Board pushes healthy outlook

ONE of the keys to a successful not-for-profit organisation is the strength of its board.

At the Lions Eye Institute the seven-member board includes some prominent Perth business names.

The board is chaired by Brian King and counts Professor Ian Constable and Ernst & Young  partner Gary Angove among its members.

In October, four new members were added: Freehills partner John Atkins; North West Shelf BHP Billiton Operations Group vice-president William Bloking; Government Employees Superannuation Board CEO and former BankWest senior executive Michelle Dolin; and Global Carbon chairman and former Western Power managing director David Eiszele.

It also has big business support through its patrons Sir James Cruthers and property tycoon Bill Wyllie.

Bequests also play an important role in the institute’s fundraising.

In 2002 its bequests came from the estates of John Bundell, Muriel Dhu, Colin McKerrow, Francis Manning and Nancy Rogers.

The institute’s corporate donors and sponsors included Alfa Enterprises, FAL Cold Stores, Hanssen Pty Ltd, The Wyllie Group, Superfine Print, Paterson Ord Minnett and The Merchant Tea & Coffee Shop.

Organisational donors included: Amaroo Village Fundraising & Activities Committee; Wasarians; Manning Seniors Painting Club; Christian Brothers Residence, Clontarf; and Missionary Benedictine Sisters, Wyndham.

At the end of 2002, the institute had $389,138 in research funds as yet unspent, bequest funds of more than $3 million and general cash reserves of $1,511,575.

That last figure was down noticeably on the previous year when the institute had $4,059,691 in cash at hand.

More than 60 per cent of the institutes income came from clinical work and 21 per cent was from research grants.