Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) is a leading non-government supporter of eye research in the United States. Founded in 1960 by Dr. Jules Stein, an ophthalmologist-turned-entertainment-magnate, RPB is a 501(c)(3) public charity headquartered at 360 Lexington Avenue, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10017-6528. The organization has 11 employees and maintains a four-star rating for accountability and finance.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$286.0M
+4.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.7M
+16.9% YoY
Grant Count
54
+5.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$161K
+10.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
RPB's mission is to preserve and restore vision by supporting research to develop treatments, preventives and cures for all conditions that damage and destroy sight. The organization funds research across all eye diseases that threaten vision, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinal disease, glaucoma, and dry eye, among others.
The organization supports research through multiple program areas:
- Research grants and program development — funding individual researchers and research-focused departments of ophthalmology
- Scientific symposia, seminars and surveys — supporting high-quality scientific meetings relevant to RPB's mission
- Public and professional information — disseminating ophthalmological research findings to scientists, physicians and patients through reports, brochures and other materials
Grantmaking
RPB provides approximately $11 million in research grants annually to outstanding individual scientists and research-focused departments. Since its founding in 1960, RPB has provided over $435 million in research grants.
Grant Range
s
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
RPB's grant-making focuses primarily on California, New York, and Massachusetts, though the organization supports research nationally through university medical schools across the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total assets: $27,342,227
- Total revenues: $6,824,102
- Total expenses: $6,654,052
- Annual research grant funding: $11 million+
Research to Prevent Blindness Endowment Fund (subordinate organization):
- Total assets (2023): $273,658,736
- Total revenues (2023): $14,626,979
- Total expenses (2023): $8,789,523
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $285,951,128 | $273,658,736 | $261,385,390 |
| Revenue | $13,097,577 | $14,626,979 | $7,097,210 |
| Expenses | $10,202,061 | $8,789,523 | $21,723,448 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $9,048,939 | $3,881,429 | $7,559,503 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
246 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine ($350,000), Harvard Medical School-meei ($350,000), The Regents of the University of Michigan School of Medicine ($350,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY PALO ALTO, CA | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, CA | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IRVINE, CA | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE LA JOLLA, CA | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE SAN FRANCISCO, CA | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES, CA | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AURORA, CO | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE MIAMI, FL | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE CHICAGO, IL | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO COLLEGE OF MEDICINE CHICAGO, IL | UNRESTRICTED RESEARCH GRANT: DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY | $115,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Dr. Jules Stein founded Research to Prevent Blindness in 1960. David F. Weeks served as former President and Chairman of RPB; the organization's annual vision research award carries his name in honor of his contributions to the field.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN TINKER | TREASURER & ASST SECRETARY | 3 | — |
| DIANE S SWIFT | CHAIRMAN | 3 | — |
| DAVID BRENNER | VICE PRESIDENT & SECRETARY | 3 | — |
| BRIAN F HOFLAND | PRESIDENT | 3 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**January 2025**: Maria Bartolomeo Grant, MD was selected as the 2025 RPB David F. Weeks Award recipient for Outstanding Vision Research
Research to Prevent Blindness Awards Unrestricted Grant to Moran ...**March 2026**: An RPB Medical Student Fellow was recognized for work to improve glaucoma detection
RPB has opened applications for vision research grants and announced new grants for big data research to improve vision care
Research to Prevent Blindness and Association of University ...RPB awarded an unrestricted grant to the Moran Eye Center and an unrestricted grant supporting ophthalmology research at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine
Ophthalmology Grant Supports Unrestricted Research, InnovationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Research to Prevent Blindness fund?
RPB's mission is to preserve and restore vision by supporting research to develop treatments, preventives and cures for all conditions that damage and destroy sight. The organization funds research across all eye diseases that threaten vision, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinal disease, glaucoma, and dry eye, among others. The organization supports research through multiple program areas: • **Research grants and program development** — funding individual researchers an…
How do I apply for a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness?
RPB provides approximately $11 million in research grants annually to outstanding individual scientists and research-focused departments. Since its founding in 1960, RPB has provided over $435 million in research grants. RPB offers multiple grant programs, including: • Career Development Award • Career Development Research Grant • Physician Scientist Award • Medical Student Eye Research Fellowship • Stein Innovation Award • Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD • Disney Awar…
Where does Research to Prevent Blindness make grants?
RPB's grant-making focuses primarily on California, New York, and Massachusetts, though the organization supports research nationally through university medical schools across the United States.
What size grants does Research to Prevent Blindness award?
In 2024, Research to Prevent Blindness awarded 54 grants totaling $8.7M — an average of about $161K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Research to Prevent Blindness's EIN?
Research to Prevent Blindness's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3471559. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Research to Prevent Blindness's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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