MD Portal
This is a non-selective compilation of information on all known charitable organizations serving the national macular degeneration community. It is provided for convenience only and is not necessarily an endorsement of the organizations or their activities. Visitors are encouraged to consider all of the criteria discussed below before patronizing or contributing to these or any other charitable group.
To add an organization to this list, contact Dan Roberts, MD Support Director
What Makes an Effective Service Organization?
The effectiveness of a service organization is best defined by its activities, accomplishments, and financial management. Opinions about the effectiveness of an organization may, therefore, be based upon subjective criteria such as:
- Satisfaction of all statements made in the organization’s publicized description.
- Appropriate use of public contributions and grants. (Financial information is available through this site from GuideStar.)
- Web site meets minimum standards for low vision access.
- Solicitation methods meet acceptable ethical standards. (See article, “Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing: How To Avoid Charity Rip-Offs”.
Organizations
- American Macular Degeneration Foundation
- Association For Macular Diseases
- BrightFocus Foundation
- Fight For Sight, Inc.
- Macular Degeneration Association
- Macular Degeneration Foundation
- Macular Degeneration International
- Macular Degeneration Research
- Macular Degeneration Support
- Macular Disease Society
- Macula Vision Research Foundation
- The Foundation Fighting Blindness
- The Macula Foundation, Inc.
- Research to Prevent Blindness
- Vitreoretinal Research Foundation, Inc.
American Macular Degeneration Foundation
P.O. Box 515
Northampton MA 01061-0515
Description:
“To promote and conduct basic and applied research and provide education for eye diseases, in particular, macular degeneration.”
Activities:
- Sale of newsletter.
- Web site.
Financial Information: View financial information.
Association For Macular Diseases
210 E 64th
New York NY 10021
Description:
“The Association for Macular Disease is an entirely volunteer, nonprofit association dedicated to helping people with macular diseases lead independent lives. Motto: Nil Desperandum (Don’t Despair).” Works in collaboration with the Macula Foundation.
Activities:
- Free quarterly newsletter.
- Educational seminars.
- Informational web site.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
BrightFocus Foundation
22512 Gateway Center Drive
Clarksburg, MD 20871
Description:
“BrightFocus funds exceptional scientific research worldwide to defeat Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma and provides expert information on these heartbreaking diseases.”
Activities:
- Research funding
- Advocacy
- Public awareness
- Informational web site.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
Fight For Sight, Inc.
381 Park Ave S
Ste 809
New York, NY 10016
Description:
The mission of Fight for Sight is to support vision research to find the causes and cures for blindness and to help save the sight of children through support of pediatric eye centers.
Activities:
- Research funding.
- Helps maintain eye clinics for disadvantaged children.
- Patient referral service.
- Student and post-doctoral fellowships.
- Grants-in-aid.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
Macular Degeneration Association
Website: www.maculardegenerationassociation.org
5959 Cattleridge Blvd., Suite 100
Sarasota,FL 34232
Description:
Provides education that will “improve the quality of life today, tomorrow, and in the future for patients and their caregivers”.
Activities:
- Solicitation of public contributions by direct mail.
- Educational events.
- Newsletter
Financial Information: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/27-3025707
Macular Degeneration Foundation
P.O. Box 531313
Henderson, NV 89053
Description:
“Dedicated to serving the interests of those affected by Macular Degeneration and related low vision conditions”
Activities:
- Telephone Hotline: 1-888-633-3937 (USA) / 702-450-2908 (Intl)
- Free email newsletter.
- Informational web site.
- Sponsor of the International Low Vision Support Group.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
Macular Degeneration Research
A program of:
Bright Focus Foundation
22512 Gateway Center Drive
Clarksburg MD 20871
Toll-free phone number: 1.855.345.6637
Description:
Supports research and provides public education to help eradicate brain and eye diseases, including macular degeneration. Provides free educational materials to people affected by or interested in these diseases.
Activities:
- Research funding
- Resources for people affected by macular degeneration, including caregivers
- Advocacy to end macular degeneration
- Toll-free phone number: 1.855.345.6637>
Financial Information: View Financial Information
Macular Degeneration Support
460 SW Tower Park Dr
Lee’s Summit MO 64081
Description:
Provides information and support for people affected by macular degeneration and related diseases of the retina. Recipient of the 2004 “Distinguished Service Award” of the American Optometric Association’s Low Vision Rehabilitation Section, and the National Eye Institute’s 2006 Healthy Vision Community Award.
Activities:
- Help line: 1-816-588-7747
- Sponsorship of TeleSupport, a free monthly telephone support group.
- Sponsorship of the International Low Vision Support Group, with more than 220 affiliates worldwide.
- Sponsorship of MDList, an email discussion group.
- Sponsorship of MDForum, an Internet message board.
- Production and publication of free books and over 100 audio/visual presentations about low vision research, living with vision loss, and rehabilitation.
- Advocate at the national level for governmental support of low vision research and patient support.
- Maintenance of the Internet’s oldest and largest web site dedicated solely to the low vision community.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
Macular Society
https://www.macularsociety.org/
P.O. Box 1870
Andover
Hampshire
SP10 9AD
United Kingdom
Description:
“A self-help society for those affected by any of the eye conditions encompassed by the overall name of Macular Disease, such as AMD, Macular Dystrophy, Myopic Degeneration etc.”
Activities (all UK based):
- funding of research
- hosting of conferences
- nation-wide network of local support groups
- distribution of quarterly magazine and audio tapes (to paid members)
- telephone support Helpline
- professional & confidential telephone-based counselling service
- informational website with audio and video downloads
Financial Information: By request from the organization
Macula Vision Research Foundation
100 Front Street, Suite 300
West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Description:
Increases awareness of macular degeneration.
Activities:
- Research funding.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
The Foundation Fighting Blindness
11435 Cronhill Drive
Owings Mills, MD 21117-2220
Description:
“The Foundation Fighting Blindness was incorporated in 1971 to sponsor and/or assist in the research of the causes, treatments, and prevention of retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and other retinal degenerative diseases. It is composed of volunteer-based affiliates throughout the United States who are dedicated to supporting the Foundation’s efforts. The urgent mission of The Foundation Fighting Blindness is to fund the research that will discover the causes, treatments, preventive methods, and cures for the entire spectrum of blinding, retinal degenerative diseases.”
Activities:
- Human services information.
- Research funding.
- Physician referrals.
- Free newsletter.
- Sponsorship of annual “Visions” conference.
- Informational web site.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
The Macula Foundation, Inc.
210 E 64th St.
New York NY 10021
Description:
“The Macula Foundation supports basic and clinical research in macular diseases of the eye, which represents a major cause of visual impairment in all age groups.” Works in collaboration with the Association For Macular Diseases.
Activities:
- Research funding.
- Public lectures.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
Research to Prevent Blindness
645 Madison Ave., Floor 21
New York, NY 10022-1010
Description:
“Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) is the leading non-government supporter of eye research directed at the prevention, treatment or eradication of all diseases that threaten vision.”
Activities:
- Major eye research funding to more than 50 leading scientific institutions in the U.S.
- Support for hundreds of talented vision scientists engaged i n a diverse range of disease-oriented research.
Financial Information: View Financial Information
National Retina Institute Research Foundation, Inc.
901 Dulaney Valley Rd, Ste 200
Towson, MD 21204
Description:
“Research concerning retinal disorders.”
Activities:
- Study of scar tissue formation on the retina after surgery.
- Study of pathobiology of age-related macular degeneration.
Financial Information: Contact the organization.