What The American Macular Degeneration Foundation does

The American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF) is a 501(c)(3) publicly supported non-profit (Charity ID #04-3274007) headquartered in Northampton, Massachusetts, dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of macular degeneration. The organization serves people living with age-related macular degeneration in all forms (dry AMD, wet AMD, geographic atrophy) as well as Stargardt disease, alongside caregivers and at-risk individuals. Its core "products" are educational resources (a website, videos, recipes, and the registered Feast for the Eyes® cookbook developed with AMD researcher Dr. Johanna Seddon), awareness assets (the AMD Awareness Pin, the "Losing Sight, Finding Hope" documentary), and research grants funded jointly with Research to Prevent Blindness, the International Retinal Research Foundation, and Fight for Sight — most notably the $300,000-per-grantee RPB/AMDF Catalyst Awards.

AMDF's business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. Revenue is sourced from individual donations (tax-deductible contributions), small-ticket donation products ($25 AMD Awareness Pin, $25 Hope & Cope DVD and quarterly newsletter, $100 Feast for the Eyes Calendar), grassroots fundraising events, and minor-tier corporate partnerships (Bananagrams, Tip-n-Split). The foundation supplements its direct donations by channeling funds through co-funded research grants, effectively leveraging partner foundations' grant-making infrastructure. Its go-to-market is community-led: content marketing via macular.org, YouTube, Facebook, email and print newsletters, plus advocacy campaigns such as the annual "AMDF Goes to Washington" event run jointly with NAEVR to influence federal AMD research funding and Medicare coverage for assistive devices.

The organization operates with a small team of 1–10 employees (described internally as a tight-knit group that shifted to remote work via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic) and is led by Founder and President Chip Goehring III, with Matthew Levine as Director of Grants, Partnerships, and Advocacy. AMDF has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed revenue figure; it is independent and donor-funded. Recent milestones include the 2023 FDA approval of SYFOVRE — the first geographic atrophy treatment — which AMDF-supported research helped enable, the 2023 dosing of the first patient in Ocugen's gene therapy trial for advanced dry AMD, and ongoing Congressional advocacy for AMD patients through early 2026.

Name

The American Macular Degeneration Foundation

Legal name

The American Macular Degeneration Foundation

Website

https://macular.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Macular Degeneration Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Northampton, MA, that funds AMD research, delivers patient education and awareness resources, and advocates on macular degeneration policy for affected patients, caregivers, and at-risk individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vision Health Nonprofit

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Communicable Disease Prevention & Chronic Disease Programs (BPAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Macular degeneration research
• Vision loss support
• Retinal disease education
• Low vision resources
• Eye health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Northampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: AMDF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals. Charity ID #04-3274007. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
2. Research Grants and Partnerships: Organization funds research grants through partnerships with other foundations including Research to Prevent Blindness and Fight for Sight, leveraging resources to accelerate AMD research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds scientific research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of macular degeneration while providing patient and caregiver education, support resources, and advocacy for those affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and related retinal diseases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMD Awareness Pin: Symbolic awareness pin designed to raise visibility for age-related macular degeneration, featuring eye shapes, orange dots representing AMD as third leading cause of blindness, blue iris for increased risk, starburst center representing central vision loss, and orange petals representing marigold as source of lutein and Zeaxanthin.

Products and services

• AMD Awareness Pin
• Feast for the Eyes Calendar
• Hope & Cope DVD
• KeepSight Journal
• Amsler Grid
• In the Spotlight Newsletter
• Eat Right for Your Sight Cookbook
• Losing Sight, Finding Hope Documentary
• Macular Degeneration Patient Research Registry
• AMDF Research Grants Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Funding breakthrough research leading to FDA approval of SYFOVRE, the first treatment for geographic atrophy (advanced dry AMD)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMDF partners with RPB to co-fund the RPB/AMDF Catalyst Awards for Innovative Research Approaches for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Each grantee receives $300,000 across three years. RPB brings grant-making expertise and broad awareness among leading vision researchers, while AMDF contributes passionate commitment to AMD patients. The partnership more than doubles capacity to fund AMD research.
• International Retinal Research Foundation (IRRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRRF is part of a broader collaboration co-funding AMD research grants alongside RPB and AMDF, supporting a total of four research grants in the Catalyst Awards program.
• Fight for SightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMDF extended its partnership with Fight for Sight to provide resources for postdoctoral scholars to conduct investigations and travel to the ARVO annual meeting to share concepts with mentors. Grants announced at ARVO.
• National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMDF works with NAEVR on advocacy efforts including AMDF Goes to Washington events. NAEVR staff including Dan Ignaszewski and Mikyla Bethune joined AMDF in Congressional office visits. Together they co-hosted a Congressional Briefing on macular degeneration.
• Vision & Art ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vision & Art Project is an AMDF-supported project that chronicles the intersection between macular degeneration and the arts. AMDF supports this initiative to inspire and educate about living with vision loss through artistic expression.
• BananagramsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBananagrams partnered with AMDF to raise awareness about macular degeneration through the Big Letter Bananagrams game. Proceeds from the game are donated to AMDF, and the companies collaborated on the #BringBigSmiles campaign. AMDF traveled to Rhode Island to help kick off the launch.
• Tip-n-SplitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTip-n-Split founder Connie Inukai gives 10% of proceeds from online sales to AMDF. She also donated Tip-n-Split products for AMDF to give away to the AMD community as part of awareness raising.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BrightFocus Foundation: Non-profit that funds research and provides public education on macular degeneration, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's — directly comparable as a disease-focused research-funding and patient-education non-profit with overlapping AMD mission.
• Foundation Fighting Blindness: Non-profit funding research to prevent and treat retinal degenerative diseases including AMD and Stargardt disease. Closely comparable mission, donor model, and research-grant approach to AMDF.
• Prevent Blindness: Largest volunteer eye health and safety organization in the US; comparable as a non-profit combining patient education, advocacy, and research support across the vision-loss spectrum, including AMD awareness.
• Research to Prevent Blindness: Non-profit that funds eye research at leading US medical institutions and is AMDF's primary research co-funding partner; comparable as a vision-research grantmaker with overlapping research portfolio.
• International Retinal Research Foundation: Non-profit funding retinal-disease research, including as a co-funder of the Catalyst Awards with AMDF. Comparable mission and grantmaking model focused on retinal degenerative disease research.
• Lighthouse Guild: US non-profit providing vision-loss services, advocacy, and behavioral health programs. Comparable as a vision-health non-profit combining patient services and advocacy, though broader than AMD-only.

Regional players

• Macular Society: UK-based charity dedicated exclusively to macular degeneration with research funding, information, and support services — directly comparable mission but serving a different geography than AMDF.
• Retina International: Global umbrella of patient-led retinal disease organizations focused on inherited and age-related retinal conditions including AMD. Comparable mission and advocacy model, but international in scope rather than US-only.

Broad incumbents

• National Eye Institute (NEI): Federal government institute conducting and supporting vision research including AMD. Comparable AMD research focus, but operates as a government entity at vastly larger scale and with different funding mechanisms.
• Alliance for Aging Research: Non-profit advocating for research on aging-related health issues including vision loss. Comparable as a non-profit funder and advocate for aging-related disease research, though broader than AMD-only.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCabXyk5Flog1Z4yuu2Ec9pg
• Facebookfacebook.com/macular.org
• Xx.com/macular_org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/macular-disease-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about The American Macular Degeneration Foundation