The Vision Fund
The Vision Fund of America (VFA) is a 20-year-old charity comprised of business professionals interested in helping people who are partially sighted and, at the same time, making them better able to enjoy those goods and services that require better sight. VFA became an affinity group of Lighthouse International in 2003.
In the process of "giving something back," members of the Vision Fund simultaneously serve and advance the cause of sight among millions -- and help ensure that their various customer bases understand and participate in the Lighthouse Readable Type campaign.
When VFA helps the Lighthouse, the Vision Fund, in turn, helps serve the best interests of its customers.
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There are 96.9 million people in the US today over age 45; by 2010, this number will grow to 119.3 million.
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By age 45, everyone begins to experience vision changes due to aging, including difficulty focusing on near tasks like reading, difficulty distinguishing colors and contrast, and the need for more light.
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In the US alone, 16.5 million people age 45+ report vision impairment; by 2010, this number will grow to 20 million.
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Americans age 45+ represent a 45%-75% share of market for annual expenditures on: new cars and trucks; computers/hardware (non-business); drugs; personal care products; food, both at home and away; and airline travel. These markets are crucial to the advertising, electronics, media, and publishing industries.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Vision Fund of America is:
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To represent Lighthouse International and its cause to the community of corporate interests most concerned with having their customers see as well as possible. Members of VFA include executives in the television, print, advertising and motion picture industries, as well as those professionals in related fields.
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To generate meaningful financial support for Lighthouse International and its programs. The activities for revenue generation include the Vision Fund wine tasting and auction, and a wide variety of Lighthouse special events, including the annual Golf & Tennis Classic, Winternight Gala and the luncheon ceremony for The Henry Grunwald Award for Public Service.
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To focus and utilize the expertise of its member companies on those ongoing Lighthouse programs and activities that may benefit from member companies' business skills.
Partnership Benefits
Here's why it's in the best interests of executives in television, print, advertising, motion pictures and related fields to support Lighthouse International programs through the Vision Fund of America:
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While Americans in their 20s spend an average of only 24 minutes per day reading, Americans aged 50+ spend nearly twice as much time. The Lighthouse has responded to this phenomenon through its ongoing Readable Type Campaign -- "Big Type is Good Business" -- which promotes accessibility in print media.
With the involvement of Jerry Della Femina, a member of the Lighthouse Board of Directors, the Readable Type Campaign became a nationally recognized outreach and advocacy effort and has garnered substantial media attention. -
Lighthouse International publishes many books, manuals, brochures and informative materials that companies can sponsor, widely distribute and provide to their audiences.
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Seventy-four percent of older adults now use the Internet to find health information and 92% shop online.
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Americans age 45+ account for over 50% of all household discretionary income, totaling $756 billion. The Readable Type Campaign, joint print and electronic publishing opportunities, and other activities reach this vast audience directly.
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Cause-related marketing campaigns are proven to increase loyalty to businesses among their consumers. Lighthouse International programs, supported and advanced by Vision Fund activities, help bring credibility and legitimacy to many advertising agency clients and their products.
Vision Fund of America Board of Directors
Officers
Maria Haggerty, Co-Chair
Executive Vice President & CFO
Dotcom Distribution Corp.
David Graff, Co-Chair
President
SunGate Partners
Pat Byrne, Secretary
National Marketing Manager
Maxell Corporation
Directors
William B. Follett
Dotcom Distribution Corp.
Richard Montier
Sharp Electronics
Robert Mueller
Executive Vice President
JVC Professional Products
Charles Van Horn
President
IRMA
Emeritus Chairmen
William B. Follett
Dotcom Distribution Corp.
Eliot Minsker
Brian Wood
Emeritus Directors
R. Stanton Bauer
Fuji Photo Film, USA
Dr. Frank Field
WWOR-TV9
Steve Martin
JVC Professional Products
Steve Yuhas
Panasonic System Sector
Vision Fund Award Honorees
Vision Fund Award recipients are honored for:
- being a recognized leader in the visual media industry
- having a record of individual business, technical sales or marketing leadership and achievement
- their ability to increase awareness of the work accomplished by the Vision Fund
Past Award Recipients
Dr. Teruaki Aoki (2000)
Executive Vice President
Sony Corporation
David K. Barners (1990)
Midwest Communications Corp.
Herbert Bass (inaugural)
Unitel Video, Inc.
David Bishop (1999)
MGM Home Entertainment
Joe Cayre (1991)
GoodTimes
Philip A. Clement (1994)
Deluxe Entertainment Services, Inc.
David Cuyler (1998)
Rank Video Services America
Ann Daly (1996)
Buena Vista Home Video
Lambert Dielesen (1999)
Toolex International
Stanley Durwood (1989)
AMC Entertainment
Neil Vander Dussen (1988)
Sony Corporation of America
Louis Feola (1998)
Universal Studios Home Video, Inc.
Joseph Flaherty (1995)
CBS, Inc.
Louis C. Fogelman (1992)
Music Plus, Inc.
Alex Geisler (1993)
United Video, Inc.
Jerry Gepner (2001)
Executive Vice President
Fox Sports
Charles Ginsberg (inaugural)
Sony Electronics Inc.
George Gould
Video Corporation of America
Eddy Hartenstein (1996)
DirecTV
John Hendricks (1995)
Discovery Channel
Seuyuki Hirooka (1995)
Sharp Electronics Corporation
Osamu (Sam) Inoue (1994)
Fuji Photo Film USA Inc.
James Jimirro (1988)
J2 Communications
Craig Kornblau (2001)
Universal Studios Home Video
Richard A. Kraft (1991)
Matsushita Electric Corporation of America
Warren N. Lieberfarb (2000)
Warner Home Video
Bill Madden (inaugural)
3M Corporation
Atsushi (Herb) Matsumoto (1993)
Maxell Corporation
Henry McGee (2002)
HBO Home Video
Tsuro Murase (1997)
Matsushita Electric Corporation of America
Emmett Murphy (1992)
Technicolor Videocassette
Nick Nishi (1987)
Ikegami Electronics (USA) Inc.
Robert B. Pfannkuch (1987)
Panasonic Disc Services Corporation
Orlando (Lanny) Raimondo (1999)
Technicolor
John J. Sie (1997)
Encore Media Corporation
Louis H. Siracusano (1992)
Video Services Corporation
William H. Smith (1990)
Allied Digital
Ralph Standley III (1997)
West Coast Entertainment Corporation
Charles Steinberg (1996)
Sony Tans Com Inc.
John Taylor (1994)
Ingram Entertainment
Robert Walston (2002)
Liberty Livewire Corp.
Brian S. Wood (1993)
Columbia House