The Arvo Foundation for Eye Research Inc
Donations deductibleThe Arvo Foundation for Eye Research Inc's network
10 peoplei10 people on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (10). Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK.The board
10 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.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 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Wirostko MD Farvo Chair | Chair-Elect | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Rafal Farjo PHD Farvo Chair | Chair | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Alan R Morse JD PHD (also filed as Alan Morse JD PHD) | Governor | 2020 | 6 yrs |
| Cheryl Rowe-Rendleman PHD Farvo | Governor | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Emily Chew MD Farvo | Governor | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Haotian LIN MD PHD | Governor | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Jacob PE'ER MD Farvo | Governor | 2025 | 1 yr |
| Mary Elizabeth Hartnett MD Farvo | Governor | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Renu Kowluru PHD Farvo | Governor | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| William Mieler MD Farvo Facs | Treasurer | 2023 | 3 yrs |
Under 5 years5 to 6 years6 years or more
Officers and senior leadership
3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Iris M Rush CAE | Executive Director | since 2018 |
| Jason P Spessard CAE | Chief Operating & Financial Officer | since 2018 |
| Justine Smith Franzco PHD Farvo | Executive VP of Arvo | 2019 |
Pay and hours
year to 31 December 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iris M Rush Cae | Executive Director | 3 | $0 | $387k | $40k |
| Jason Spessard Cae | Chief Operating & Financial Officer | 5 | $0 | $277k | $25k |
| Rafal Farjo PhD Farvo | Chair | 3 | $0 | ||
| Alan Morse JD PhD | Governor | 1 | $0 | ||
| Emily Chew MD Farvo | Governor | 1 | $0 | ||
| Mary Elizabeth Hartnett MD Farvo | Governor | 1 | $0 | ||
| Renu Kowluru PhD Farvo | Governor | 1 | $0 | ||
| Barbara Wirostko MD Farvo | Chair-Elect | 3 | $0 | ||
| William Mieler MD Farvo Facs | Treasurer | 3 | $0 | ||
| Cheryl Rowe-Rendleman PhD Farvo | Governor | 1 | $0 | ||
| Jacob Pe'er MD Farvo | Governor | 1 | $0 | ||
| Haotian Lin MD PhD | Governor | 1 | $0 |
Colorado roster
14 listediOfficers, directors and trustees from the latest filing with the Colorado Secretary of State (document 20253028603). 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 |
|---|---|
| Joel S. Schuman | Immediate Past Chair |
| Alan Morse | Governor |
| William Mieler | Governor |
| Jason Spessard | Chief Operating & Financial Officer |
| Mary Elizabeth Hartnett | Governor |
| Rafal Farjo, PhD | President |
| Iris M. Rush | Executive Director |
| Thomas Yorio | Governor |
| Janey Wiggs | Governor |
| Rafal Farjo | Chair |
| Renu Kowluru | Governor |
| Emily Chew | Governor |
| Jason P. Spessard | |
| Barbara Wirostko | Governor |
About
- Legal name
- The Arvo Foundation for Eye Research Inc
- EIN
- 522322462
- Address
- 19226 Montgomery Village Ave 311, Gaithersburg, MD, 20886-3700
- State
- Maryland
- Mission
- Our mission is to serve as a global catalyst for innovation, workforce development and collaboration in the field of vision research. (as filed on the Form 990)
- Activity (NTEE)
- H11 Medical research
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Classified purpose
- Medical Research
- Size band
- 8 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 2001
- Principal officer
- Jason Spessard (as named on the Form 990)
- IRS ruling date
- 1 December 2001
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 7, latest 2025
- IRS Publication 78
- SOUNK (contributions deductible)
Most connected
Related organisations (Schedule R)
Longest observed on the filings
≥6years on the filingsAlan R Morse JD PHD
≥4years on the filingsRafal Farjo PHD Farvo
≥4years on the filingsEmily Chew MD Farvo
≥4years on the filingsMary Elizabeth Hartnett MD Farvo
Latest return
year to 31 December 2025iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 31 December 2025. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $10.6m
- Total liabilities
- $1.9m
- Net assets or fund balances
- $8.7m
- Contributions and grants received
- $1.4m
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Grants and similar paid out
- $796k
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 50
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 | $1.6m | $1.2m | $363k |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.
Grants paid
3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University | Research Award | $70k |
| Stanford University | Research Award | $50k |
| Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary | Research Award | $50k |