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Brightfocus Foundation

EIN 23-7337229 · Clarksburg, MD

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood75 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

BRIGHTFOCUS FOUNDATION FUNDS EXCEPTIONAL RESEARCH WORLDWIDE TO DEFEAT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, MACULAR DEGENERATION, AND GLAUCOMA AND PROVIDES EXPERT INFORMATION ON THESE HEARTBREAKING DISEASES. PLEASE REFER TO SCHEDULE O FOR A COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF OUR MISSION.

Income
$63.4 million
Spending
$53.3 million
Spent on programs
65%
Reserves
4.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 83%
Employees
59
Volunteers
85
Highest pay
$471,505, president/ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 43% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 16% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 30% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    65% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (diseases, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 14 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $21.4 million spent. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH (ADR)PLEASE REFER TO SCHEDULE O FOR A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH (ADR) ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IS THE ONLY CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG THE TOP 10 IN AMERICA WITHOUT A WAY TO PREVENT, CURE, OR EVEN SLOW ITS PROGRESSION. IT IS AN IRREVERSIBLE DEGENERATION OF THE BRAIN THAT CAUSES DISRUPTIONS IN MEMORY, COGNITION, PERSONALITY, AND OTHER FUNCTIONS AND INEVITABLY LEADS TO DEATH. AN ESTIMATED 55 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE HAVE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE OR OTHER DEMENTIAS, WITH WOMEN AND BLACK AND HISPANIC ADULTS MOST AT RISK. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH (ADR), A BRIGHTFOCUS FOUNDATION PROGRAM, FUNDS RESEARCH FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSES OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, EARLY DETECTION, TREATMENTS TO HELP SLOW OR STOP ITS PROGRESSION, AND ULTIMATELY TO PREVENT THE DISEASE ALTOGETHER. ADR ANNUALLY AWARDS PEER-REVIEWED GRANTS TO SCIENTISTS FROM INSTITUTIONS WORLDWIDE WHO ARE CONDUCTING BIOMEDICAL AND CLINICAL RESEARCH ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SINCE INCEPTION, ADR HAS INVESTED NEARLY $190 MILLION IN RESEARCH GRANTS TO DEFEAT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2025, ADR AWARDED $10,207,897 IN PEER-REVIEWED GRANT AWARDS TO 40 NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS. NOTABLE PROJECTS INCLUDE: INFLAMMATORY FACTORS DRIVING MYELIN DYSFUNCTION, NOVEL INTERVENTIONS USING FOCUSED ULTRASOUND TECHNOLOGY, HARNESSING DISEASE DIFFERENCES TO GENERATE PERSONALIZED PROTEIN SIGNATURES, THE ROLE OF MULTIPLE PREGNANCIES AND MENOPAUSE ON DEMENTIA RISK, AND DIFFERENCES IN GENETICS AND DISEASE RISK FOR UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS IS INCLUDED IN SCHEDULES F & I. BRIGHTFOCUS IS HONORED TO HAVE SUPPORTED THE EARLY RESEARCH OF TWO NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS. DR. STANLEY PRUSINER AND DR. PAUL GREENGARD, WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. BRIGHTFOCUS CONTINUES ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ACADEMIC JOURNAL MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION AS THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF BRIGHTFOCUS FOUNDATION. THE JOURNAL PUBLISHES TECHNICAL PAPERS RELATED TO NEURODEGENERATION IN THE THREE DISEASE AREAS. TO ACCELERATE SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS, IT IS AN OPEN-ACCESS JOURNAL, AND ALL CONTENT IS FREE OF CHARGE. THIS OPEN ACCESS ENSURES MAXIMAL REACH OF JOURNAL CONTENTS TO SCIENTISTS AND CARE PROVIDERS WORLDWIDE. MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION IS CURRENTLY THE HIGHEST IMPACT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL IN THE NEUROSCIENCES. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH, ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH PROVIDES EXPERT-VETTED RESOURCES ON DETECTING, TREATING, AND LIVING WITH THE DISEASE. THESE ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, WWW.BRIGHTFOCUS.ORG/ADR.
