Macular Disease Foundation Australia

What Macular Disease Foundation Australia does

Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) is a registered charitable non-profit organization founded in 2001 by Dr Paul Beaumont AM and headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales. It operates as Australia's national peak body dedicated to macular disease, providing free support services, education, advocacy, and research funding for Australians affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular oedema, and other macular conditions. MDFA's core service offering is Eye Connect, a free personalised support service combining education, lifestyle advice, emotional support, and peer support — accessed via self-referral, healthcare professional referrals through the Oculo platform, or referral pads. Supporting services include a National Helpline (1800 111 709), peer support groups, the Check My Macula risk assessment tool, government services navigation (NDIS, My Aged Care), a quarterly Vision Voice newsletter delivered in print, email, and audio CD formats, and a range of webinars and education sessions.

MDFA's underlying technology stack is intentionally lean: the organization does not develop proprietary technology products. Its digital infrastructure is a content-driven website (mdfoundation.com.au) integrated with ReadSpeaker for accessibility and Oculo for clinical referrals, supplemented by the MyINTERACT iPad app for healthcare professionals. A notable adjacent capability is AI-enabled retinal image analysis (computer vision) supported through MDFA-funded research, designed to extend specialist screening into regional and rural areas. MDFA is the largest non-government funder of macular disease research in Australia, having invested $7.2 million into Australian research since 2011.

The organization's revenue model relies entirely on donations, workplace giving, community fundraising, and gifts in wills (bequests) — all patient-facing services are provided free of charge with no commercial pricing. Its go-to-market combines community-led engagement (helpline, peer support, Vision Voice newsletter three times yearly) with channel partnerships (Diabetes Australia's KeepSight program reaching 600,000+ users) and event-driven awareness through the annual Macula Month campaign. Major corporate structural moves include the 2025 expansion of Eye Connect into diabetes-related eye conditions, advocacy that successfully deferred then halted the Federal Government's planned MBS reclassification of eye injections, and a 2025 leadership transition that installed Professor Sanchia Aranda AM as Chair.

Name

Macular Disease Foundation Australia

Legal name

Macular Disease Foundation Australia

Website

https://mdfoundation.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Macular Disease Foundation Australia is a registered non-profit and national peak body that provides free support services, education, and advocacy for Australians affected by macular disease, including AMD and diabetes-related eye conditions. It funds research as Australia's largest non-government funder in this area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Macular Disease Patient Support and Advocacy Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Macular disease support
• Eye health education
• Patient advocacy services
• Vision loss support
• Non-profit health foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Macular Disease Foundation Australia relies on donations from the Australian community, workplace giving programs, and community fundraising initiatives. The organization runs donation appeals and accepts gifts in celebration or memory of loved ones.
2. Gifts in Wills (Bequests): The organization encourages supporters to leave a gift in their Will to help save the sight of future generations. Include-a-Charity Week is promoted to raise awareness of planned giving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Macular Disease Foundation Australia is a non-profit charitable foundation that provides free support services, education, advocacy, and research funding for Australians affected by macular disease, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic eye disease. Its flagship offering is the Eye Connect personalised support service, complemented by a National Helpline, online risk-assessment tools, educational resources, peer support, government-services navigation (NDIS, My Aged Care), and a research grants program.

Product overview

Macular Disease Foundation Australia operates as a national peak body providing a comprehensive support ecosystem for Australians affected by macular disease. The core offerings include Eye Connect (free personalised support service for people with AMD and diabetes-related eye conditions) and Check My Macula (risk assessment tool). These are supported by educational programs including webinars, video series, and education sessions. The Foundation provides government services navigation for NDIS and My Aged Care, a quarterly Vision Voice newsletter (available in print, email, and audio formats), peer support groups, and a National Helpline (1800 111 709). MDFA also funds Australian macular disease research through its grants program, having invested $7.2 million since 2011. Healthcare professionals have access to dedicated resources, CPD programs, and the MyINTERACT app for referrals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eye Connect: Free support service for people with age-related macular degeneration and diabetes-related eye conditions
• Check My Macula
• Vision Voice
• MyINTERACT

Products and services

• Eye Connect Support Service Free personalised support service for people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetes-related eye conditions, providing personalised education, lifestyle advice, emotional support, peer support, and regular check-ins delivered via phone, SMS, email and print.
• Check My Macula

