ILLINOIS, Jan. 6, 2025 – The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) with support from the Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin Fund, has awarded Eversight a $6,625 grant to support clinical operations in northern Illinois, allowing even more northern Illinois cornea donors to give the gift of sight and residents to receive sight-saving corneal transplants.
“A cornea transplant has the amazing ability to change lives by restoring clear vision to those without it,” said Becky Harris, Philanthropy Director of Foundations & Corporations, Eversight. “It's not just about improving eyesight; it's about giving people the freedom to live their lives without the limitations of impaired vision. With the Foundation’s support, we can honor the intent of a donor’s gift and transform more lives in northern Illinois.”
In 2024, more than 2,600 Illinois donors and their families gave the gift of sight for transplantation, research and education. In the same year, over 1,300 tissues were provided for sight-saving cornea transplants and over 1,400 tissues were recovered for research and education in Illinois.
This gift will allow Eversight to work with 25 northern Illinois cornea donors and their families to recover the gift of sight for sight-restoring transplantation.
“It is almost unbelievable that a small grant can make such a big difference," said Dan Ross, CFNIL President. "We are humbled to support Eversight's work in northern Illinois and thankful their life-changing services are available for individuals and families in our region."
The mission of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is to inspire endowment and promote philanthropy for the current and future needs of the people of Northern Illinois. Since its founding in 1953 CFNIL has granted more than $85 million for charitable purposes.
About Eversight
Eversight is a nonprofit organization with a mission to restore sight and prevent blindness through the healing power of donation, transplantation and research. The Eversight network is responsible for recovering, evaluating and providing human eye tissue for transplantation; supporting research into the causes and cures of blinding eye conditions; promoting donation awareness through public and professional education; and providing humanitarian aid to people around the world in need of corneal transplantation. Operating in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and South Korea, Eversight works in collaboration with surgeons, researchers, academic medical centers and eye banks across the United States and abroad. For more information, visit eversightvision.org.
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