Questions and answers
Short answers to what people ask most. If yours is not here, write to us.
Getting help
Who can ask for help?
Anyone in Cuenca who cannot afford a specialist visit, medicine, eye care or physical therapy. Support depends on available funds and a review. You can also ask on behalf of a family member, a neighbor or a patient you are treating.
Does the foundation pay for everything?
No. Every request is reviewed, and support depends on available funds and on what partner hospitals and doctors can offer. You will always get an answer, and where the foundation cannot help it will try to point you to someone who can.
What do I need to send with a request?
Nothing to begin with: your name, a way to reach you and a few words about the need. If the foundation can take the case forward, the coordinator will ask for what the hospital or specialist needs, such as a medical report or a cost estimate, and will arrange a private way to share it. Please do not send medical records through the website.
How long does it take to get an answer?
A coordinator will contact you using the details you provide. A decision on support takes longer, because it depends on the review with the treating doctor or hospital; the coordinator will tell you what to expect and keep you informed.
Can a doctor or a hospital refer a patient?
Yes. Many requests come from treating doctors, nurses and hospital social workers. Use the same form and say that you are writing on behalf of a patient; the coordinator will follow up with you directly.
Do I have to share my story publicly to receive help?
Never. Receiving help does not depend on agreeing to publicity. Stories and photographs are published only with separate, signed consent, and you can say no.
Do you help people outside Cuenca?
The foundation serves the disadvantaged population of Cuenca. It does not currently offer assistance outside Cuenca.
Does the foundation help with transport, food or housing?
The programs are about medical care: specialist visits, medicines, eye care and physical therapy. The foundation does not fund transport, food or housing, but the coordinator will point you to community organizations that may, and the community directory lists several.
Giving and receipts
Is my gift tax-deductible?
Gifts to Social Vision, the United States 501(c)(3) public charity, are tax-deductible in the United States to the extent allowed by law. Your acknowledgment will name the organization that received the gift. Ask your own tax adviser about your situation.
Which organization receives my gift?
Gifts made through PayPal, Venmo, Wells Fargo or Zelle go to Social Vision in the United States. Transfers to the Banco del Austro account go to Fundación Social Vision Cuenca in Ecuador. The Donate page shows this beside each method.
How is my gift used?
Specialist care, medicines and supplies for people who cannot afford them. The board is entirely volunteer; a small share of donations covers essential operating costs such as accounting compliance and outreach printing.
Can I give from Ecuador?
Yes. Fundación Social Vision Cuenca holds a savings account at Banco del Austro. Write to the foundation and the foundation will send the transfer details and confirm receipt. Gifts in Ecuador are received by the Ecuadorian foundation.
Will I receive a receipt?
Yes. PayPal sends its own confirmation, and the foundation sends a written acknowledgment for every gift it can match to a donor. If you have not received one within two weeks, write to us.
Can I donate medicines, supplies or equipment instead of money?
Often, yes. Describe what you can offer on the Get involved form. A coordinator checks suitability with clinical partners first, because storage, expiry dates and equipment servicing matter to patient safety; opened or expired medicines cannot be accepted.
How do I know my gift arrived and was used?
Every gift the organization can match to a donor receives a written acknowledgment naming the organization that received it. The Impact and transparency page explains how the foundation accounts for funds. If you gave and heard nothing within two weeks, write to us.
Volunteering
How can I volunteer?
Use the Get involved form and tell us what you can offer: time, a professional skill, translation, transport or help at events. Someone will reply by email or phone. Volunteers in Cuenca and remote helpers are both welcome.
Can my dog join Paws of Hope?
Possibly. Every handler and dog team is screened for temperament, training, health and grooming before any visit. Tell us about your dog on the Get involved form; a submitted form is an expression of interest, not an approval.
How can my hospital or care home receive Paws of Hope visits?
Write to us through the Get involved form, choosing the partnership option. The coordinator will agree the rules of your facility, the areas that may be visited and the hygiene requirements before the first visit.
Can a clinic, business or professional partner with the foundation?
Yes. Partners offer discounted treatment, referral agreements, supplies or in-kind services. Choose the partnership option on the Get involved form and a board member will follow up. Partners are listed on the website only with their agreement.
I live outside Ecuador. Can I still help?
Yes. Translation, design, fundraising events abroad, introductions to hospitals or suppliers, and gifts all help from anywhere. Tell us where you are and what you can offer on the Get involved form.
General
Is Social Vision an eye clinic?
No. The name means a vision for people. Eye care is one of several programs alongside specialist care, medicines and supplies, and Paws of Hope.
Where is the foundation?
The work happens in Cuenca, Ecuador, where Fundación Social Vision Cuenca is registered. Social Vision, the United States charity, has a mailing address in California. There is no walk-in clinic or office hours: contact the foundation by email, phone or the forms on this website.
Is the foundation part of a hospital or a government program?
No. It is an independent, volunteer-led foundation registered in the United States and in Ecuador. It works alongside public and private hospitals in Cuenca through agreements with them.
Which languages can I use?
Spanish and English. The website, the forms and the coordinator work in both, and every page has the same content in each language.
Can I visit or meet the team?
The foundation has no office or clinic to visit. Board members are volunteers who meet families, partners and donors by appointment in Cuenca; write to us and someone will arrange a time.
How do I raise a concern or complaint?
Write to socialvisioncuenca@gmail.com and say it is a complaint. It goes to the board, not only to the person involved, and you will receive a reply. A concern about a story or photograph is handled as described on the Consent and stories page.
Is the community directory free, and can I be listed?
Browsing the directory is free and the foundation charges nothing for a listing. A listing is added when the foundation has worked with the provider or a board member can vouch for them, with the provider’s permission. Ask through the Contact page.