  2. $11.0 million spent. MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH (MDR)PLEASE REFER TO SCHEDULE O FOR A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH. MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH (MDR) AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION IS A LEADING CAUSE OF VISION LOSS IN THE UNITED STATES. IT DESTROYS THE MACULA, THE PART OF THE EYE THAT PROVIDES SHARP, CENTRAL VISION NEEDED FOR SEEING OBJECTS CLEARLY. THE MOST COMMON EYE CONDITION IN PEOPLE AGE 60 AND OLDER, IT CAN LEAD TO VISION LOSS IN ONE OR BOTH EYES, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE FACES, DRIVE A CAR, OR READ. AT LEAST 20 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE SOME TYPE OF MACULAR DEGENERATION, INCLUDING BOTH THE EARLY AND LATER STAGES OF THE WET AND DRY TYPES. MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH (MDR), A BRIGHTFOCUS FOUNDATION PROGRAM, HAS AWARDED NEARLY $57 MILLION TO SCIENTISTS STUDYING THE DISEASE. THE LATEST RESEARCH IS FOCUSED ON NOVEL TREATMENTS, UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSES AND DISEASE PROGRESSION, PREDICTION METHODS AND DISEASE MODELING, DRUG THERAPIES, THE ROLE OF METABOLISM AND IMMUNE RESPONSE IN DISEASE RISK, GENES, AND NEW IMAGING, MACHINE LEARNING, AND SCREENING TECHNIQUES. MDR GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE TO MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCHERS WORLDWIDE. MDR PLACES SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ENCOURAGING APPLICATIONS FROM YOUNG SCIENTISTS AND THOSE WITH CUTTING-EDGE IDEAS. ANNUAL GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE PEER-REVIEWED, AND RECIPIENT SELECTIONS ARE BASED ON SCIENTIFIC MERIT. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2025, MDR AWARDED $3,774,565 IN PEER-REVIEWED GRANT AWARDS TO 12 NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS. DETAILS ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS ARE INCLUDED IN SCHEDULES F & I. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH, MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH PROVIDES EXPERT-VETTED RESOURCES ON DETECTING, TREATING, AND LIVING WITH THIS DISEASE. THESE ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, WWW.BRIGHTFOCUS.ORG/MDR.
  3. $2.5 million spent. NATIONAL GLAUCOMA RESEARCH (NGR) PLEASE REFER TO SCHEDULE O FOR A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR NATIONAL GLAUCOMA RESEARCH. NATIONAL GLAUCOMA RESEARCH (NGR) GLAUCOMA IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF BLINDNESS WORLDWIDE ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, APPROXIMATELY 80 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE GLAUCOMA. MORE THAN FOUR MILLION AMERICANS ARE LIVING WITH GLAUCOMA. IN THE UNITED STATES, GLAUCOMA IS A LEADING CAUSE OF BLINDNESS AMONG BLACK AND HISPANIC AMERICANS. WITH EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT, GLAUCOMA OFTEN CAN BE MANAGED TO PROTECT EYES FROM MORE SERIOUS VISION LOSS. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ONLY HALF OF THE PEOPLE LIVING WITH GLAUCOMA ARE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE THE DISEASE. NATIONAL GLAUCOMA RESEARCH (NGR), A BRIGHTFOCUS FOUNDATION PROGRAM, HAS AWARDED NEARLY $53 MILLION WORLDWIDE IN RESEARCH GRANTS TOWARD THE STUDY OF GLAUCOMA. NGR-SUPPORTED RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON THE EYE-BRAIN CONNECTION, HOW PRESSURE BUILDUP IN THE EYE CAN AFFECT SYNAPTIC NERVE COMMUNICATIONS, NEUROPROTECTION AND OPTIC NERVE REGENERATION, DISCOVERING GLAUCOMA RISK GENES, AI/DEEP LEARNING AND ADAPTIVE OPTICS, SLEEP DISTURBANCE AND GLAUCOMA RISK, DEVELOPING EARLY GLAUCOMA SCREENING, AND PURSUING NOVEL GENETIC COUNSELING AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, AMONGST OTHER INNOVATIVE PURSUITS. NGR GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE TO GLAUCOMA RESEARCHERS WORLDWIDE. NGR PLACES SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ENCOURAGING APPLICATIONS FROM YOUNG SCIENTISTS AND THOSE WITH CUTTING-EDGE IDEAS. ANNUAL GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE PEER-REVIEWED, AND RECIPIENT SELECTIONS ARE BASED ON SCIENTIFIC MERIT. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2025, NGR AWARDED $1,818,979 IN PEER-REVIEWED GRANT AWARDS FOR 10 NEW PROJECTS. DETAILS ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS ARE INCLUDED IN SCHEDULES F & I. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH, NATIONAL GLAUCOMA RESEARCH PROVIDES EXPERT-VETTED RESOURCES ON DETECTING, TREATING, AND LIVING WITH THE DISEASE. THESE ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, WWW.BRIGHTFOCUS.ORG/NGR.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since January 1974.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.