Drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.
The Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc concentrates its funding on research for inherited retinal diseases and age-related macular degeneration, with a recent pattern that includes both very large core support and recurring university-based projects. Its largest recent grant in the provided data is $14,920,274 to its own Foundation Fighting Blindness Rd Fund in Columbia, Maryland, followed by $8,771,404 in 2025 and $8,307,442 in 2024 to the same recipient. Beyond that internal research fund, the foundation has backed major academic and clinical research centers, including $1,398,985 to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and $1,042,192 to Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. The grant list shows a research portfolio centered on translational and clinical work rather than direct services, aligning with its stated goal of driving prevention, treatment, and cure research for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and related retinal degenerative diseases. Recent grants also reach specialized research organizations and university labs working on gene-, cell-, and model-based approaches.
The foundation supports a mix of disease-specific and platform research. In age-related macular degeneration, it gave $896,691 to Columbia University for ARMS2/HTRA1 work, a project tied to AMD genetics and pathophysiology. In translational therapeutic development, it awarded $868,961 to Odylia Therapeutics, and a second grant of $631,039 to the same organization in 2025, showing sustained support for a research performer across years. It also funds clinical and laboratory research infrastructure: Duke University Medical Center received $900,000 in 2025 and $700,000 in 2024, while the University of Washington received $1,023,689 in 2023 and $611,811 in 2024. These awards fit a program set that includes basic research, early translational work, clinical studies, and pre-clinical research.
Typical grants are substantial: the provided distribution shows a p25 of $100,000, a median of $232,954, and a p75 of $499,985. The recent list also shows repeated funding to the same recipients across multiple years, including the Foundation Fighting Blindness Rd Fund, Duke University Medical Center, Oregon Health and Science University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Washington, and Baylor College of Medicine. The foundation is a public charity and a regular funder, not a DAF or a program-related-investment vehicle. Several active programs accept unsolicited proposals, including the Scientific Grants and Awards Programs, the PRPH2 and Associated Retinal Diseases Science Award, the Clinical/Research Fellowship Award, and the Postdoctoral Fellowship Award.
$19.7M
$110.9M
$36.6M
$49.5M
Most grants fall between $100K and $500K, with a median of $233K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$233K
75th Percentile
$500K
About 8% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Giving is national, and all listed recent grants go to U.S. recipients. California appears most often by grant count, while Maryland receives 9% of grants. Recent awards land in research hubs such as Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle, Irvine, Durham, New York, Atlanta, Boston, La Jolla, Cleveland, and Houston. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the provided data, with 96 grants in the United States.
Its active programs cover basic research, early translational research, clinical studies, pre-clinical research, and collaborative program projects. The stated disease areas include inherited retinal degenerative diseases, dry age-related macular degeneration, PRPH2-associated retinal diseases, and retinal disease training and infrastructure support.
Yes for several programs. The Scientific Grants and Awards Programs, the PRPH2 and Associated Retinal Diseases Science Award, the Clinical/Research Fellowship Award, and the Postdoctoral Fellowship Award all accept unsolicited proposals in the provided data.
The typical grant-size distribution is p25 $100,000, median $232,954, and p75 $499,985. Some programs sit well above that range, including awards up to $1,050,165 in the Scientific Grants and Awards Programs and up to $1,000,000 in disease model and research core awards.
Yes. The recent grants list includes repeat awards to several institutions across multiple years, such as the Foundation Fighting Blindness Rd Fund, Duke University Medical Center, Oregon Health and Science University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Washington, and Baylor College of Medicine.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Foundation Fighting Blindness that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Competitive research proposal aligned with Foundation mission and research priority areas.
Deadline: LOI deadline: 6/18/2026; application deadline: 10/22/2026.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS RD FUND | COLUMBIA, MD | $8,771,404 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,398,985 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE | IRVINE, CA | $914,667 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | DURHAM, NC | $900,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| ODYLIA THERAPEUTICS | ATLANTA, GA | $631,039 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| FORDHAM UNIVERITY | BRONX, NY | $539,141 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $500,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $474,235 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY | PORTLAND, OR | $460,869 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $402,223 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY | BOSTON, MA | $396,667 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $375,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| MITOCHEM THERAPEUTICS INC | CHARLESTON, SC | $300,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| NEW YORK STEM CELL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $296,150 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | $267,406 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $250,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS HEALTH | DAVIS, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $200,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| TUFTS UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $199,999 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS | DETROIT, MI | $178,641 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $169,257 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $166,454 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $160,400 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| OAKLAND UNIVERSITY | ROCHESTER, MI | $140,255 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI | COLUMBIA, MO | $119,955 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIV ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $100,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| RETINA FOUNDATION OF THE SOUTHWEST | DALLAS, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE | NEWARK, DE | $100,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $75,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO | LA JOLLA, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| FOUNDATION FOR THE NIH | NORTH BETHESDA, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TX | $24,998 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA | GAINESVILLE, FL | $24,565 | 2025 | RESEARCH |
| FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS RD FUND | COLUMBIA, MD | $8,307,442 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,093,565 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| ODYLIA THERAPEUTICS | ATLANTA, GA | $868,961 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | DURHAM, NC | $700,000 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY | PORTLAND, OR | $622,107 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $611,811 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $500,000 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $499,940 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| BIOJIVA | LOS ATLOS, CA | $483,751 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $402,223 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $400,000 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $375,000 | 2024 | RESEARCH |
FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS RD FUND
$8,771,404RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE
$914,667RESEARCH
RESEARCH
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
$500,000RESEARCH
MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY
$396,667RESEARCH
MITOCHEM THERAPEUTICS INC
$300,000RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA
$300,000RESEARCH
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$267,406RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$250,000RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS HEALTH
$200,000RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS
$178,641RESEARCH
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$169,257RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
$160,400RESEARCH
OAKLAND UNIVERSITY
$140,255RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
$119,955RESEARCH
UNIV ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
$100,000RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
$100,000RESEARCH
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$75,000RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO
$75,000RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
$75,000RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$50,000RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON
$24,998RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
$24,565RESEARCH
FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESS RD FUND
$8,307,442RESEARCH
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
$500,000RESEARCH
BIOJIVA
$483,751RESEARCH
