The Lions Eye Research Foundation of NJ, Inc.

About Us

The Foundation was incorporated on December 14, 1972 and it was originally called The Lions Sight Foundation of New Jersey (LSF). In May 1988, the name was changed to the Lions Eye Research Foundation of New Jersey (LERF). The Lions Eye Research Foundation of NJ is entirely separate from the Eye Institute of NJ, the Eye Research Center, the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey, and Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School.
Click here for more of LERF-NJ History.

The Lions Eye Research Foundation is a non-profit organization for Multiple District 16 (New Jersey). Multiple District 16 now has three sub-districts.

The Foundation has its own Board of Trustees consisting of Governors and Trustees of the three Sub-Districts in New Jersey. Each Sub-Ddistrict Governor appoints five Trustees to the Board. The Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 organization and has the responsibility of allocating funds used to support the Foundation's goals as directed by the Board of Trustees.

As outlined in our Purpose Statement, a primary function of The LERF Board of Trustees is the care and administration of the funds donated to the LERF for its research projects, such as the Alphonse A Cinotti, MD /Lions Eye Research Foundation Chair at Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, (formerly UMDNJ). Generous donations from individuals and corporations, and grants from the Lions Clubs International Foundation have generated an endowment fund with over 1.5 million dollars in it. Revenues derived from this fund, pay for the research conducted through Alphonse A Cinotti, MD / IOVS Chair.