice Springs eye clinic initiative
Australia
The foundation committed up to A$3 million toward an eye clinic in Alice Springs as part of its Indigenous Australian eye-health work.
Outcome. The clinic had not been built by April 2010, leading to criticism and public discussion about government and charity responsibilities.
- 1976National Trachoma and Eye Health Program
Australia
A nationwide rural and remote eye-health initiative that surveyed disease, treated patients, and focused attention on trachoma and other preventable conditions affecting Indigenous Australians.
Outcome. The program was associated with a halving of blindness among Indigenous Australians.
Brand decisions
2008
Commitment to an Alice Springs eye clinicStrategyBackground
The foundation sought to address eye-health inequality affecting Indigenous Australians and to improve access to specialist services in Central Australia.
Action taken
It committed up to A$3 million toward the construction of an eye clinic in Alice Springs.
Aftermath
The clinic was not completed by April 2010, prompting criticism about the delay and debate over whether public authorities were relying too heavily on a charity.
Committed funding. Up to A$3 million (2008)
Recent events
- 2013
Foundation recognized as Australian Charity of the Year[1]
Other
The Fred Hollows Foundation received the National Charity Award in the inaugural Australian Charity Awards and was also identified among the world's leading nongovernmental organizations by The Global Journal.
- 2010
Alice Springs eye-clinic commitment becomes subject of criticism[1]
Other
The foundation's 2008 commitment of up to A$3 million toward an eye clinic in Alice Springs had not produced a completed clinic by April 2010. The delay prompted criticism about the government's reliance on a charity for health infrastructure, while the Indigenous Health Minister argued that the foundation was well placed to provide the service.
Sources2 sources
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