The American Optometric Foundation (AOF) was founded in 1947 for the “upholding, broadening, fostering, promoting and aiding of optometric education; the profession of optometry and its practitioners.” The guiding force behind the creation of the organization was William C. Ezell, O.D., of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Based in Rockville, MD, the AOF is a philanthropic organization devoted to the advancement of optometric education and research. AOF is proud to be an affiliate of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).

Today, sources of support for the AOF include optometrists, corporations, other foundations, state associations, and private citizens interested in vision care. The AOF's record of achievement is a strong history of dedication to the improved visual welfare of the public.

The AOF’s Mission

The AOF is a philanthropic organization that develops and provides financial support for optometric research and education in vision and eye health. The AOF is organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Code. The goals of the AOF are:

	To solicit, receive and invest grants, bequests, donations, and other funds for the purpose of upholding, broadening, fostering, and promoting optometric education and research in vision and eye health;
	To provide fellowships at the graduate level to students planning a teaching and/or research career in vision and eye health;
	To recognize and honor achievements which further the visual welfare of humanity; and
	To foster inter-professional and intra-professional relations and representation with organizations and groups that share common goals.

Author Jim Collins uses the metaphor of a giant flywheel gathering momentum to describe the way in which an organization makes a significant transition. As continued and steady effort is applied, the rotation increases until the wheel hits the breakthrough point, and the momentum kicks in its favor. In 2006 the Foundation experienced a profound increase in momentum. We awarded a record number of Ezell Fellowships, increased our total assets by a quarter of a million dollars for the second straight year, welcomed a major new corporate sponsor, and established two new endowed fellowships.

In the coming year, you will hear more positive news as the Foundation’s momentum continues to grow. In 2007 the Foundation will provide approximately $300,000 support in research grants, Ezell Fellowships, and scholarships. A major new scholarship program, funded by Carl Zeiss Vision, will provide $5,000 in support to a third year student at every, yes every, North American school and college of optometry. In addition, each of these Carl Zeiss Fellows (PDF formt) will receive a travel award to attend Academy 2007 Tampa. Carl Zeiss Vision will also support these Fellows to attend Academy 2008 Anaheim. This is a great example of the potential for synergy among the Foundation, the Academy, and a visionary corporate sponsor in the development of talented young professionals.

Some five years ago the Optometric Glaucoma Society was established. Since its inception, the Society has provided some of the very best glaucoma education programs in conjunction with the Academy Meeting and hosted forums for educators from the schools and colleges. In 2006, the Society, led by Murray Fingeret and Tom Lewis, decided to advance its mission of supporting research by endowing an Ezell Fellowship. This Fellowship will provide support for a graduate student in the area of glaucoma research. Pledges and gifts from all Academy Fellows are encouraged, and more details can be found here.

Many of our careers have been influenced by Merton Flom. You might have been an optometry student at Berkeley or Houston, his graduate student, attended the Academy’s leadership programs, served under his Presidency of the Academy, or were affected in other ways. Thanks to a significant lead pledge by the Flom family, the Foundation has established the Merton Flom Ezell Fellowship in Leadership. I am delighted that the Foundation is able to recognize one of optometry’s greats, a former Ezell Fellow, in this manner and urge you to support the Fund. More details can be found here.

If you met this year’s Ezell Fellows at the AOF Celebration Luncheon in Denver or through other interactions you were most likely impressed by their credentials, their diversity, and the breadth of their research. They remind us of why the Foundation's mission is so important and confirms that your investment in the Foundation has a great impact on the entire optometric profession. We awarded a record 11 Ezell Fellowships thanks in part to Bausch & Lomb adding a second fellowship, the creation of an AOF Presidents Circle Ezell Fellowship, and the Academy’s Board of Directors funding an AAO Ezell Fellowship. We again funded an Ezell Fellow from the George Mertz Fund. For the first time in my memory, we made an award to a student at an institution outside North America. Friends of George told me that he would have welcomed this initiative.

We are grateful to our corporate sponsors who partner with the Foundation on so many of our programs: Advanced Medical Optics (AMO), Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, Carl Zeiss Vision, CIBA Vision, Essilor, and VISTAKON®. Individual giving remains the cornerstone of long-term Foundation growth. In the past we have benefited from the generosity of donors such as Irvin Borish, Fredric and Marion Rosemore, Sidney and Martha Greenberg, and many others. In 2006, we were delighted to welcome Norm and Joy Einhorn, Mert and Pene Flom, Lyndon and Deborah Jones, Tom Raasch and Roanne Flom, and A. Lee Scaief, into the Foundation’s Presidents Circle.

The good news and financial statement contained in this report demonstrate that the Foundation is gathering momentum, but needs and deserves your renewed support. As you read this report, please think about the ways in which you can invest in the future of optometry by contributing to the Foundation this year. Gifts are great, but long-term pledges—to the Flom Fund, the Optometric Glaucoma Society Fund, or the Section on Cornea and Contact Lens Fund—are better. I also encourage all of you, young and old, to consider the Foundation in your estate planning. If you need further information or assistance, please contact the Foundation office.

In closing, I would like to thank the Foundation's Board, the Executive Director, Lois Schoenbrun, and, last but not least, the Foundation Coordinator, Kristal Watkins, for all of their work during 2006. We have set ambitious goals for the coming five years, but through the Board’s energy, collaboration with Academy leadership, the generosity of individual donors, and valued partnerships with corporate supporters, the Foundation will continue to gather momentum.

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