RestoringVision is partnering with companies and brands to increase customer giving at the point-of-sale, unveiling its new Customer Giving How-To-Guide as announced at Wednesday’s VM Leadership Summit: Insight, Unseen.

The Customer Giving How-To Guide makes the case for companies to embrace and implement customer giving campaigns to advance their philanthropic giving, position their brands as social impact brands, and raise significant funds to help solve the global vision crisis that impacts 1 billion people worldwide who only need a pair of eyeglasses to restore their vision. The guide provides 8 steps brands can take to change the world, giving them the tools to partner with their customers to make a difference for people in need worldwide.

Now more than ever, customers expect companies to lead with purpose and are rewarding companies that do. 75% of US-based customers believe companies must do more than just make money, they must positively impact society as well. 69% say they are less likely to support companies that do not have a corporate social responsibility agenda. (Porter Novelli Premium Index)

“People living in extreme poverty around the world are struggling with sight loss that can be immediately corrected with a pair of eyeglasses. However, over 1 billion people cannot access or afford the eyeglasses they need. Restoring vision for people in impoverished communities means raising funds to provide people with a vision screening and a pair of eyeglasses, restoring their ability to work, advance their education, wages, and so much more,” said Pelin Munis, Ph.D., CEO of RestoringVision. “A pair of eyeglasses provides freedom, hope, and opportunity, and can have infinite impacts on a person’s life. Companies that partner with their customers and employees in customer giving campaigns have the power to be vision champions for the 1 billion people in need across the globe today.”

One story that highlights the life-changing impact that brands and customers can have on people in need by supporting this cause is that of a woman from Guatemala who recently attended a vision clinic and broke down in tears after receiving a pair of reading glasses through RestoringVision’s programs. At 45 years old, she had been unemployed for six months due to presbyopia – blurry vision caused by aging that makes it difficult to see up close. She knits for a living, and with the solution of a pair of reading glasses, she has regained her ability to work and earn a living once again. This pair of reading glasses was life-changing for her and her family.

Engaging in customer giving to help solve the global vision crisis benefits both the recipients of eyeglasses around the world and the culture of the company participating. Data shows that employee retention and satisfaction are deeply tied to an employer’s corporate social responsibility programs. 69% of people say having a societal impact is a strong expectation or deal breaker when considering a job. (Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer). The retail industry sees a 60% reduction in staff turnover for employees with a tenure of 2.5 years or less when they are engaged in their company’s social purpose efforts. (Benevity’s Talent Retention Study). A company’s overall annual performance improves when they engage in social purpose programs. Brands with a purpose set on improving our quality of life outperform in the stock market by an astounding 120%. (Interbrand’s Best Global Brands).

“RestoringVision is proud to provide 8 steps to change the world for brands that are ready to take their CSR to the next level, and we look forward to the new partnerships that will come as a result of our new Customer Giving How-To Guide,” Munis said.

The guide also features a case study on one of RestoringVision’s customer-giving partnerships with National Vision, Inc. and its brands, including America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Eyeglass World, and Vision Centers inside select Walmarts. Initiating customer giving at the point of sale helped fuel a significant increase in the company’s philanthropic giving.