Aussie NGOs in Top 100 List

Fred Hollows. Picture: hollows.org.au

The Fred Hollows Foundation has been ranked within the top fifty best non-government organisations (NGOs) in the world in an annual list of the top 100 NGOs published by The Global Journal.

The Fred Hollows Foundation (listed at number 43) was the highest placed Australian based entry on the list, which also included Cambia (54) and Movember Foundation (79).

The Swiss-based journal made the assessment based on criteria including innovation, impact and sustainability.

“It is great that The Fred Hollows Foundation has been named one of the world’s best NGOs,” said The Foundation’s Community Education Manager, Joe Boughton-Dent.

The Foundation, set up by eye surgeon Fred Hollows, works worldwide to end avoidable blindness, with a particular focus on cataracts – a condition commonly associated with ageing that can be treated through routine surgery.

“I think it helps show that saving sight has global impact, boosting economies and improving people’s lives,” Boughton-Dent said.

“Fred Hollows didn’t like to have his name up in lights but he would be proud of this achievement because of what it says about how The Fred Hollows Foundation works.

“We are absolutely about innovation, impact and sustainability, the criteria used to compile this list of the world’s best NGOs,” Boughton-Dent said.

In its assessment of The Fred Hollows Foundation, The Global Journal highlighted the organisation’s role in reducing the price of cataract surgery to as little as $25, and its commitment to training local medical and support staff:

The Journal said: “Rather than ‘fly-in, fly-out’ surgery, the organization works to build local skills and in the past five years has trained over 38,000 eye surgeons and clinical support staff.”