Oklahoma Lions Service Foundation
The Oklahoma Lions Service Foundation Mission is: to provide assistance and funding for Lions Clubs of Oklahoma charitable and benevolent services.
OLSF General Historical Information
General Historical Information
The Oklahoma Lions Service Foundation (OLSF) was created in 1974 to serve as the primary fundraising branch for the two Lions Clubs state projects. The original mission statement: “to solicit, accept, and distribute financial support to designated Oklahoma Lions State Projects”.
In 2015 the board met to consider a revision of the OLSF mission statement. After careful consideration and based on the ever changing needs of Lions Clubs, the current mission:
"to provide assistance and funding for Lions Clubs of Oklahoma charitable and benevolent services".
The Oklahoma Lions Service Foundation (OLSF) was created in 1974 to serve as the primary fundraising branch for the two Lions Clubs state projects, the Oklahoma Lions Boys Ranch and the Oklahoma Lions Eye Bank. Since then, the Oklahoma Lions have added the Mobile Health Screening Unit and the KidSight Vision Screening program.
Now! Lions Clubs and Lions members from all over Oklahoma are given the opportunity to provide volunteer services and or give charitable gifts to any statewide project through the service foundation. We can also provide you the contact information for the director of the program if you need further assistance.
Lions members govern these programs and are selected annually for Board of Director positions with the Service Foundation, the Ok Lions Eye Bank, and the Meadows of Hope. These all have individual 501 (c ) (3) status and their own Lion board members. The Mobile Health Screening Unit and KidSight are under the umbrella of the Ok Lions Service Foundation.
The Service Foundation has two main annual fundraising campaigns each year. The
White Cane (October 15) and
Cowboy Cadillac (Cash)
(April)
campaign. During these fundraisers, clubs throughout the state perform various public awareness efforts, so the community is aware of important Lions causes. These fundraisers also solicit for funds to support Oklahomans in need of vision care, cornea transplants, children in need of a home, health care screenings, and children's vision care.
Other service providers or agencies with the same mission can partner with the Lions clubs to assist in the endeavor to bring health, family, and community programs to Oklahoma recipients. Many of our partners are vital to the success of Lions programs.
- Lions Clubs International
- Lions Clubs International Foundation
- The Oklahoma City Community Foundation
- Integris
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield
- Premier Freightliner
- Skyline Urban Ministries
- OSU Nursing Department
- Heart to Heart International
- Oklahoma Blood Institute
- Hough ear Institute
- Ok Center for Non-Profits
Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the visually impaired, performed community service, empowered youth throughout the world, been proactive on environmental issues, provided screenings for early detection of critical health concerns, and helped in disaster relief.
For more information about Lions Clubs International, please visit the Website at www.lionsclubs.org.
The Cowboy Cadillac (now Cash) Campaign is an annual state-wide raffle, held every fall. Club members throughout the state sell raffle tickets in hopes of giving a needy recipient a new pickup truck. Thus, the reason for it being called “Cowboy Cadillac”. Tickets are sold from August through October and the raffle is held at an Oklahoma sponsored dealership on the showroom floor usually in November.
Legacy Planned Giving encourages individuals to think about how they want their assets distributed. Estate planned giving enables the owner to provide for others and leave a legacy for many years to come. A Charitable bequest in a will or trust is one of the simplest ways to make an estate gift. OLSF, the MOH, and the Eye Bank all have endowments at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Visit: https://www.occf.org for more information!