The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc is a public charity based in Columbia, Maryland, established in 1971. It supports research aimed at preventing, treating, and curing retinal degenerative diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and other conditions affecting vision.
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc at a glance
In short: The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc gave $19.7M across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $517K), top state Maryland. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $19,662,310
- +12.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +26.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $517,429
- -11.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $200,000
- Total assets
- $110,885,645
- -10.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (6 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (46% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
- Review Cycle
- The website lists a Clinical Research Fellowship Award application deadline of October 15, 2026, and a Brint Family Translational Research Award letter-of-intent deadline of June 18, 2026, followed by an application deadline of October 22, 2026. The June 18 letter-of-intent deadline has passed. The website also lists a Career Development Award application deadline of January 28, 2027.
- Deadline
- The website lists a Clinical Research Fellowship Award application deadline of October 15, 2026, and a Brint Family…
- Contact
Mailing address: 6925 Oakland Mills Road 701, Columbia, MD 21045
Phone: (410) 423-0600
Website: https://fightingblindness.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
12 open opportunities from The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
Brint Family Translational Research Award
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Career Development Program (CDA) Grant
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
Amount
US $375,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Clinical Research Fellowship Award (CRFA) Grant
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
Amount
US $65,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Foundation Fighting Blindness Rd Fund ($8.8M). Together the top 10 received $15.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
145 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 52 grants of 145 (36%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing’s grant dollars were concentrated in Maryland (46%), Pennsylvania (9%), California (8%), New York (5%), and Massachusetts (5%). Listed 2025 recipients were located in multiple U.S. states, including North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Washington, Oregon, and others.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 38 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $255K; repeat grants $567K. How we count
Medians: $248K first-time, $200K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−12%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $17.5M (2024) to $24.4M (2023). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $19.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Fighting Blindness Rd Fund Columbia, MD | Research | $8,771,404 |
| University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Research | $1,398,985 |
| University of California Irvine Irvine, CA | Research | $914,667 |
| Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC | Research | $900,000 |
| Odylia Therapeutics Atlanta, GA | Research | $631,039 |
| Fordham Univerity Bronx, NY | Research | $539,141 |
| Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH | Research | $500,000 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Research | $474,235 |
| Oregon Health and Science University Portland, OR | Research | $460,869 |
| Harvard Medical School Boston, MA | Research | $402,223 |
Ready to take the next step with The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $110,885,645 | $36,615,169 | $49,532,382 | $19,662,310 | 38 | $2,544,692 |
| 2024 | $124,009,134 | $35,702,558 | $48,226,411 | $17,513,041 | 30 | $1,323,599 |
| 2023 | $130,891,355 | $30,437,892 | $51,265,440 | $24,421,364 | 28 | $1,346,765 |
| 2022 | $145,877,854 | $42,887,836 | $49,175,609 | $22,218,309 | 25 | $2,342,428 |
| 2021 | $155,616,058 | $29,791,479 | $40,728,225 | $18,228,626 | 24 | $2,102,154 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to drive research that will provide preventions, treatments, and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases. Its stated research priorities are genetic technologies; restorative therapies; novel medical therapies; clinical structure and function; genetics; and cell and molecular mechanisms of disease.
The foundation describes its 2025–2029 science plan as focused on overcoming barriers to translating preclinical research into clinical trials for people affected by inherited retinal diseases and dry age-related macular degeneration. Its portfolio strategies include research on clinically meaningful endpoints, late-stage disease therapies, immune responses, genetic diversity, disease models, and targeted disease-causing genes.
