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Retinal Vascular Foundation at a glanceMostly funded, not a grantmaker: see who funds it →

· Private foundation

Retinal Vascular Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$55k
Granted FY2025still arriving
4
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$42k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Health$411kEducation$29kRecreation & Sports$6kArts & Culture$3kInternational$2k
02FY2025 · 4 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k2 grants · $4k
  • $10k–50k2 grants · $52k
$10,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$375k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
THE MACULA SOCIETY$41,702
BASCOM PALMER EYE INSTITUTE AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI$10,000
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY$2,500
RONALD G MICHELS FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION$1,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY17–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 16%, against an area that typically sits at 13%. 94% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 13%OSMA FOUNDATION: $2k → 16%AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY: $1k → 13%WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $1k → 21%THE MALTZ MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE: $3k → 17%NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: $6k → 14%THE ARVO FOUNDATION FOR EYE RESEARCH INC: $4k → 8%AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY FOUNDATION: $200 → 13%MEDWISH INTERNATIONAL INC: $2k → 17%THE ARVO FOUNDATION FOR EYE RESEARCH INC: $2k → 8%THE MACULA SOCIETY: $42k → 17%THE ARVO FOUNDATION FOR EYE RESEARCH INC: $2k → 8%THE MACULA SOCIETY: $25k → 17%THE ARVO FOUNDATION FOR EYE RESEARCH INC: $2k → 8%THE MACULA SOCIETY: $25k → 17%THE MACULA SOCIETY: $25k → 17%THE MACULA SOCIETY: $13k → 17%CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $14k → 17%CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $5k → 17%CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $5k → 17%CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $3k → 17%CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $1k → 17%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

97%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$435k · 5 repeat orgs$15k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +74% since the first grant, against +19% for those funded once.

5 repeat relationships: 4 still active in FY2025, 1 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

5
7

Total granted

$435k
$15k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+74%
+19%

Still filing today

80%
100%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
EducationHealthRecreation & SportsArts & CultureOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • TM
    THE MACULA SOCIETY
    5× · 2021–2025 · $129k · revenue +250%
  • CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
    5× · 2018–2025 · $28k · revenue +44%
  • RG
    RONALD G MICHELS FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION INC
    7× · 2017–2025 · $8k · revenue +74%

Funded once

  • Northwestern University
    one grant, 2021 · $6k · revenue +14%
  • TM
    The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritagegraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $3k · revenue +37%
  • MM
    MEDWISH MEDWORKSgraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $2k · revenue +46%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Arvo advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders.

—
2
American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Inc

The american society of ophthalmic plastic and recontructive surgery (asoprs) was founded to establish a qualified body of surgeons who have training and experience in the highly specialized field of oculofacial plastic surgery. the…

—
3
Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation Inc

The sarnoff cardiovascular research foundation is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of physician-leaders in cardiovascular medicine by funding and supporting medical students and physicians engaged in transformative research.

Health
4
Optical Society of America Inc

To promote the generation application and archiving of knowledge of optics and photonics and to disseminate the knowledge worldwide.

Health
5
American Academy of Neurology

The Academy's mission is to enhance member career fulfillment and promote brain health for all.

Community Improvement
6
Retina Society Inc

The society exists to provide educational advancement in ophthalmology.

Health
7
American Academy of Ophthalmology Inc

The mission of the american academy of ophthalmology is to protect sight and empower lives by serving as an advocate for patients and the public, leading ophthalmic education, supporting research, and advancing the profession of…

—
8
American Society of Clinical Oncology Inc

See schedule o:asco is a professional oncology society committed to conquering cancer through research, education, and promotion of the highest quality patient care.

Health
9
Asco Association

Asco association promotes the common business interests of its members by: (1) advocating for policies that improve the quality of cancer care; (2) maintaining the highest standards of oncology medical care through programs supporting…

Community Improvement
10
Vitreoretinal Surgery Foundation

The vitreoretinal surgery foundation strives to promote education and research related to retinal and macular diseases. we support research by funding awards for young investigators with a potential for a career devoted to retinal disease…

Education
11
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Associates Inc

MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR ASSOCIATES, INC. ("MEEA") IS A SPECIALTY PHYSICIAN GROUP PRACTICE. IT PROVIDES CARE FOR PATIENTS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY, INC. ("MEEI"), A RELATED ORGANIZATION. THE PRACTICE SPECIALIZES IN…

Health
12
American Ophthalmological Society

The mission of the american ophthalmological society is to promote excellence in patient care, education and research, to address essential issues in medicine, and to advance the art and science of ophthalmology.

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is American Academy of Optometry Foundation Inc; the most unlike its peers is Osma Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

11 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 11 of the 12 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
3
Early backer (in before they grew)
11/11
Grantees still filing
10/11
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

BASCOM PALMER EYE INSTITUTE AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: $261,000 · OtherBASCOM PALMER EYE INSTITUTE AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMITHE MACULA SOCIETY: $129,202 · OtherTHE MACULA SOCIETYCASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $27,500 · EducationOSMA FOUNDATION: $1,846 · EducationWAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $1,250 · Education+1 more: $1,000 · EducationTHE ARVO FOUNDATION FOR EYE RESEARCH INC: $10,000 · HealthRONALD G MICHELS FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION INC: $7,750 · HealthMEDWISH MEDWORKS: $2,000 · Health+1 more: $200 · HealthNorthwestern University: $6,000 · Recreation & SportsThe Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage: $2,500 · Arts & Culture
Other$390,202Education$31,596Health$19,950Recreation & Sports$6,000Arts & Culture$2,500

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetTHE MACULA SOCIETY: $129,202 over 5y, 2.1% of budgetCASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $27,500 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetTHE ARVO FOUNDATION FOR EYE RESEARCH INC: $10,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetRONALD G MICHELS FELLOWSHIP FOUNDATION INC: $7,750 over 7y, 1.2% of budgetNorthwestern University: $6,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMEDWISH MEDWORKS: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetOSMA FOUNDATION: $1,846 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetWAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $1,250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPTOMETRY FOUNDATION INC: $200 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Morgan Stanley Global…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …
Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust IncIN8.8× affinity4 shared granteesties to 2 of 2Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Retinal Vascular Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Retinal Vascular Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 50%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%6%13%19%25%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    5get no government money at all
    2report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–25%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 12 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Retinal Vascular’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home