The affiliated foundation of the State University of New York College of Optometry
The Optometric Center of New York is the 501(c)3 campus-related foundation of the SUNY College of Optometry, a post-graduate institution specializing in the clinical training and professional education of optometrists and vision scientists. Members of the foundation’s Board of Trustees raise private funds to support the mission of the College and manage the foundation’s endowment and investment portfolio. Trustees do not play a role in the governance of the College.
History and Mission Upon the closing of the optometry program at Columbia University, the Optometric Center of New York (OCNY) was founded in 1956 by a small group of optometrists as a clinic to provide vision care to the people of New York City and to serve as a source of continuing professional education for New York optometrists. Governor Nelson Rockefeller, by legislative act, created the SUNY College of Optometry in 1971 and four years later, the OCNY changed its status from clinic to foundation, becoming the endowing arm of the College. Today, the OCNY is a non-profit, tax-exempt Foundation and supports vision science research, patient care and education at the College. The foundation provides scholarships, fellowships and stipends for professional and post-graduate students and funds vision science research, vision care outreach programs and library acquisitions.
SUNY Optometry by the numbers 415 total enrollment 48% Students from New York State 3.61 average GPA of entering classes 3,100 Alumni 108 total faculty $3.1M 65 affiliated clinical training sites 69,744 patient visits to University Eye Center funding for basic, translational And clinical research *FY 2016 - 2017
$2.5M for new 5,000 sq. ft. Center for Pediatric Eye Care $632K annually for student scholarships and grants 100 students supported by scholarships annually $165K for charitable care 277 visits to homebound nyc residents 300 Bowery Mission residents served $85K for basic, translational and clinical research 19 volunteer trustees $10M in assets impact *FY 2016 - 2017 OPTOMETRIC CENTER OF NEW YORK
Funding Priorities The Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Institute for Vision Research is respected for its roster of world-renowned vision scientists who probe the complex human visual system. Scholarships reduce the financial burden on highly talented students. The Homebound Program provides comprehensive eye examinations to disabled and elderly patients in Manhattan and Queens. Charitable Care supports primary eye care and vision rehabilitation at the University Eye Center, the College’s patient care facility, for uninsured children and adults.
Our Vision for Children is a bold effort to create a 5,000 SQ. FT. pediatrics unit unlike any other in the country on our 10th floor. This new Center for Pediatric Eye Care will feature new equipment, cutting edge diagnostic technology and modern furnishings to make this service a welcoming environment for our youngest patients and their families.
Eyes on New York Gala The foundation sponsors an annual fundraising gala, Eyes on New York. Approximately 400 people attend this popular signature event, which pays tribute to outstanding leaders in the ophthalmic and business communities. Trustees play an important role in making this annual gala a success by helping to plan the event, purchasing tables, inviting friends and colleagues and securing journal ads.
Board of Trustees The Board of Trustees governs the foundation and works closely with the College’s Office of Institutional Advancement. Trustees are community-minded men and women, including alumni and current students, elected to the Board for a three-year term by a nomination process. Trustees have an understanding and passion for the mission and vision of the College and actively engage in meetings, thought generation, committee work and fundraising. Trustees have personal access to and contact with prospective donors, including individuals, organizations or foundations. Trustees make an annual financial contribution to the foundation either directly or through outside sources. Appointment to the Board is based on a candidate’s philanthropic potential and commitment to furthering the mission of the College.
For additional information about the Optometric Center of New York, contact us at (212) 938-5600 or visit OCNY. org
33 West 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, New York, N.Y. 10036 OCNY.org | (212) 938-5600
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