Development Ratings

On the retirement of Tym Marsh, new CEO, Dr. Natalie Briggs, joined VAO in March 2009. Her background is in education, health, and business management. Recent freelance work includes skills development for a hospital in Ethiopia. Patrons are television media personalities Fiona Bruce and Sir Trevor MacDonald. Trustees include medical, social services and development professionals, as well as senior sight and optics-related experts. By recruiting expert trustees from outside the optics field, and emphasising management standards, the charity is establishing the grounding for future higher level activities. VAO has been growing rapidly in line with its five year strategy in order to achieve its aim of becoming a national level charity.

No meaningful valuation can be made of the time given by VAO’s professionally qualified volunteers, or the value of second hand spectacles and equipment donated. As a result, the accounts are underestimates of the donations and the value of work carried out. This is partly reflected in the proportion of income used on projects appearing to be low, as the volunteers’ time is not recorded in the project expenses (but neither are donated spectacles recorded in the income). VAO is positioning itself for greater growth in income and overseas projects. This includes both volunteer dispensing project visits and expansion of in-country sustainable projects such as training and workshops. This has depressed efficiency recently, as UK warehouse space has been increased and new staff have been taken on. This may continue in 2009/10 but will eventually feed into increased numbers of beneficiaries and impact from the multiplier effect of trained local professionals.

The simplicity of the approach and the recycling element appeal to the general public, but VAO has still to make the step up into the size and national profile level where fundraising can become significantly more consistent, stable and efficient. Recent improvements in fundraising efficiency are the result of hiring a dedicated fundraiser. This has also affected the administrative expenses ratio, however, as has the greater number of annual visits planned, but it remains within best practice levels.

2008 funding sources were as follows: annual membership subscriptions (from optometrists and opticians) 8%, donations 27%, overseas projects 10%, general fundraising from events 37%, sale of videos, cards and scrap 9%, and overseas prescription and other income 2%. ‘Donations’ are from individuals, corporations and trusts only, as VAO’s operations do not fall within the strict requirements to qualify for institutional funding. Volunteer professionals make a donation to go on each project and this is accounted for as ‘overseas projects’. Gold-rimmed spectacles are sold to be melted down and this contributes to the ‘scrap’ income. Some countries require VAO to make a charge for spectacles due to a policy of charging for medical treatment - this is described as ‘overseas prescription income’.