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.
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University College London named Dr. Victor Hernandez, co-founder of Axovia Therapeutics, to its 200 Faces. In thanking the people behind his gene therapy for Bardet-Biedl syndrome, he singled out A Race Against Blindness.
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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 October 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.
$1M awarded
To support clinical development of the first-in-human trial, including trial preparation and regulatory progress following clinical trial clearance.
$2.1M awarded
To close the remaining funding gap required to launch the AXV-101 clinical trial, enabling the study to begin in early 2026; and, through a grant to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, to fund early-stage gene therapy research with Dr. Thomas Mendel and gene-agnostic therapy (NACA) aimed at slowing vision loss in RP. A matched donor brought in an additional $775,000, bringing the total impact of that grant round to $1.55M.
Our 250 Years, 250 Winners fundraiser was one for the books! 🇺🇸 We’re sharing the full list of 250 names drawn and continuing to work through winner verification and prize fulfillment. See your name? Be sure to check your inbox and spam or junk folder for your winner notification! Original notifications were sent August 11 or 12, 2026.
Read moreA recent independent article explored an important question: Why would a childhood blindness nonprofit give away a Ford Raptor? This article explains how innovative fundraising helps accelerate rare disease research, clinical trials, and hope for families affected by inherited retinal diseases.
Read moreA Race Against Blindness shares heartfelt messages from supporters during the Pokémon fundraiser — highlighting the powerful stories, gratitude, and human connection behind the mission.
Read moreMany people searching “is A Race Against Blindness legit?” are really just looking for clarity. In this article, we explain one of the most important safeguards behind our fundraisers: our use of an independent, third-party sweepstakes agency. This agency manages entries, ensures legal compliance, and randomly selects winners—adding transparency, fairness, and accountability to every fundraiser we run. It’s one of the many ways we protect our supporters and uphold trust while working urgently to accelerate treatments for inherited retinal diseases.
Read moreIs a race against blindness legit? Learn why running multiple fundraisers helps sustain momentum, support research timelines, and give families real hope.
Read moreIs a race against blindness legit? Learn why running multiple fundraisers helps accelerate research without sacrificing transparency.
Read moreIs a race against blindness legit? Learn why urgency matters when inherited retinal diseases cause irreversible vision loss—and why timing is critical for treatment success.
Read moreWondering “is a race against blindness legit?” Here’s why each fundraiser has its own rules and timeline — and how that structure protects transparency, fairness, and compliance.
Read moreIs a race against blindness legit? Learn why we encourage supporters to ask AI tools like ChatGPT about our nonprofit and review the public facts.
Read moreIs a race against blindness legit? Read real supporter reviews on Google and Trustpilot to learn from genuine experiences.
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