Non-profit funding sight-saving research for children
Stories of Hope
Follow A Race Against Blindness research funding, inherited retinal disease developments, community stories, grant announcements, and updates from families racing toward sight-saving treatments.
Featured article
RAB has funded a second $1 million grant with the Foundation Fighting Blindness for gene-agnostic research: $700,000 to the Gund Vision Fund, matched to $1.4 million, and $300,000 to Dr. Jin Woo Kim's regenerative research at KAIST.
Read the articleHope, Funded
Every dollar below has been paid out to research, made possible by the generosity of our sponsors and donors. Real people making an impact on saving children's eyesight.
total research funding, fully paid out · as of November 2026
$3M awarded
To fund the preclinical development and regulatory preparation of AXV-101, a gene therapy for Bardet-Biedl Syndrome type 1 (BBS1), advancing the program toward its first human clinical trial.
$2.1M awarded
To support clinical development of the first-in-human trial, including trial preparation and regulatory progress following clinical trial clearance, and to close the remaining funding gap required to launch the AXV-101 clinical trial, enabling the study to begin in early 2026.
$2M awarded
Through two grants to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, to fund gene-agnostic research: in June, the Gund Vision Fund (formerly the RD Fund) and early-stage gene therapy delivery research with Dr. Thomas Mendel; in November, the Gund Vision Fund and regenerative research with Dr. Jin Woo Kim at KAIST. The Gund Foundation Challenge matched the $1,475,000 directed to the Fund dollar for dollar.
Korey C. from Texas won the 2nd Chance Lexus LX 700h Overtrail and $35,000 cash on July 10, 2026 and drove it home. Watch the call and Winner Day.
Read moreClaudine L. from North Carolina won our one-week, email-only Camry XSE fundraiser on June 28, 2026 and chose the $35,000 cash alternative.
Read moreRaquel M. from California won our RAV4 Woodland + Corolla Hybrid fundraiser on June 21, 2026 and chose cash for her family. Watch her winner call.
Read moreDaniel B. from Texas and Tori C. from Georgia each won a Toyota and $25,000 in our first fundraiser with the Foundation Fighting Blindness, June 2026.
Read moreEddie T. from Colorado won our 15-day Lexus LX 700h Overtrail fundraiser on May 31, 2026 and chose the $100,000 cash alternative. What happened next.
Read moreJim M. from Florida won Luke's Ultimate Pokémon Vault fundraiser on May 10, 2026: sealed boxes, PSA 10 cards, a Card Party trip and $5,000 cash.
Read moreSam W. from Michigan won our 10-day 2nd Chance SEMA Land Cruiser fundraiser on April 5, 2026, and took the truck. Watch the call and Winner Day.
Read moreYou could win a 2026 Entegra Esteem XL Super C, a Polaris XPEDITION ADV 5 and $100,000 cash in our 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraiser, through Oct 25.
Read moreYou could win a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170, a $125,000 Rossmönster build budget and $50,000 cash in our 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraiser, through Nov 8.
Read more