Reported 2025 recipients include universities and medical research institutions, as well as Odylia Therapeutics. In its own description, Odylia says its mission includes facilitating research into genetics, genetic therapies, and treatments for rare and ultra-rare diseases. Fordham University describes its mission as research and education, while Case Western Reserve University describes itself as a research-oriented university with strengths including health and engineering.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 38 grants totaling $19,662,310. Grant amounts ranged from $24,565 to $8,771,404, with a median of $200,000. The largest listed grants were $8,771,404 to the Foundation Fighting Blindness RD Fund for research, $1,398,985 to the University of Pennsylvania for research, $914,667 to the University of California Irvine for research, and $900,000 to Duke University Medical Center for research. Other listed recipients included Odylia Therapeutics ($631,039), Fordham University ($539,141), Case Western Reserve University ($500,000), and the University of Washington ($474,235).
The foundation’s website describes several award opportunities. The Clinical Research Fellowship Award offers $65,000 per year for up to three post-residency clinicians for one year, supporting clinical research and training focused on inherited retinal degenerations; the program excludes age-related macular degeneration and vitreoretinal surgery projects. The Free Family AMD Award supports research on early, dry age-related macular degeneration, with projects involving two principal investigators and support of up to three years; annual budget requests may not exceed $200,000. The Program Project Award supports collaborative, cross-disciplinary research addressing knowledge or therapeutic gaps, with funding of up to $500,000 per year for up to five years. Its stated eligibility includes qualified principal investigators in faculty or equivalent positions at research institutions, and applicants outside the United States may apply. Significant equipment purchases are generally not supported, and the foundation does not pay indirect or overhead charges for this award.
The foundation describes its awards as competitive and based on scientific merit. Its website directs applicants to program-specific application instructions and, for the Free Family AMD Award, an online application portal.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Adrienne Graves, PhD, as director; Karen Petrou as board chair; Jason Morris as executive vice chair; and Haynes Lea as board secretary. Other listed officers and directors include Steven Alper, chair of development; Jeffrey Freed, chair of audit and risk; David Nixon, chair of finance and investment and treasurer; Jonathan Steinberg, MD, chair of science; Maryrose Sylvester, chair at large; and Warren Thaler, chair of nominating and governance.
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc is led by Jason D. Menzo, CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 13 of 39 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jason D. Menzo
CEO
COO → CEO, 2023
On filings since 2021
32 hrs/week
$358K (2021) → $505K (2025)
Michele C. Divincenzo
Vice President, Scientific & Executive Director Conferences
Vice President & Events → Vice President, Scientific & Educational Conferences, 2024
Vice President, Scientific & Educational Conferences → Vice President, Scientific & Executive Director Conferences, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$147K (2021) → $240K (2025)
David Nixon
Chair, Finance, Investment & Treasurer
Director → Chair, Finance, Investment & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Freed
Chair, Audit & Risk
Director → Chair, Audit & Risk, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Steinberg MD
Chair & Science
Vice Chairman & Research → Vice Chair & Research, 2022
Vice Chair & Research → Chair & Science, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen Petrou
Board Chair
Vice Chair & At Large → Executive Vice Chair, 2024
Executive Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maryrose Sylvester
Chair & At Large
Vice Chair & At Large → Chair & At Large, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven Alper
Chair & Development
Director → Interim Vice Chair & Development, 2023
Interim Vice Chair & Development → Chair & Development, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Warren Thaler
Chair, Nominating & Governance
Vice Chair, Board Committee & Development → Director, 2023
Director → Chair, Nominating & Governance, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Russell W. Kelley
Managing Director & Rd Fund
Senior Vice President & Rd Funds → Senior Vice President & Rd Fund, 2022
Senior Vice President & Rd Fund → Managing Director & Rd Fund, 2023
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Adrienne Graves PhD
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bradford Manning
Director
Director → Vice Chair, Marketing, Committee & Social Media, 2022
Vice Chair, Marketing, Committee & Social Media → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darren Devoue
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Brint
Director
Chairman → Chairman of the Board, 2022
Chairman of the Board → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Evan Mittman
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Manfre
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha Steele
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Heidenberg
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Burt
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marsha Link PhD
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janine Marks Nixon
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joshua Steinberg
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Peinado
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Fietta
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suber Huang MD
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy M. Palmer Laster
