S+S, Spring 2025
Diane Barati’s late parents generously supported the Eye & Ear Foundation. This motivated her to continue doing so in their memory to honor them.
Diane’s parents both struggled with age-related macular degeneration, which prompted them to support research to find a cure. They also had hearing loss. She decided to create two endowed research funds – one for the Department of Ophthalmology, and one for the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery — because the money is held by EEF, and she can add to it every year.
“We live in a sighted world and people who lose their vision have their lives extremely negatively impacted by that loss,” Diane said. “It is a great privilege to be able to play a small part in the ongoing effort to cure macular degeneration and to help maintain a higher quality of life for those afflicted by it. As someone who has lived with vision impairment, I also greatly appreciate the importance of maintaining good hearing, which is why I created an endowment for hearing research as well.”
Indeed, establishing an endowment allows a donor to establish a legacy that will ensure their philanthropic interests are carried out beyond their lifetime. Endowments also provide stability to the organization that the donor supports, enabling it to weather economic, social, and political shifts. “This ensures the continuation of support even during challenging times,” EEF CEO Lawton Snyder said.
What exactly is an endowment? It is a financial asset, of donated funds or other property, that is invested to generate income for a nonprofit organization. The principal amount of the donation is kept intact while the investment income is used to support the organization’s mission or specific programs as designated by the donor.
“Endowments are vital for the Eye & Ear Foundation as they provide the financial foundation needed to support our mission of improving vision and hearing health, voice, or cancers of the head and neck through research, innovation, and patient care,” Snyder said. “If you have any more questions or need further details, feel free to contact us!”