Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc. is a New York, New York–based public charity formed in 1988. It supports ophthalmological research through grants to qualified institutions, including university medical schools conducting research on blinding eye diseases.
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc gave $8.7M across 54 grants in 2024 (avg $161K), top state California. 6% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $8,702,000
- +16.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 54
- +5.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $161,148
- +10.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $115,000
- Total assets
- $285,951,128
- +4.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (2 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (18% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 360 Lexington Avenue 22Nd Fl, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 752-4333
Website: https://rpbusa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine ($765K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $5.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
258 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 143 grants of 258 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest reported state shares were California at 18%, New York at 14%, Illinois at 10%, Michigan at 10%, and Utah at 9%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 33 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $300K; repeat grants $261K. How we count
Medians: $300K first-time, $145K repeat.
- 85% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $7.4M (2023) to $20.4M (2022). In 2024 it made 54 grants totaling $8.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Chicago, IL | Career Development Research Grant | $350,000 |
| Harvard Medical School-Meei Boston, MA | Career Development Research Grant | $350,000 |
| The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine Ann Arbor, MI | Career Development Research Grant | $350,000 |
| Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine St. Louis, MO | Career Development Research Grant | $350,000 |
| State University of NY Upstate Medical University Syracuse, NY | Career Development Research Grant | $350,000 |
| University of Utah Health Sciences Center Salt Lake City, UT | Career Development Research Grant | $350,000 |
| West Virgina University School of Medicine Morgantown, WV | Challenge Grant | $300,000 |
| Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine Portland, OR | Physician Scientist Grant | $300,000 |
| University of California San Francisco School of Medicine San Francisco, CA | Stein Innovation Grant | $300,000 |
| Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL | Stein Innovation Grant | $300,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $285,951,128 | $13,097,577 | $10,202,061 | $8,702,000 | 54 | $9,048,939 |
| 2023 | $273,658,736 | $14,626,979 | $8,789,523 | $7,441,000 | 51 | $3,881,429 |
| 2022 | $261,385,390 | $7,097,210 | $21,723,448 | $20,439,000 | 53 | $7,559,503 |
| 2021 | $317,713,049 | $28,546,765 | $9,962,309 | $8,750,000 | 54 | $18,938,633 |
| 2020 | $289,893,310 | $3,476,808 | $9,366,345 | $8,574,000 | 46 | $6,524,423 |
| 2019 | $288,552,685 | $9,787,258 | $10,257,213 | $9,320,000 | 52 | $8,730,534 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund states that its mission is to foster medical and scientific research in ophthalmology. Its 2024 filing describes grants to university medical schools to aid research into blinding eye diseases, and says grants go to qualified institutions.
The 2024 recipients included medical schools and universities. Other grantees included the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, whose stated mission is to advance the Academy’s priority programs in clinical education, quality and data science, and public service. The fund also supported West Virginia University Foundation; its stated mission is to maximize charitable support and provide services to West Virginia University, its students, and affiliated organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the fund reported 54 grants totaling $8,702,000. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $350,000, with a median of $115,000. Award purposes included Career Development Research Grants, Challenge Grants, Physician-Scientist Grants, and Stein Innovation Grants.
Among the largest reported awards were six $350,000 Career Development Research Grants, to the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Harvard Medical School–MEEI, the University of Michigan School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. Other notable awards included $300,000 to West Virginia University School of Medicine for a Challenge Grant; $300,000 to Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine for a Physician-Scientist Grant; and $300,000 Stein Innovation Grants to the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the University of Michigan School of Medicine, and Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons.
The fund requires annual progress reports on active grants and conducts site visits to ophthalmology departments. Its filing says corrective action, including grant termination, may follow if reports or site visits identify ineffective use of grant funds. RPB’s website lists grant programs and eligibility information, including awards for individual researchers and departments of ophthalmology; the available information does not specify an application process for this endowment fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Brian F. Hofland as president, Diane S. Swift as chairman, David Brenner as vice president and secretary, and John Tinker as treasurer and assistant secretary.
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc is led by Brian F. Hofland, President since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Brian F. Hofland
President
President & Secretary → President, 2020
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Diane S. Swift
Chairman
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Brenner
Vice President & Secretary
Trustee → Vice President & Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Tinker
Treasurer & Assistant Secretary
Treasurer & Assitant Secretary → Treasurer & Assistant Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc
How much does Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc give each year?
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc gave $8.7M across 54 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $7.4M across 51 grants.
What is Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's median grant in 2024 was $115,000, and its average grant was $161,148, across 54 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc that year got $300K on average.
Where does Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc give grants?
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's top state is California, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (14%) and Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (6 grants), Chicago, IL (5 grants), Los Angeles, CA (4 grants) and Ann Arbor, MI (3 grants).
Does Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 54) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Career Development Research Grant" (6 grants), "Stein Innovation Grant" (6 grants) and "Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship Grant" (5 grants).
Who are Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's largest grantees?
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's largest 2024 grantees include The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine ($765,000 across 3 grants), University of Utah Health Sciences Center ($765,000 across 3 grants) and State University of NY Upstate Medical University ($500,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc?
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc reported $286.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.1M.
What does Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc fund?
The fund states that its mission is to foster medical and scientific research in ophthalmology. Its 2024 filing describes grants to university medical schools to aid research into blinding eye diseases, and says grants go to qualified institutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc?
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check rpbusa.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's EIN?
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3471559. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 29, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc funds
Medical Research Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/research-to-prevent-blindness-endowment-fund-inc-morg_189585a27d434ce8971f97d4d3806045
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133471559_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/research-to-prevent-blindness-endowment-fund-inc-morg_189585a27d434ce8971f97d4d3806045},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund 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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