Philanthropic eye doctors are changing lives every day. While giving back is good for the community, it can also be good for business. An Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF) survey found that 61% of consumers would choose an eye doctor who supports a charitable cause over one who does not. EVF is committed to supporting charitable ODs and offers five tips to help you let your community know you care and build your practice at the same time.

1. Post charitable activities on your practice’s website and social media. Patients want to know that their eye doctor is giving back and will respond by staying with the practice. Customers become more loyal to a company when they believe in its cause, which can increase lifetime profits by as much as 85%.
2. Highlight meaningful patient stories. By sharing impactful stories, you can talk about their good work and potentially attract more patients, as 90% of consumers feel that values are important when choosing brands.
3. Promote charitable activities in local media. EVF has press release templates that you can customize and send to media to show you are dedicated to helping people in need. This may even grow your business since 87% of consumers will buy a product because the company they’re supporting cares about a cause that’s relevant to them. In the EVF survey, 85% of consumers stated the cause of vision was important or very important to them.
4. Include patients in your practice’s charitable activities. EVF’s See Kids Soar® is an in-office campaign designed to raise awareness and funds to provide vision care for kids who otherwise would not get it. The program includes free marketing materials and a free point-of-sale system so your staff can easily collect donations at checkout. Encourage staff to ask patients to contribute — 69% of consumers have given at point of sale in the last 12 months. Of those, 81% said they like or don’t mind being asked to give at the register.
5. Contact a school or vision nonprofit to volunteer to provide vision services. People around the country are suffering with poor vision because they can’t access or afford vision services. A recent survey shows 73% of respondents believe that a company can take actions that both increase profits and improve conditions in communities where it operates. ODs can achieve this with EVF’s Changing Life through Lenses® program which provides a free pair of glasses including lenses, frame, and lab services when an OD gives an eye exam to a patient in need.

Now through December 31, 2021, EVF is committing $250,000 to support eye doctors in their efforts to prioritize charitable patients through the Changing Life through Lenses® Relief Fund campaign. ODs who enroll and provide vision services to eligible charitable patients* can receive funds of up to $1,500.

Click here to learn more about how EVF can help ODs make a difference for those most in need.

*Eligible patients are those at or around the poverty level without insurance for this pair of glasses as reasonably determined by the provider.