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Many companies’ social purpose campaigns can’t fit into just one category. After all, there are countless causes that deserve championing—and the eyewear and eyecare industries have many of them covered. From animal welfare to Pride, there’s no shortage of ways companies across the industry are giving back and doing their part to make a difference in our world.

In the summer of 2019, Safilo’s Polaroid Eyewear sponsored and took part in NYC Pride (simultaneously U.S. Worldpride), and Stonewall 50, the celebration and recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The sponsorship included a Polaroid float in the Pride March route, 400 “friends of the brand” (including Safilo employees) marching in Pride and a presence at Pride Island and the PrideFest.



(Top) Justin J Wee photographed Bowen Yang for Polaroid’s See Beyond campaign. (Bottom) Lady Gaga wore Polaroid sunglasses while performing at Stonewall during Pride.



Polaroid also debuted a new social media campaign and message, “See Beyond,” in conjunction with Pride, shot by Justin J Wee and featuring eight New York-based LGBTQIA+ influencers wearing Polaroid sunglasses in the colors of the rainbow. In addition, Lady Gaga performed at The Sonewall Inn during Pride, wearing a pair of Polaroid sunglasses.

This inclusive and progressive move is aligned with Polaroid’s brand history. Victoria Hallberg, chief marketing officer, Safilo North America, explained, “Inclusivity is closely linked to Polaroid’s brand DNA; its founder Edwin Land, inventor of polarized lenses was, in fact, among the first enlightened entrepreneurs to promote the development of women’s careers in his company and to offer ‘child care subsidies,’ in addition to hiring female scientists since the 1940s.

In 1991, Polaroid created the first managerial development program designed exclusively for women, a path that led to the first woman on the board and to several leading positions at the top of the company. In the ‘80s, Polaroid was also the first company in the USA to have an assistance program for employees facing domestic violence.”

Hallberg continued, “As an authentic and inclusive brand, Safilo was extremely proud to sponsor 2019 NYC Pride, the first WorldPride event to be hosted in the U.S., with our Polaroid Eyewear brand. We were very excited to take a corporate partnership in such a special year–one that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising–and support the LGBTQI community through meaningful activations. And, we were able to build a more relatable and relevant brand through the campaign on our social media platform.”

In addition to the Pride campaign, Safilo, in 2018, committed to a three-year partnership with Special Olympics International, a continuation of a relationship that has been in place since 2003. The partnership includes an annual donation of over 60,000 optical frames and sunglasses as part of the Special Olympics vision screening program, and Safilo employees taking part in the implementation of the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes events as volunteers.




ClearVision channels their social purpose initiatives through CVO Cares.


ClearVision channels their social purpose initiatives through CVO Cares, an internal committee made up of volunteers from across the company. CVO Cares fields requests and ideas for social purpose campaigns from throughout the company, and coordinates activities.

In 2019, through CVO Cares, ClearVision has donated time or funds to a variety of organizations, including serving hot meals to over 250 people at the Family Service League shelter on Long Island, hosting a designer sunglass sale to raise funds for Optometry Giving Sight on World Sight Day, volunteering at Habitat for Humanity’s “Women’s Build” event, hosting a school supplies drive for United Way of Long Island, and hosting “Socktober” in October, to collect socks for the Mary Brennan INN, a local homeless shelter.

ClearVision considers compassion to be one of the company’s core values. A company spokesperson told Vision Monday, “Our family-run company was founded on a desire to make a meaningful impact on those around us. We want our customers to know that their purchases with our brand are making a positive difference throughout the year. At ClearVision, we authentically live our core values, and follow a guiding principal that we want to make a positive, meaningful impact on someone each day.”

“Purpose, passion, style,” is faith-based Eyes of Faith’s tagline—purpose, a company spokesperson told Vision Monday, “it’s part of our brand DNA—everything we do… is rooted in our purpose.” Eyes of Faith engages in a variety of social purpose initiatives, including an ongoing partnership with Wichita Optometry that supports a mission trip to Uganda. Eyes of Faith also provides funds to Sight Ministries International to purchase 1,000 new frames and pairs of lenses or 12,000 new sunglasses or reading glasses each year, and the company provides new frames to free eye clinics, and the company’s Wear & Share campaign to help fund Christian missions.

Most recently, Eyes of Faith partnered with radio host Delilah Renee to create an eyewear collection. Funds from the collection will be used to build homes for orphaned children at Point Hope Village, Ghana, a community created out of Delilah’s Point Hope charity with the aim of bringing widowed women and orphaned children together in a safe, positive community with access to water, nutrition and education.



Eyes of Faith partnered with radio host Delilah to create an eyewear collection, with proceeds from sales helping to build homes for orphaned children at Point Hope Village, Ghana.



Eyes of Faith has found that these programs are important both for the people they help, and the customers and ECPs that Eyes of Faith works with. A company spokesperson for Eyes of Faith told Vision Monday, “Patients personally identify with the fact their purchase is doing good in the world and the messages that are written right inside each temple.

