The Vision Of Children Foundation

What The Vision Of Children Foundation does

The Vision of Children Foundation (VOC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in San Diego, California, founded in 1991 by Sam and Vivian Hardage after their son was diagnosed with ocular albinism type 1 (OA1). Its mission is to fund research toward cures for hereditary childhood blindness and genetic vision disorders and to support affected families. The foundation delivers programs across four tracks: a Research Grants Program (up to $100,000 per year for two years per project) open to accredited academic institutions globally; a Project Vision Aid program distributing state-of-the-art aids such as iPads to low-vision children; a worldwide Family Support Network connecting 1,500+ families with vision aids, doctor referrals, and community resources; and the Vision Heroes program that publicizes young people overcoming vision challenges. Annual fundraising events (e.g., Vision For America, Bagels Books & Braille) and brand partnerships supplement donations and monthly recurring gifts.

VOC reports having raised and invested over $7 million in research across 30+ years and funded 76+ research initiatives. Scientifically, the foundation has helped identify the OA1 gene, develop the first genetic test for OA enabling prenatal diagnosis and carrier screening, created an OA1 mouse model, and supported gene-therapy efficacy demonstrations. Current funded research at UC San Diego Shiley Eye Institute under Dr. Karl Wahlin combines gene therapy with stem cell therapy and explores Prime Editing for precise genetic repair of mature neurons as well as 3D human retina organoids for disease modeling. The foundation operates with 1-10 employees and is supported by a board that includes UCLA and Baylor-affiliated scientists, a Scripps Clinic pediatric ophthalmology director, and pharmaceutical and venture executives.

Commercially, VOC is not a revenue-generating business; it is donation- and grant-funded. Its "go-to-market" is event-driven fundraising (community events, recurring donations, branded partnerships) coupled with research distribution via an open competitive call-for-proposals and awareness-building through email, Instagram, and earned media coverage.

Name

The Vision Of Children Foundation

Legal name

The Vision of Children Foundation

Website

https://visionofchildren.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Vision of Children Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 that funds hereditary childhood blindness research (especially ocular albinism type 1) and provides family support programs to affected families worldwide from San Diego, California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Health Research Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Vision & Hearing Early Intervention Services (EDACAFAN), Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding (HLAJALAG)

Keywords

• Hereditary vision research
• Childhood blindness research
• Nonprofit research funding
• Family support services
• Vision disorder advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation raises funds through individual donations, monthly support programs, event fundraising, and branded partnerships with corporations seeking to support vision research.
2. Research Grants: The foundation provides funding to researchers through competitive grant programs, offering up to $100,000 per year for two years per project for hereditary vision disorder research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Vision of Children Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds and advances research into hereditary childhood blindness and genetic vision disorders (notably ocular albinism type 1 and oculocutaneous albinism) by issuing competitive research grants of up to $100,000 per year for two years. It complements this research mission with direct family support programs, including provision of vision aids such as iPads, a worldwide family support network, the Vision Heroes recognition program, and a resource library for affected families.

Product overview

The Vision of Children Foundation operates as a nonprofit charitable organization rather than a commercial product company. The foundation's programs include Vision Heroes (a program featuring young people who overcome vision challenges), Project Vision Aid (providing vision aids like iPads to low-vision children), Family Support Network (a worldwide network connecting families affected by vision disorders), Resource Library (educational materials and downloads), Research Grants Program (funding up to $100,000/year for two years for hereditary vision disorder research), and Vision For America Event (annual fundraising event). The foundation facilitates research into ocular albinism and hereditary blindness through grant funding while providing direct support services to affected families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Grants Program Grant funding program open globally to researchers at accredited academic institutions, research hospitals, and nonprofit research organizations conducting innovative research on hereditary vision disorders, including Ocular Albinism (OA), Oculocutaneous Albinism (OCA), and other genetic conditions; provides up to $100,000 per year for two years per project.
• Project Vision Aid Program providing state-of-the-art vision aids such as iPads to low-vision children in need, supporting educational and daily living needs for children with hereditary vision disorders.
• Family Support Network A worldwide network of families affected by vision disorders providing peer support, resources, and connections to specialized doctors and medical professionals for families dealing with hereditary vision disorders.
• Vision Aid Assistance Application Application process through which families can request vision aids such as iPads via the Project Vision Aid program, enabling low-vision children to access assistive technology.
• Vision For America Event Annual fundraising event that brings together supporters, families, and community members to raise awareness and funds for the foundation's vision research and family support programs.
• Donation Program Online donation program allowing supporters to make one-time gifts or commit to monthly recurring donations to fund hereditary childhood blindness research and family support services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $7M invested in research over 30+ years
• +6 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• UPenn Orphan Disease CenternotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2024The Vision of Children Foundation partnered with the University of Pennsylvania's Orphan Disease Center to support research initiatives for rare genetic vision disorders, combining resources and expertise to advance treatment development.
• Shiley Eye Institute at UC San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Karl Wahlin's team leading the 'When Vision Becomes Reality' research project, focusing on gene therapy and stem cell approaches to reverse blindness caused by inherited retinal disorders including Ocular Albinism type 1.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Children's Eye Foundation of AAPOS: Pediatric ophthalmology nonprofit supporting children's vision health, education, and research. Comparable as a children-and-vision-focused nonprofit combining family support and clinical awareness.
• Foundation Fighting Blindness: The largest US nonprofit funding retinal degenerative disease research. Directly comparable to VOC as a vision-research grantmaker serving the inherited blindness community, though at substantially greater scale and a broader disease portfolio.
• BrightFocus Foundation: Funds research into macular degeneration, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's, with a vision-research grant program. Comparable as a disease-focused nonprofit that combines research funding with public education and donor-driven fundraising.
• Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB): Provides research grants to ophthalmology departments at US medical schools. Closely comparable mission to VOC's research-grantmaking function but focused on institutional capacity rather than a specific hereditary disease.

Emerging players

• Rare Genomics Institute: Nonprofit that connects rare disease patients, including those with rare genetic vision disorders, to research opportunities and sequencing resources. Comparable as a rare hereditary disease nonprofit serving affected families.
• EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases: Advocacy nonprofit accelerating rare disease therapeutic development through policy and federal funding. Comparable as a rare-disease mission-driven nonprofit, though focused on policy rather than direct research grantmaking.

Regional players

• Retina International: Global umbrella organization supporting national retina-focused patient groups, including those addressing inherited retinal diseases. Comparable in mission scope (inherited retinal disease research and family support) but operates globally rather than from a single US hub.

Others

• CureSMA: Disease-specific nonprofit funding spinal muscular atrophy research and family support. Thematically comparable as a rare inherited disease research-and-family-support nonprofit model that has successfully scaled donor support and clinical pipelines.

Broad incumbents

• National Eye Institute (NEI): Federal institute within NIH that funds and conducts vision research. Comparable as a major hereditary and pediatric vision research funder, but operating at vastly larger scale with public funding.
• Prevent Blindness: Long-established US eye health nonprofit focused on vision screening, advocacy, and education across the full spectrum of eye disease. Broader incumbent versus VOC's narrow hereditary-blindness niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/visionofchildren

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Vision Of Children Foundation