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2011, MDFA has invested $7.2 million into world-class Australian research, making it the largest non-government funder of macular disease research in Australia.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Diabetes Australia (KeepSight Program)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2025Partnership to expand MDFA's Eye Connect support service to include Australians with diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema. KeepSight is Diabetes Australia's national diabetes eye check reminder program, sending 200,000+ reminders annually with 600,000+ registered users. The partnership brings together eye health and diabetes expertise to provide tailored information, practical advice, and emotional support for people affected by both AMD and diabetes-related eye conditions.
• Quantum RLVminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2002Quantum RLV has been a proud sponsor and supporter of MDFA since 2002. Peter Cracknell, Manager of Vision and Blindness Technologies at Quantum RLV, was instrumental in supporting MDFA at its inception. Quantum has collaborated with MDFA on webinars, workshops, and road shows, including a marathon 3-week trip to over 20 towns across northern NSW and Queensland coast to Cooktown, spreading awareness about macular disease management and assistive technology.
• Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate Professor Zhichao Wu is a Principal Research Fellow and Head of Clinical Biomarkers Research at CERA, and a Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne. MDFA awarded him the $200,000 MDFA 25th Anniversary Award for research on geographic atrophy. His work focuses on overcoming barriers to discovering new treatments for AMD and evaluating promising new treatments.
• University of MelbournecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessor Alice Pébay's team at the University of Melbourne uses patient-specific pluripotent stem cells to model neurodegenerative diseases, particularly age-related macular degeneration. She was awarded a MDFA research grant and is a NHMRC Senior Research Fellow.
• The Woodward Centre, MelbourneminorOthersHosted the special MDFA 25th Anniversary Research Awards event on June 19, 2026, where MDFA awarded $300,000 to two groundbreaking research projects.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vision Australia: Australia's largest provider of blindness and low vision services, offering direct client services, assistive technology, and advocacy. Directly comparable as a vision-focused nonprofit serving overlapping patient populations, though broader in scope (all vision loss, not just macular disease).
• Heart Foundation Australia: National health nonprofit focused on cardiovascular disease, with a similar operating model of patient support, research grants, health professional education, and government advocacy. Comparable in scale, mission, and Australian nonprofit sector positioning.
• Diabetes Australia: National peak body for diabetes in Australia and MDFA's strategic partner via the KeepSight program. Highly comparable as a similarly sized health nonprofit operating nationally on donations, providing patient support, funding research, and advocating on government policy for a chronic disease population.
• Cancer Council Australia: Australia's leading cancer nonprofit, providing patient support, research funding, and policy advocacy. MDFA's Chair Sanchia Aranda AM is former CEO, making this a directly comparable disease-focused national nonprofit with similar operating model, revenue mix, and mission structure.
• Guide Dogs Australia: National provider of guide dog services and vision-related support for people with blindness and low vision. Directly comparable in serving Australians with vision loss, providing services, advocacy, and fundraising, though focused on mobility rather than disease-specific support.
• Retina Australia: Australian nonprofit focused on inherited retinal diseases, providing support, advocacy, and research funding. Directly comparable as a smaller, disease-specific vision nonprofit with similar member services, research grants, and advocacy focus.

Emerging players

• Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA): Australia's leading eye research institute and a recipient of MDFA research funding. Comparable as an Australian eye-health research entity, but operates as a research institution rather than patient support nonprofit; represents both a research partner and a potential alternative channel for donor and advocacy engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Fred Hollows Foundation: Large Australian-based international eye health nonprofit focused on eliminating avoidable blindness globally. Comparable in eye-health nonprofit category and research/advocacy approach, but operates internationally and across all eye conditions rather than macular disease specifically.

Regional players

• Macular Society (UK): UK-based charity dedicated to macular disease, providing nearly identical services to MDFA: helpline, peer support, information, and research funding. Highly comparable in mission and operating model, but serves a UK rather than Australian population.
• Blind Citizens Australia: National advocacy organization for Australians who are blind or vision impaired. Comparable in advocacy and government policy work for vision-loss populations, though focused on rights and systemic change rather than disease-specific support or research funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mdfa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Macular Disease Foundation Australia