Allocation of funds

The total expenditures in 2006 rose by 10% reaching EUR 8.34 million (2005: EUR 7.58 million). In total, 74.7% of the expenditure was used for project work. Project expenditure increased by 12.3% to reach EUR 6.23 million (2005: EUR 5.55 million), which enabled LIGHT FOR THE WORLD to fund 86 projects in the year 2006, i.e. 22 projects more than the year before! Our help to people who have eye diseases, people who are blind or people with other disabilities in the impoverished regions of our world was therefore developed further.

The focus of our work lies in Africa: With 70.9% of the project expenditure we currently support 58 projects there, with a regional focus on the four key countries of Ethiopia (24 projects), Mozambique (10 projects), Burkina Faso (8 projects) and Sudan (4 projects). We expanded our work in Burkina Faso by developing three more rehabilitation programmes. In Mozambique, the development of eye care projects in underprivileged regions of central and northern Mozambique is progressing. And in Southern Sudan, as well, the development of the basic eye care programme is shaping up.

In 2006, EUR 25,480.17 was spend on advocacy work, in order to raise awareness, in Austria and at European and at international level, about inclusive development and the needs and rights of persons with disabilities in developing countries and people living in poverty at susceptible to disability. A milestone in this work has been the incorporation of the International Cooperation Article 32 into the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities adopted in December 2006, which stipulates that development cooperation must be inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities!

Expenditures on project information for supporters and interested parties, as well as for educational work (such as slide presentations as part of the "Austrians save eyesight" campaign and the information events at schools) accounted for 14.2% (2005: 16%).

About 2.8% of the total spending was devoted to public relations work, such as, press releases, events, and reports on the project work. Sponsorship payments and the commitments of many volunteers in Austria made possible further exhibitions, charity events, and information evenings for interested parties and supporters of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD.

Donation management (e.g., donation processing, database) accounted for about 2.5% of the spending in 2006, and 2.9% for administration. It was, therefore, possible to transfer about 3.0% of the total expenditures to the reserves.

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Sources of funding

We managed to extend our help thanks to the increasing support of our work in Austria and from other European countries. The proceeds increased by 10%, from EUR 7.58 million in 2005 to EUR 8.34 million in 2006.

The foundation of our work is built upon the commitment of 119,642 individuals, families, companies, and institutions, which with 280,590 donations account for 82.64% of the total receipts. In total, cash and non-cash donations in 2006 reached EUR 6.89 million – a 13.9% increase (2005: EUR 6.05 million). EUR 267,000 of this amount consisted of non-cash donations, particularly medical products, which are used in our projects.

With about 1% of the total receipts, companies also contribute a significant amount to financing eye care projects, the training of technical personnel and the development and implementation of rehabilitation projects in the form of sponsorship.

The proceeds from bequests (legacies) amounted to about 1.5%.

LIGHT FOR THE WORLD has received EUR 759.990,92 from the Austrian Development Cooperation (OEZA) as well as EUR 17,000.00 from the Federal Province of Upper Austria. A project promoted by the Federal Province of Vienna for reconstruction after the tsunami was continued in 2006.

The European Union is subsidising a programme considered to be a model project in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in the amount of EUR 313,491.81.

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Reliability

For years now, the annual financial statements of LIGHT FOR THE WORLD have been audited by Hübner & Hübner Wirtschaftsprüfung und Steuerberatung GmbH and our use of the donations are accounted for. The result of the audit for the financial year 2006 was positive. According to the auditor’s opinion of 30 April 2007, "the audit did not lead to any reservations. Based on (...) our findings (...), the annual financial statements comply with the statutory regulations (...) and give a true and faithful picture of the Association’s net worth, financial and earnings position in keeping with the generally accepted accounting principles of Austria.” The result of the audit required for the grant of the Austrian Seal of Quality for Donations (Spendengütesiegel) was also positive for the year 2006.

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