PLATINUM2023

The Glaucoma Foundation

Our Vision, Your Sight

aka TGF   |   New York, NY   |  http://www.glaucomafoundation.org

Mission

The Glaucoma Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people with glaucoma. The Foundation works to encourage and support basic and applied research in glaucoma with a goal to preserve and restore vision. We strive to be an important resource to help patients, their families, and at-risk individuals to manage their glaucoma through education and outreach.

Ruling year info

1985

President and CEO

Ms. Elena Sturman

Main address

80 Maiden Lane, Suite 700

New York, NY 10038 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

13-3174839

NTEE code info

Eye (H41)

Eye Diseases, Blindness and Vision Impairments (G41)

Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution (H12)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2023, 2022 and 2021.
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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness. It is estimated that 80 million people worldwide have the disease, three million in the United States. Since our founding in 1984, The Glaucoma Foundation has encouraged and supported cutting edge research with a goal to eradicate the disease and reverse blindness. Through our websites, publications, e-newsletters, and a variety of educational events, we increase awareness of glaucoma and the importance of timely and appropriate eye care.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Research and Education

The Foundation works to encourage and support basic and applied research in glaucoma, to gain and disseminate new information about the causes and treatment of glaucoma, and to further efforts to identify and develop novel approaches to preserve visual function and reverse blindness caused by glaucoma.

The Foundation’s Grant-in-Aid Program has awarded millions of dollars in seed money for cutting-edge research projects. Preliminary data from these projects have frequently been used to support proposals for larger grants from entities such as the National Institutes of Health. Beginning in 2013, TGF’s Grants Program is exclusively funding projects on a pathway to cure exfoliation syndrome.

The Glaucoma Foundation’s interdisciplinary Annual International Scientific Think Tank has brought together some of the world’s top scientists and clinicians. These gatherings continue to be a catalyst for setting the course to find new treatments and cures for glaucoma.

Headquartered in New York, TGF serves patients across the globe through its website and on-line support groups.

The organization’s “Eye to Eye” newsletter keeps thousands of households worldwide informed about research news and other developments and includes such informative features as “Doctor, I Have A Question.” An electronic newsletter is sent out bi-monthly.

Population(s) Served
Adults
People with vision impairments

Where we work

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of research or policy analysis products developed, e.g., reports, briefs

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Adults, Ethnic and racial groups, People with vision impairments

Related Program

Research and Education

Type of Metric

Context - describing the issue we work on

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

These are published papers citing The Glaucoma Foundation for our funding. It can take several years between initial funding and publication of the research.

Number of research studies funded

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Age groups, Ethnic and racial groups, People with vision impairments

Related Program

Research and Education

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of participants attending course/session/workshop

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Age groups, Ethnic and racial groups, People with vision impairments

Related Program

Research and Education

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

We are currently reaching an even wider, international audience through educational webinars.

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

The purpose of The Glaucoma Foundation is to develop a cure for glaucoma through innovative research, collaboration, and education, with integrity, intellectual curiosity, the recognition and support of innovation, and the embrace of a diversity of people and ideas.

TGF funds groundbreaking glaucoma research, historically in the areas of neuroprotection and genetics, and currently in exfoliation syndrome, the most common recognizable cause of open-angle glaucoma in the world. TGF's research grants provide a platform for large research projects now led by the National Institutes of Health as well as the pharmaceutical industry.

Held annually, The Glaucoma Foundation’s International Scientific Think Tank is a unique opportunity for scientists to apply the research and progress in other diseases and systems to the challenges of glaucoma. This interdisciplinary meeting fosters creative thought and collaboration among the world’s leading glaucoma experts, neuroscientists, geneticists, biologists, immunologists, and other specialists.

Traditionally, the two-day forum achieves three objectives:

• Orienting scientists from other fields to glaucoma.
• Presenting critical scientific findings that may impact or even redefine the future course of glaucoma research.
• Identifying novel approaches for gathering scientific data.

By encouraging new research strategies and innovative insights into the causes of glaucoma at this forum, The Glaucoma Foundation continues to spearhead the multi-disciplinary campaign to eradicate blindness from this disease.

The Foundation provides information and news through e-newsletters, our website, and educational events. We provide links to other resources including online support groups.

The Glaucoma Foundation 's board of directors, and scientific and medical advisory boards, are comprised of experts in science, medicine, and finance. We partner with other leaders in healthcare, including the NIH and pharma. We are supported by thousands of individual donors and an annual awards gala.

Since 1984, the Foundation has been providing information about eye health and glaucoma to patients and their families. We have consistently supported research that has the potential to translate basic science into treatment, potentially leading to a cure for glaucoma. For more than twenty years, we encouraged scientists working in a wide range of inquiry including micro and nanotechnology, neuroprotection, nanomedicine, tissue bioengineering, genetics, and genomics. For the past ten years, the Foundation has focused on expanding the understanding of exfoliation syndrome, the most common recognizable cause of open-angle glaucoma in the world, affecting about 80 million people, and accounting for the majority of cases in some countries.

Beginning with our first grant cycle of 2021, the Foundation will expand our scope of funding beyond exfoliation.

Our e-newsletter has more than 7,000 subscribers and we reach thousands more through educational events, the mail, and our website.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback

Financials

The Glaucoma Foundation
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

The Glaucoma Foundation

Board of directors
as of 01/31/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Dr. Gregory Harmon

Robert Ritch

Gregory K. Harmon

Salvatore P. Ciampo

Reza Dibadj

David Fellows

Murray Fingeret

Barry S. Friedberg

Jeffrey M. Liebmann

Kumar Mahadeva

Kenneth Mortenson

Louis R. Pasquale

Patricia Hill

Sheldon M. Siegel

Naj Sharif

Jai Parekh

Baldo S. Sforzolini

Joe Rosen

Joe Rosen

Barbara Calaba

Carole Darden Lloyd

Barbara Hearst

Annette Oestreicher Grollman

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 10/26/2021
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

Transgender Identity

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 10/26/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.