Fact Sheet on Donations

Fact Sheet on Grants

Fact Sheet on Major Projects

Fact Sheet on Resources

• LCIF is Lions helping Lions serve others. Through LCIF, Lions ease pain and suffering and bring healing and hope to people worldwide.

• Contributions to LCIF are a great way to make a difference in people's lives. Every dollar donated to LCIF goes toward a grant. (The foundation's administrative costs are paid for by interest on investments.) Every donation helps someone lead a healthier or more productive life.

• The support of Lions is crucial to LCIF. Donations from Lions provide most of the revenue received by LCIF. (LCIF receives a small amount of funding from foundations and corporations. It receives no part of club dues.) In other words, Lions provide the funding for LCIF's grants.

• In fiscal year 2006-07, LCIF received approximately US$54.4 million in donations, a new record. The SightFirst program was initially funded with US$144 million in donations from Lions.

• LCIF is the only Lions' foundation that serves the entire world and all 1.3 million Lions. LCIF helps LCI respond effectively to global problems. LCIF enables Lions to help others in times of disaster and natural calamity. LCIF funds projects too big for districts or clubs to do on their own. LCIF responds to the local needs of Lions and develops grant programs that serve community needs.

• The Contributing Membership program is an annual program that recognizes three levels of support: US$20, US$50 and US$100. New pins are available each year. Contributing membership donations are used to support LCIF grant programs.

• Contributing Memberships are a great vehicle for making a difference in the lives of others: US$20 can provide cataract surgery in Africa and South Asia. US$50 can support a diabetic retinopathy eye exam in developing countries. US$100 can make possible a low vision eye exam and glasses in the industrialized world. US$1,000 can provide a vital surgical tool.

• Contributions can be made by completing the Contribution Form/MJF form (LCIF-42).

• Your club will be awarded a 100% Member Support banner patch and chevron for the first year of 100% Contributing Membership. For each subsequent year of 100% Contributing Membership, your club will receive a chevron.

• The most efficient way to handle Contributing Member donations is to accumulate all contributions and send them at one time to LCIF Donor Services. Please remember to include a list of donor names for appropriate recognition.

• The Melvin Jones Fellowship is the backbone of LCIF, providing 70 percent of its revenues. A recognition of humanitarian work, an MJF is given to those who give US$1,000 to LCIF or to people for whom a donation was made by others.

• To apply for a fellowship, use the Contribution Form/MJF Application form (LCIF-42). For more information, refer to the Melvin Jones Fellowship (LCIF-24) brochure.

• Contributions can be made by individuals including non-Lions, clubs, or districts in one sum, or in installments of a minimum of US$100 over a five-year period. Only individuals can receive fellowship recognition.

• It is possible to make a donation and choose the MJF recipient later. You must tell LCIF that the donation is to be applied toward an unnamed fellowship at the time it is sent in. Complete the Melvin Jones Fellowship application (LCIF-42) or the application on the Melvin Jones Fellowship brochure (LCIF-24). Write "Melvin Jones Fellow to be named later" on check or bank draft.

• When an individual's or group of individuals' personal donation(s) are accumulated for a club's use to select a Melvin Jones Fellowship recipient, LCIF needs the signed consent of the donors. When a club's donation(s) are accumulated for a fellowship recipient to be selected by the district, LCIF needs the signed consent of the club. Please include such documentation with the completed MJF application that is sent to LCIF Donor Services.

• For more information on Contributing Memberships and Melvin Jones Fellowships, contact LCIF Donor Services Department at 630-571-5466, ext. 581 or 574 or e-mail.

• LCIF now offers gift annuities with attractive rates of return and tax savings (where applicable). An annuity offers peace of mind through lifetime payments while providing a valuable charitable contribution to LCIF.

• A gift annuity is an agreement between a person and a qualified charitable organization such as LCIF. The donor transfers assets to the organization and receives fixed payments for his or her lifetime and/or the lifetime of another person, if desired.

• A gift annuity offers outstanding tax benefits. In the United States, you get a federal (and perhaps) state income tax deduction in the year you make the gift. Additionally, part of each payment is tax free for a number of years as well. Gift annuities enable you to provide for your own financial needs while supporting a cause you believe in and can trust.

• For information on annuities, contact the LCIF Development Department at 630-571-5466, ext. 392 or e-mail.