“We actively promote our partners and purpose on our website and through social media outlets—this means opticals can learn about the specific causes our frames support, like homes being built at Delilah’s Point Hope Village or people receiving glasses on mission trips. Patients love to know the real places and real people that their purchase supports.”

In the Chicago area, Rosin Eyecare announced in August a partnership with Metropolitan Family Services that allocated a portion of the proceeds from an eye exam at any of the more than 45 Rosin locations to Metropolitan. The program ran between Sept. 1 and Oct. 19.

The program was designed to promote the idea that eye exams are important for everyone, not just those who wear glasses or contacts. Metropolitan Family Services intends to use the proceeds to support its work to take care of mental health, financial health, and beyond for the children and families it serves in and around Chicago.

Offering assistance in California to firefighters battling the many forest fires this year, Allergan provided 15,000 bottles of its Refresh products to Los Angeles’ fire department organizations to be distributed to the first responders fighting the California wildfires. The donation is part of Allergan’s Refresh America program, which has donated more than $4.2 million (approximately 290k units) to first responders across the U.S. since its launch in 2015, according to a spokeswoman.




Allergan provided 15,000 bottles of its ReFresh product to Los Angeles fire department workers fighting the wildfires this year.


Allergan launched the Refresh America campaign to help firefighters and other first responders alleviate their discomfort from dry eye during emergency situations. Every purchase of specially-marked packages in the Refresh product line lead to donations of similar eye drops to first responder groups nationwide. Allergan guaranteed a minimum product donation with an approximate retail value of $250,000.

In a unique program, Eschenbach Optik of America partnered with the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, a nonprofit that works to match men and women who are blind and visually impaired with elite German Shepherd guide dogs. Called the Eschenbach Partner Project, the program is designed to increase independence and improve the lives of these vision-impaired individuals.

As a leading manufacturer of vision-enhancing products, Eschenbach’s mission is to provide customers with the tools to improve their safety, productivity, independence and quality of life.



The Eschenbach Partner Project sponsored the breeding and training of the guide dog Magno, who has growth to more than 75 pounds.



The Eschenbach Partner Project consists of a charitable commitment to sponsor the breeding, raising and training of guide dog Magno, who is now 14 months old and up to 74 pounds, according to Eschenbach’s spokeswoman for the program. “He’s been traveling a lot with his volunteer puppy raiser and even goes to work with her. He’s been to local charity events, restaurants, a homecoming football game and has even flown on a plane to Las Vegas,” the spokeswoman noted.

Next, Magno will train at the Fidelco kennel for six months and, if he passes all of the assessments, he’ll be placed with a visually impaired client in need.

Paws N Claws built its company around animal welfare, and gives a portion of its proceeds to animal charities and animal shelters. Its contributions to the ASPCA have totaled over $60,000 since the brand was founded in 2011. Everything about Paws N Claws comes back to animal welfare—even their eyewear itself, branded as “Eyewear for Animal Lovers,” features animal prints, paw prints and other design elements related to pets.

The company was founded by animal lovers Sam and Phyllis Shapiro. President Sam Shapiro said, “For us, it’s a lifestyle—and not just a buzzword.”

Previously, Paws N Claws has donated 5 percent of the purchase price of their eyewear, sunglasses and accessories to the ASPCA. Shapiro told Vision Monday, “currently, we are searching for a new charitable organization that benefits animals to donate to too.”

In addition to these donations, the company also provides sunglasses and eyeglass cases to animal shelters and fundraising events across the nation, which the shelters and events can auction off to support their needs.




Paws N Claws founders Sam and Phyllis Shapiro are animal lovers themselves.


The company finds that customers are attracted to their brand specifically because of their mission. Vice president Phyllis Shapiro said, “People that are unable to support their love for animals in other ways are able to donate through purchasing a pair of Paws N Claws Eyewear frames or sunglasses. Our eyewear line is fashionable so customers don’t have to sacrifice looking good for doing good. And isn’t ‘Wearing and Caring’ what it’s all about?”

Retailer Eyemart Express also is actively involved in special causes. In 2019, for the fourth consecutive year, the company organized a fundraiser for the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) program across all of its 200-plus stores. It pledged a $10,000 minimum donation to the effort.

The company also will include customers in the philanthropic initiative, with a donation of $5 for every pair of SU2C glasses purchased in stores nationwide through early September. “We are proud to continue our support for a deserving organization like Stand Up To Cancer,” chief executive officer Michael Bender noted. “Our opticians and customers are passionate about this cause, and it is truly inspiring to see the amount we are able to raise for SU2C.”

ABB Optical Group also has a program in place to support nonprofit organizations. The company recently awarded grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to seven charities for outstanding programming and community impact. The grants were issued under the auspices of the Sixth Annual ABB Cares Program, and all of the grant-winners were nominated by eyecare professionals from across the nation.

Since the program’s inception in 2014, ABB Optical Group has donated more than $65,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. “ABB Cares brings the optical industry together to highlight noteworthy organizations that are making a difference in communities across the country,” chief executive officer Tom Burke said.