Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc's network
25 people4 organisationsi25 people and 4 organisations on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (25). Violet dotted lines (12) are likely: the same full name sits on the current board of another organisation in the same register and region. Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK. It may be a different person.The board
25 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations in the tables. The network map shows same-name matches as likely links only, never as confirmed.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 25 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI, which matches the board listed here.| Name | Role as filed | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Nixon Chair | Chair, Finance & Investment; Treas. | 2021 | 5 yrs |
| Jeffrey Freed Chair | Chair, Audit & Risk | 2021 | 5 yrs |
| Jonathan Steinberg MD Chair | Chair, Science | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Karen Petrou Chair | Board Chair | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Maryrose Sylvester Chair | Chair, at Large | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Steven Alper Chair | Chair, Development | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Warren Thaler Chair | Chair, Nominating & Governance | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Adrienne Graves PHD (also filed as Adrienne Graves) | Director | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Bradford Manning | Director | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Darren Devoue | Director | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| David Brint | Director | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Evan Mittman | Director | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| George Peinado | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Gordon Gund | Director - Chairman Emeritus | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Haynes LEA | Board Secretary | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Janine Marks Nixon | Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Jason Morris | Executive Vice Chair | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Joshua Steinberg | Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Laura Fietta | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Laura Manfre | Director | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Marsha Link PHD | Director | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Martha Steele | Director | 2021 | 5 yrs |
| Robert Heidenberg | Director | 2019 | 7 yrs |
| Scott Burt | Director | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Suber Huang MD | Director | 2025 | 1 yr |
Officers and senior leadership
24 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.| Name | Title as filed | On the filings |
|---|---|---|
| Amy M Palmer Laster | VP, Grants & Awards Programs | since 2021 |
| Anna Wagner | VP, Finance | since 2023 |
| Benjamin R Yerxa | CEO (Thru 7/1/22) | since 2019 |
| Brian Mansfield | Exec VP, Research & Interim Cso | since 2019 |
| Chad R Jackson | Sr Dir, Pre-Clinical Translational Prog | since 2021 |
| Chad R Jackson - SR DIR | Pre-Clinical Transitional Prog. | 2025 |
| Christopher S Adams | VP, Communications & Marketing | since 2020 |
| Claire M Gelfman | Chief Scientific Officer | since 2023 |
| Hope Kessler | Sr. Director, Major Gifts (Thru 3/24/20) | since 2019 |
| Jason D Menzo | COO | since 2019 |
| Jeffrey D Klaas | Chief of Strategy and Innovation | 2025 |
| Jeffry C Collins | VP, Database Systems & Technology | since 2021 |
| John R Corneille | Director, Gift Planning | 2020 |
| Judy L Taylor | VP, Development | since 2021 |
| Mark Alan Jones | Director, Major Gifts | 2019 |
| Michele C Divincenzo | VP, Scientific & Educational Conferences | since 2019 |
| Michele O Mercer | Sr. Director, Database Operations | since 2019 |
| Nancy M Davenport | VP, Finance | since 2019 |
| Patricia Dudley | Chief Human Resource Officer | since 2019 |
| Peter L Ginsberg | COO | since 2023 |
| Richele Donat | Chro | since 2023 |
| Russell W Kelley | VP, Investments & Alliances | since 2020 |
| Stephen Mark Rose | Sr. Scientific Advisor (Thru 6/1/20) | since 2019 |
| Todd A Durham | VP, Clinical & Outcomes Research | since 2020 |
Pay and hours
year to 30 June 2025iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.| Name | Title as filed | Hours a week | Pay from the organisation | Related organisations | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason D Menzo | CEO | 32 | $505k | $126k | $93k |
| Peter L Ginsberg | COO | 32 | $364k | $91k | $85k |
| Jeffrey D Klaas | Chief of Strategy and Innovation | 40 | $345k | $34k | |
| Claire M Gelfman | Former Cso (Thru 6/24) | 40 | $342k | $31k | |
| Richele Donat | Chief Human Resources Officer | 40 | $325k | $45k | |
| Todd A Durham | SVP Clinical & Outcomes Research | 40 | $324k | $80k | |
| Judy Taylor | SVP/Chief Development Officer | 40 | $291k | $74k | |
| Amy M Palmer Laster | Chief Scientific Officer | 40 | $282k | $27k | |
| Michele Divincenzo | VP, Scientific & Ed. Conferences | 40 | $240k | $61k | |
| Anna Wagner | VP, Finance | 40 | $240k | $22k | |
| Christopher S Adams | VP, Communications & Marketing | 40 | $237k | $64k | |
| Jeffry Collins | VP, Database Systems & Technology | 40 | $234k | $54k | |
| Chad R Jackson - Sr Dir | Pre-Clinical Transitional Prog. | 40 | $208k | $17k | |
| Adrienne Graves PhD | Director | 1 | $0 | $13k | |
| Karen Petrou | Board Chair | 10 | $0 | ||
| Jason Morris | Executive Vice Chair | 1 | $0 | ||
| Haynes Lea | Board Secretary | 1 | $0 | ||
| Steven Alper | Chair, Development | 1 | $0 | ||
| Jeffrey Freed | Chair, Audit & Risk | 1 | $0 | ||
| David Nixon | Chair, Finance & Investment; Treas. | 1 | $0 | ||
| Jonathan Steinberg MD | Chair, Science | 1 | $0 | ||
| Maryrose Sylvester | Chair, at Large | 1 | $0 | ||
