Annual Fund

The Annual Fund consists of unrestricted donations toward operational support for clinical and classroom instruction, physical plant maintenance and patient care.  The College directs Annual Fund gifts to the areas of greatest need. 

Donor Recognition

All donors to the Illinois College of Optometry receive an acknowledgment and receipt for their gift, and are included in the Annual Honor Roll published in the Fall issue of ICO Matters (unless the donation was made anonymously).

Gifts of $1,000 or more qualify donors for membership in ICO's premier giving society, the Leadership Circle. (Click here for additional information on the Leadership Circle). 

Click here for information on the Dr. Donovan Crouch Alumni Council Leadership Circle Challenge, established to recruit new members to the Leadership Circle through matching funds donated by Donovan L. Crouch, ICO ’63. 

Scholarships

Scholarship support plays a vital role in the College’s effort to attract and retain the finest optometry students in North America and throughout the world. 

The demands of a rigorous education at ICO prevent students from working and sufficiently supporting themselves without financial assistance.  ICO is dedicated to reducing tuition pressure on students while maintaining the quality of its education. 

One of the College’s highest priorities is to increase the amount of scholarship support available to our students so that deserving applicants can better afford their optometric education and reduce the staggering level of educational debt most will face as graduating doctors. 

Gifts of any size can be directed to the general scholarship fund or toward an existing scholarship fund (see below).  New, named scholarships can be established either with an expendable gift of at least $500 (for a one-time award) or through a gift to endowment of at least $10,000 (for gifts in perpetuity).

For additional information, please contact David Korajczyk at 312-949-7075 or dkorajczyk@ico.edu

Scholarship Funding Opportunities at
The Illinois College of Optometry
2006-07

Cribb Leadership and Service Award
In memory of Dr. Cribb, a distinguished alumnus, this award recognizes one student from each class year whose leadership abilities exemplify the goals of ICO and the profession of optometry

Exceptional Tutor Awards
These awards recognize third and fourth year tutors for their mastery of the subject, ability to explain or review information, selflessness, patience and understanding

Lawrence P. Feigenbaum Clinical Optometry Memorial Award
In memory of Dr. Feigenbaum, a distinguished alumnus, this award recognizes the most outstanding fourth year student in clinical optometry as judged by clinic faculty

Illinois College of Optometry Scholarship for Underrepresented Populations
Established to encourage African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native American applicants, these awards recognize outstanding undergraduate performance and academic promise for making a contribution to the ICO community and the profession

Presidential Scholarships (Incoming Students)
These prestigious awards of one-half of the yearly tuition recognize ICO’s most outstanding applicants for their undergraduate performance, OAT Total Science score, and academic promise for a professional education and contributing to the profession

Trustees Scholarships
Established to encourage outstanding students to select ICO as their school of choice and to assist them in keeping their educational debt to a minimum while providing the many benefits of an ICO education, these awards are determined during admissions

Valedictory Award
This award is presented to the graduating senior whose record of scholarship, as determined by grade point average, ranks highest in the class

For additional information on these and other scholarship funding opportunities, please contact David Korajczyk at 312-949-7075 or dkorajczyk@ico.edu .

Charitable Services through The Illinois Eye Institute

The Illinois Eye Institute (IEI), the clinical division of the College, is one of the largest providers of eye care in the state of Illinois, serving over 90,000 patient visits yearly.  The IEI provides comprehensive ophthalmic care for patients of all ages from around Chicago. Medicaid/Medicare and charitable services account for approximately two-thirds of IEI’s total activity.

Through the participation of its faculty and students, as well as through the donation of materials and services, ICO provides extensive charitable services to address the needs of these communities. 
 
The IEI's community outreach initiatives are described at http://iei.ico.edu/community_outreach/community_outreach .  The greatest need among each of these initiatives is for funding for professional services for the uninsured and underinsured. 

Gifts to support the IEI’s charitable services will directly benefit people in need and will advance the College’s commitment to service for its community.  Gifts to the Vision of Hope Health Alliance may also help to leverage additional funds through a matching grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Click here to make a donation toward one of the IEI’s charitable programs. For more information, please contact David Korajczyk at 312-949-7075 or dkorajczyk@ico.edu.

Facilities and Technology

An important part of the College’s new five-year strategic plan, Focus on our Future, is a campus master plan to upgrade the facility, particularly in the teaching, clinical and research areas.  Enhanced facilities and technologies will help ICO to continue as a leader in optometry and will serve as an important tool in the recruitment and retention of the best students and faculty. 

Investments in capital projects will address priority needs identified through the strategic plan, including:

• The College is renovating and equipping currently underutilized space adjacent to the clinic to create a Clinical Research Suite. 
  
  
• A complete renovation of ICO’s training laboratories, incorporating state-of-the-art technologies, will create a modern optometric clinical setting for teaching.
  
  
• Updated technology in the Adams Center for Clinical Learning and the Specialty Examination Room in the Center for Advanced Ophthalmic Care will promote improved diagnosis and treatment for patients with complicated eye disease and will yield enhanced educational opportunities for optometric students and residents and practicing optometrists.
   
• To support earlier involvement of students in patient care, the Illinois Eye Institute will be redesigned to accommodate more students and facilitate improved coordination of patient care. 

Opportunities for Named Facilities

A gift to name a facility within the Illinois College of Optometry and the Illinois Eye Institute provides the donor with recognition for their gift or an opportunity to memorialize a family member.  Titles for the naming opportunities will be determined based upon the donor’s preference and College policy. 

For further information on naming opportunities, please contact David Korajczyk at 312-949-7075 or dkorajczyk@ico.edu .  

Research

The commitment of faculty to contribute to the body of knowledge through scholarly activity and/or patient care excellence is a core value for the College.  With a patient population that is typified by people with complex health issues, the Illinois Eye Institute has a strong base for supporting excellence in optometric clinical education and research. 

ICO is renovating and equipping currently underutilized space adjacent to the clinic to create a Clinical Research Suite that will support ongoing studies and promote new initiatives.  For example, Dr. Dan Roberts, Professor in the Primary Care Service, will advance his clinical research related to glaucoma and macular degeneration through his Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development (K23) Award from the National Eye Institute.

In addition to dedicated facilities, the provision of advanced equipment will increase ICO’s capacity for clinical research and foster unique educational opportunities for students and practitioners. Philanthropic support is sought to defray research-related capital and equipment costs as well as other associated expenses.  For more information, please contact David Korajczyk at 312-949-7075 or dkorajczyk@ico.edu .

Faculty

The cornerstone of the Illinois College of Optometry’s preeminent academic program is its outstanding faculty. ICO’s new strategic plan, Focus on our Future, calls for reinvestment in its intellectual capital – including its faculty – to protect and enhance this critical resource. 

Investing in faculty can range from support for travel to professional meetings to the availability of named professorships for recognizing excellence. 

Gift opportunities in support of faculty include:

For information on supporting ICO’s ability to retain and recruit outstanding faculty, please contact David Korajczyk at 312-949-7075 or dkorajczyk@ico.edu .