Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs in more than 206 countries and geographic areas. The organization’s motto is "We Serve," and Lions are part of a global service network doing whatever is necessary to help local communities.
Best-known for fighting blindness, Lions also volunteer for many different kinds of community projects from aiding seniors and the disabled, to feeding the hungry, to caring for the environment. Their programs and initiatives include:
Fighting blindness. Conducting vision screenings, equipping hospitals and clinics, distributing medicine and raising awareness of eye disease; as well as championing sight conservation through countless local efforts and the Lions Club International SightFirst Program, which works to eradicate blindness.
Serving youth. The Lions Club serves local children and schools through scholarships, recreation and mentoring, as well as programs including the Peace Poster Contest, Youth Camps and Exchange and Lions Quest. The Lions Club’s Leo Program provides the youth of the world with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in more than 140 countries worldwide.
Awarding grants. Since 1968, the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) has awarded more than US$700 million in grants to support Lions humanitarian projects around the world. LCIF was also ranked the number one nongovernmental organization in a 2007 study by The Financial Times.