| Warren Thaler | Chair, Nominating & Governance | 1 | $0 | ||
| Gordon Gund | Director - Chairman Emeritus | 1 | $0 | ||
| David Brint | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Scott Burt | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Darren Devoue | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Laura Fietta | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Robert Heidenberg | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Suber Huang MD | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Marsha Link PhD | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Laura Manfre | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Bradford Manning | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Janine Marks Nixon | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Evan Mittman | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| George Peinado | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Martha Steele | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Joshua Steinberg | Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Russell W Kelley | Managing Director, Rd Fund | 0 | $0 | $447k | $86k |
Colorado roster
33 listediOfficers, directors and trustees from the latest filing with the Colorado Secretary of State (document 20263005126). Titles are as filed; some entries are registered agents or custodians of records rather than board members. Source: data.colorado.gov, public domain.| Name | Title as filed |
|---|---|
| David Brint | Director |
| Laura Fietta | Director |
| Jeffrey Freed | Chair, Audit & Risk |
| David Nixon | Chair, Finance & Investment |
| Janine Marks Nixon | Director |
| Robert Heidenberg | Director |
| Karen Petrou | Board Chair |
| Evan Mittman | Director |
| Drew O'brien | Director |
| Jonathan Steinberg | Chair, Science |
| Marsha Link | Director |
| Laura Manfre | Director |
| Warren Thaler | Chair, Nominating & Governance |
| Suber Huang, M.D. | Director |
| Rishi Donat | Chief Human Resources Officer |
| Darren Devoue | Director |
| Scott Burt | Director |
| Petrou Karen | Chairman |
| Martha Steele | Director |
| Steve Alper | Chair, Development |
| Maryrose Sylvester | Chair, at Large |
| Jason Morris | Executive Vice Chair |
| Jason Menzo | Chief Executive Officer |
| Amy Laster | Chief Scientific Officer |
| George Peinado | Director |
| Adrienne Graves, PhD | Director |
| Haynes Lea | Secretary |
| Jeffrey Klaas | Chief Strategy & Innovation Officers |
| Joshua Steinberg | Director |
| Peter Ginsberg | Chief Operating Officer |
| Anna Wagner | |
| Braford Manning | Director |
| Gordon Gund | Director - Chair Emeritus |
About
- Legal name
- Foundation Fighting Blindness Inc
- EIN
- 237135845
- Address
- 6925 Oakland Mills RD701, Columbia, MD, 21045-4714
- State
- Maryland
- Mission
- To drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures, for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, usher syndrome, and the spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases. (as filed on the Form 990)
- Activity (NTEE)
- H410 Medical research
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Classified purpose
- Medical Research
- Size band
- 9 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 1971
- Principal officer
- Jason D Menzo (as named on the Form 990)
- IRS ruling date
- 1 February 1973
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 6, latest 2025
- IRS Publication 78
- GROUP
Most connected
Related organisations (Schedule R)
RelatedFUNDS RESEARCH AND CLINICAL TRIALS TO FIND TREATMENTS FOR RETINALFoundation Fighting Blindness Retinal Degeneration FundRelatedFUNDRAISINGMacular Degeneration International IncRelatedFUNDRAISINGNational Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation Inc
Longest observed on the filings
≥7years on the filingsJonathan Steinberg MD
≥7years on the filingsKaren Petrou
≥7years on the filingsMaryrose Sylvester
≥7years on the filingsSteven Alper
Latest return
year to 30 June 2025iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 30 June 2025. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $110.9m
- Total liabilities
- $27m
- Net assets or fund balances
- $83.9m
- Contributions and grants received
- $31.1m
- Program service revenue
- $2m
- Grants and similar paid out
- $22.9m
- Employees
- 96
- Volunteers
- 2,500
Filed finances
1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.| Tax year | Total revenue | Total expenses | Surplus or deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $36.6m | $49.5m | Deficit $12.9m |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.
Grants paid
25+ listediFrom Schedule I of the Form 990: grants and assistance to organisations in the United States, largest first (up to 25). Schedule I is filed only by organisations that gave more than $5,000 to any one recipient.| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Fighting Blindness Rd Fund | $8.8m | |
| University of Pennsylvania | $1.4m | |
| University of California Irvine | $915k | |
| Duke University Medical Center | $900k | |
| Odylia Therapeutics | $631k | |
| Fordham Univerity | $539k | |
| Case Western Reserve University | $500k | |
| University of Washington | $474k | |
| Oregon Health and Science University | $461k | |
| Harvard Medical School | $402k | |
| Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary | $397k | |
| University of Pittsburgh | $375k | |
| Mitochem Therapeutics Inc | $300k | |
| University of California Santa Barbara | $300k | |
| New York Stem Cell Foundation | $296k | |
| Michigan State University | $267k | |
| University of Michigan | $250k | |
| Columbia University | $200k | |
| University of California Davis Health | $200k | |
| University of Wisconsin | $200k | |
| Tufts University | $200k | |
| University Hospitals | $179k | |
| Indiana University | $169k | |
| Johns Hopkins University | $166k | |
| University of Houston | $160k |