The Foundation Fighting Blindness
The Foundation Fighting Blindness reported $36.6 million in revenue and $49.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $75.44 went to program services, $6.37 to management and general costs and $18.19 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 84.8% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $723,931 (CEO). 31 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 4% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $50MFor context, the median across 169 covered medical research charities: $87.02 programs, $12.87 management, $0.11 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $37MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 75.4% | 83.9% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.4% | 12.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 18.2% | 0.1% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.29 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 84.8% | 72.7% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 5.5% | 5.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $723,931 | $628,890 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.46% | 1.94% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 31 | 18 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 20.3 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 24 of 25 | 93.8% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseHighest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Officer, 32.00 hrs/week | $504,560 | $126,140 | $93,231 | $723,931 |
| COO Officer, 32.00 hrs/week | $364,025 | $91,006 | $85,311 | $540,342 |
| MANAGING DIRECTOR, RD FUND Key employee, 0.00 hrs/week | $0 | $447,300 | $85,994 | $533,294 |
| SVP CLINICAL & OUTCOMES RESEARCH Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $324,179 | $0 | $80,261 | $404,440 |
| CHIEF OF STRATEGY AND INNOVATION Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $344,934 | $0 | $33,516 | $378,450 |
| FORMER CSO (THRU 6/24) Former, 40.00 hrs/week | $341,844 | $0 | $31,176 | $373,020 |
| CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $324,700 | $0 | $45,263 | $369,963 |
| SVP/CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $290,836 | $0 | $74,299 | $365,135 |
31 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Foundation Fighting Blindness (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.4M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b25 · 24 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 596
- Volunteers Part I, line 62,500
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| FUSE FUNDRAISING GROUP LLC Direct marketing consultant | $627,860 |
| CHICAGO DOWNTOWN MARRIOTT Venue for visions 2024 | $298,482 |
| FAIRMONT SCOTTSDALE PRINCESS Venue for ics 2024 | $287,477 |
| HORIZON GOVERNMENT Government relations consultant | $240,000 |
| MOLECULAR MEDIA INC Av equipment rental | $218,718 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 12 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
71 private foundations reported grants to The Foundation Fighting Blindness totaling $1.8M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from The Foundation Fighting Blindness's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Foundation Fighting Blindness, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Foundation Fighting Blindness spent in FY2025, $75.44 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Bliss CaresOrlando, FL · revenue $37M · programs 97.8% · 2024
- Society for NeuroscienceWashington, DC · revenue $37M · programs 72.6% · FY2025
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for ResearchPalo Alto, CA · revenue $36M · programs 84.1% · FY2025
- International Brain Research OrganizationNew York, NY · revenue $37M · programs 0.0% · 2024
- Cancer Research InstituteNew York, NY · revenue $35M · programs 79.2% · FY2025
All medical research charities · Largest charities in Maryland
Questions people ask
How much of The Foundation Fighting Blindness's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Foundation Fighting Blindness reported that 75.4% of its $49.5 million in expenses went to program services, 6.4% to management and general and 18.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Foundation Fighting Blindness pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Foundation Fighting Blindness reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $723,931, for the role of CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Foundation Fighting Blindness get its money?
Of $36.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 84.8% came from contributions and grants (including 0.5% from government grants) and 5.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Foundation Fighting Blindness a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 23-7135845 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202503079349303810 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202433129349301503 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202333069349302708 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202203069349300540 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202103159349308195 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202013149349301861 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 23-7135845: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.