By Traci Noonan
OneSight Sr. Accountant

Personal Connections  

When we have clear sight, we’re able to do so much more than just see clearly. We’re able to perform better at work and school, and connect more deeply with one another. At OneSight, our mission is to eradicate the global vision care crisis. As a Senior Accountant with the OneSight Finance Team, I feel a personal connection with the countless donors who make our mission possible. Our donors are our friends, our families, our neighbors, and our coworkers. Many incredible individuals are willing to donate to a cause that empowers  others to live better lives. They have put their trust in us, and we repay that trust by ensuring their hard-earned dollars are being wisely spent.

They’re people like Betty, a woman in her mid-eighties from Illinois. Betty is a retired teacher, and has seen firsthand the impact clear vision has on students. She has been making monthly donations to OneSight for more than 10 years. I look forward to receiving her check every month – the envelope is always covered in stickers she calls “mail hugs.”  

They’re people like our incredible volunteers, who not only commit essential hours to working at OneSight clinics around the world, but also donate dollars to a cause they have witnessed making a difference in the lives of so many. Sharing their experiences in the clinic of the impact clear vision brings with their family, friends and neighbors yields a twofold return-on-investment, because these generous listeners donate, too, to the tune of thousands of dollars.

They’re also the countless retail vision center customers. These folks hear the OneSight story from a cashier or an optician and often opt to include a donation to OneSight while purchasing their own new glasses or contacts. They understand the importance of clear vision, and are more than willing to help those that struggle without it.

Finally, our corporate donor organizations are essential, too. These are donors representing major organizations who believe in social responsibility, and want to empower communities to grow and strengthen as they are introduced to the sustainable vision centers we are building around the world.  

People Like Me and You

These are the people with whom I connect. They are everyday people just like me and you who believe in OneSight’s mission to eradicate the vision care crisis around the world. Putting a name and a face to donors helps keep accountability to our ultimate mission in plain sight, but honestly, that’s not the only thing I see when I think of our donors. I see the relationships we’ve forged that make me feel even more connected to my job. Being a good steward of these dollars and these relationships means practicing fiscal responsibility and integrity. By doing so, our donors know where their hard-earned dollars are going, and so far, these donors have empowered us to provide 13.4 million individuals around the world with vision access.

Our OneSight Finance Team has a multi-layered approach to accomplish this, guaranteeing donated dollars are wisely managed and spent to meet programming needs. We believe in transparency – here are some of the essential steps we take to ensure fiscal responsibility:  

• Provide financial training and assistance to newly-established visions centers for the first few years of operation in order to ensure sustainability when OneSight team members move to help the next country
• Undergo regular revision of annual budgets based on quarterly expense reporting to be certain OneSight continues to meet pre-established financial goals
• Offer internal advice and counsel on ways to trim excess expenditure of both time and money, which helps to streamline our processes and guarantee accountability
• Mentorship with overseas partners to foster autonomy and sustainability
• Acknowledgement of every dollar and donor
• Establishment of ethical and cost-minded vendor relationships
• Provide fiscally-responsible inventory purchase and usage insight

Our processes don’t work without our people. By establishing meaningful relationships with donors, the entire OneSight team is able to see our vision come to life. I’m grateful to witness this in my day-to-day role – honestly, it’s not something I think most people get a chance to experience. I don’t take it for granted, and I’m committed to continuing to nurture these relationships and help OneSight grow.

Learn more about OneSight and the global vision care gap here.