Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Washington, DC EIN: 53-0204690

The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington is dedicated to the improvement and preservation of sight by providing service, education, advocacy and innovation.

Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc at a glance

In short: Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc gave $79K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $39K), mostly in Maryland. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2025)
$78,575
-27.9% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
2
-33.3% vs 2024
Average grant
$39,288
+8.1% vs 2024
Median grant
$39,288
Total assets
$29,678,455
+5.3% vs 2024
Primary geography
Maryland (68% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Who Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 2 recipients in 2025

Low Vision Services PLC: $54KLow Vision Services PLC$54KGeorgetown University: $25KGeorgetown University$25K

The largest 2025 recipient was Low Vision Services PLC ($54K). Together the top 2 received $79K.

Grant Size Distribution

13 grants across all recorded years

8<$50K5$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 8 grants of 13 (62%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.

Cities

BethesdaWashingtonGreenbeltWashingotnWashinington

How Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc gives

  • Giving fell 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K3 grants2020 2 grants2021 3 grants2022 3 grants2023 3 grants2024 2 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $79K (2025) to $134K (2020). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $79K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Low Vision Services PLC Bethesda, MDCollective honoria for outreach activities on behalf of prevention of blindness$53,575
Georgetown University Washington, DCVision research grant - investigating the sex-dependent mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction and lipid metabolism in age related macular degeneration (AMD).$25,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025$29,678,455$2,240,399$2,358,476$78,5752$720,078
2024$28,196,903$2,810,646$1,954,798$109,0103$1,750,305
2023$26,739,305$1,854,361$1,918,698$90,4513$685,092
2022$25,751,958$1,408,594$1,913,551$111,2863$901,032
2021$29,901,307$2,060,250$1,643,182$83,5212$1,023,467
2020$26,035,531$7,117,985$1,767,619$134,3943$6,330,067

About Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc

Based on IRS filings

Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc is a public charity focused on Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $29.7M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 2 grants totaling $79K. Net investment income was $720K.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc is led by Caren Forsten, CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 3 of 33 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Caren Forsten

    CEO

    Executive Director → CEO, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $144K (2020) → $208K (2025)

  • Jennifer Valentine - Fache

    President & Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Donna Oser

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dorothy Weinstein

    1st Vice President & Director

    Director → 1st Vice President & Director, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jennie Kronthal

    Director

    Director & Past-President → Treasurer & Director, 2024

    Treasurer & Director → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Guzik

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Marcia Williamson

    Director

    Treasurer & Director → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Maxwell Helfgott MD

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mohamad S. Jaafar MD

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tara Kavadias

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jay Lustbader MD

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jeffrey Chung MD

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Leslie Jones MD

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Melissa Loughlin PhD

    Director

    Director → Treasurer & Director, 2023

    Treasurer & Director → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sally Pilkerton

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • James Jorkasky

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Vanessa Tyson

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Alice Wendy Gasch MD

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Edward Woodard

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jane Settle Stanely

    2nd Vice President & Director

    On filings since 2023

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • L. Scott Wertlieb

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Reena Garg MD

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Luke Joyce

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Maria Maestros

    Treasurer & Director

    Director → Treasurer & Director, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nina Glasner

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Beth Glassman

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Cathy Grealy Cohen

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Christine Rocchio Rn Fnp

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Spigler

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Rachel Foster Fache

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Linda Presley

    Senior Manager - Accountin

    Senior Manager - Accounting → Senior Manager - Accountin, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    40 hrs/week

    $101K (2024) → $106K (2025)

  • Nicholas Farano

    Vice President, Operations & Development

    New on the 2025 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $105K (2025)

  • Mindi Sauter

    Secretary

    Secretary & Director → Director, 2022

    Director → Secretary, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (20)
  • Former: Christine Rocchio (2020–2024) — 1st Vice President & Director
  • Former: Jennifer Valentine (2020–2024) — President & Director
  • Former: Rachel Foster (2020–2024) — Director
  • Former: Andrew Adelson MD (2020–2023) — Director
  • Former: Virginia Elgin (2020–2023) — Secretary & Director
  • Former: Tracey Prince (2023) — Director
  • Former: Allen Beach (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Donald Gagliano MD (2020–2022) — Director & Past President
  • Former: Ed Woodard (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Gedalia Vera (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Maureen McFadden (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Susan Bick (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Tracey Prince Ross (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Wendy Gasch (2020–2022) — 2nd Vice President & Director
  • Former: Jane Stanley (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Scott Wertlieb (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Uchechi Wosu MD (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Brian Wright (2020) — Director
  • Former: Catherine Krupka (2020) — Director
  • Former: Jan David Brown (2020) — Director & Past President

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Caren Forsten — CEO: $208KCaren ForstenCEO$208KLinda Presley — Senior Manager - Accountin: $106KLinda PresleySenior Manager - Accountin$106KNicholas Farano — Vice President, Operations and Development: $105KNicholas FaranoVice President, Operations and…$105K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $208K, to Caren Forsten (CEO). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc

How much does Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc give each year?

Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc gave $79K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $109K across 3 grants.

How large is Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc?

Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc reported $29.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.2M.

What is Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc?

Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc is a public charity focused on Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines, based in Washington, DC. It holds $29.7M in total assets as of 2025.

Where does Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc operate?

Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc has awarded grants in District of Columbia, Maryland.

What is Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc's EIN?

Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 53-0204690. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

Data update history

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 1, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Live grants for the work Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc funds

Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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