Chief Scientific Officer
Vice President, Grants & Awards Program → Senior Vice President, Science Strategy & Awards, 2023
Senior Vice President, Science Strategy & Awards → Chief Scientific Officer, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$159K (2021) → $282K (2025)
Christopher S. Adams
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$169K (2021) → $237K (2025)
Jeffry C. Collins
Vice President, Database Systems & Technology
Vice President, Database Systems & Tech → Vice President, Database Systems & Technology, 2022
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$138K (2021) → $234K (2025)
Judy L. Taylor
Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer
Vice President & Development → Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$178K (2021) → $291K (2025)
Todd A. Durham
Senior Vice President Clinical & Outcomes Research
Vice President, Clinical & Outcomes Research → Senior Vice President Clinical & Outcomes Research, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$220K (2021) → $324K (2025)
Claire M. Gelfman
Former Cso
Chief Scientific Officer → Former Cso, 2025
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$235K (2022) → $342K (2025)
Peter L. Ginsberg
COO
Executive Vice President & Chief Business Officer → COO, 2023
On filings since 2022
32 hrs/week
$184K (2022) → $364K (2025)
Richele Donat
Chief Human Resources Officer
Chro → Chief Human Resources Officer, 2025
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$47K (2022) → $325K (2025)
Anna Wagner
Vice President & Finance
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$167K (2023) → $240K (2025)
Chad R. Jackson - Sr Dir
Pre-Clinical Transitional Program
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$208K (2025)
Jeffrey D. Klaas
Chief of Strategy & Innovation
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$345K (2025)
Gordon Gund
Director - Chairman Emeritus
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Haynes Lea
Board Secretary
Secretary → Board Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Morris
Executive Vice Chair
Treasurer → Vice Chair, Board Committee, Development & Treasurer, 2023
Vice Chair, Board Committee, Development & Treasurer → Executive Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Chad R. Jackson (2021–2024) — Senior Director & Pre-Clinical Translational Program
- Former: Jason Ferreira (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: William Carty (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Adrienne Graves Ph D. (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Janice Lehrer-Stein (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Benjamin R. Yerxa (2021–2023) — CEO
- Former: Edward Russnow (2021–2023) — Vice Chair & Development
- Former: Joel Davis (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Yvonne Chester (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert Finzi (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Nancy M. Davenport (2021–2022) — Vice President & Finance
- Former: Patricia Dudley (2021–2022) — Chro
- Former: Ben A. Shaberman (2022) — Senior Director, Science Outreach & Committee Eng
- Former: Darcy E. Meadows (2022) — Director Philanthropy & Northeast
- Former: John R. Corneille (2022) — Director & Legacy Giving
- Former: Meagan Mackin Amundson (2022) — Director Philanthropy & Mid-Atlantic
- Former: Brian Mansfield (2021) — Executive Vice President, Research & Interim Cso
- Former: Janni Lehrer-Stein (2021) — Director
- Former: Stephen Mark Rose (2021) — Fomer Senior Scientific Advisor
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $505K, to Jason D Menzo (CEO). 13 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
How much does The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc give each year?
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc gave $19.7M across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $17.5M across 30 grants.
What is The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's typical grant size?
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's median grant in 2025 was $200,000, and its average grant was $517,429, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc that year got $255K on average.
Where does The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc give grants?
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's top state is Maryland, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (9%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Houston, TX (2 grants).
Does The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research" (38 grants).
Who are The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's largest grantees?
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Foundation Fighting Blindness Rd Fund ($8,771,404), University of Pennsylvania ($1,398,985) and University of California Irvine ($914,667), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc?
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc reported $110.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $36.6M.
What does The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to drive research that will provide preventions, treatments, and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc?
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check fightingblindness.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's EIN?
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7135845. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 3, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-foundation-fighting-blindness-inc-morg_edce5892b12248439de5833a2e26503c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237135845_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-foundation-fighting-blindness-inc-morg_edce5892b12248439de5833a2e26503c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 The Foundation Fighting Blindness 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.
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?