Brightfocus Foundation EIN 23-7337229

Brightfocus Foundation

EIN  23-7337229 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Clarksburg, MD Founded 1973
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 7/8/26 · see original filing: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Funds scientific research to find cures for brain and eye diseases, including Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
Leadership
Stacy Pagos Haller · President/CEO · $425K
Money in and out
$63.4M revenue, $53.3M expenses
Bottom line
65% program efficiency

Funds scientific research to find cures for brain and eye diseases, including Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $63.4M in revenue, $53.3M in expenses, and $37.0M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$63.4M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$53.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$37.0M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $10.1M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.65 Management & general $0.09 Fundraising $0.26
Program efficiency
65%
of spending reaches programs▲ +5% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
11.4mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -10% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+16%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +218% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$63.4M
FY2025▲ +30%
Expenses
$53.3M
FY2025▲ +15%
Total assets
$65.1M
FY2025▲ +3%
Total liabilities
$28.2M
FY2025▼ -24%
Total revenue
$63.4M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$53.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$37.0M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$10.1M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$65.1M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B65%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 314
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 414
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $34.8M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Alzheimer's disease research (adr)please refer to schedule o for a complete description of the accomplishments for alzheimer's disease research.

$21.4Mprogram expense
02

Macular degeneration research (mdr)please refer to schedule o for a complete description of the accomplishments for macular degeneration research.

$11.0Mprogram expense
03

National glaucoma research (NGR) please refer to schedule o for a complete description of the accomplishments for national glaucoma research.

$2.5Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CBrightfocus Foundation
EINHdr · item D23-7337229
Principal addressHdr · item CClarksburg, MD
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.brightfocus.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1973
State of legal domicileHdr · item MMD
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFDiseases & Disorders (G00J)
Ruling yearIRS BMFJan 1974

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a14
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b14
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
President/CEO
$424,828Pt VII · Sec A
SR. VP, Strategic Partnerships
$270,157Pt VII · Sec A
SR. VP, Development
$261,323Pt VII · Sec A
SVP, Finance & Administration
$226,786Pt VII · Sec A
VP, Scientific Affairs
$196,242Pt VII · Sec A
Of Scient. Programs, Vision Science
$139,931Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Director, Annual Giving
$135,115Pt VII · Sec A
Scient. Programs, Neuroscience
$125,732Pt VII · Sec A

Stacy Pagos Haller’s $425K as President/CEO is at the 77th percentile of top reported officer pay among 249 $10–100M diseases & disorders nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Stacy Pagos Haller$424,828$410,407$440,796$435,364$371,573
Nancy Keach$270,157
R Brian Elderton$261,323$253,852$243,178$247,200$233,289
Nancy Lynn$261,148$250,394$246,054$239,870
Jonathan Walsh$226,786
Diane Bovenkamp PHD$196,242$190,217$182,082$179,717$174,542
Kaci Baez$172,602$121,016
David F Marks CPA Cma$156,941$166,931$165,137$160,472

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$52.9M · 83%
Investment income$9.8M · 16%
Other revenue$704K · 1%
Contributions & grants83%$52.9M
Investment income16%$9.8M
Other revenue1%$704K
Total revenueLn 12$63.4M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.65 Management & general $0.09 Fundraising $0.26
Program services65%$34.8M
Management & general9%$4.6M
Fundraising26%$13.9M
Total functional expensesLn 25$53.3M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$9.9M
Total assetsLn 16$65.1M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$28.2M
Total net assetsLn 32$37.0M
Months of cash on handcomputed2.2

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $50.4M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $53.3M · Less non-cash grants $395K · Cash operating expenses/yr $52.9M
11.4 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $34.8M · Total expenses $53.3M
65%
Management & General
Management & general $4.6M · Total expenses $53.3M
9%
Fundraising
Fundraising $13.9M · Total expenses $53.3M
26%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $12.5M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $46.6M
$0.27 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $52.9M · Total revenue $63.4M
83%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $63.4M
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $0 · Total revenue $63.4M
0%
Investment reliance
Investment income $9.8M · Total revenue $63.4M
+16%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $0 · Total expenses $53.3M
0%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $63.4M · Prior year $48.7M
+30%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $51.2M · FY2024 $63.4M
+5%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $37.0M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $63.4M · Expenses $53.3M
+16%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $65.1M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $37.0M · Total assets $65.1M
57%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $32.4M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $8.0M · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $65.1M
62%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Stacy Pagos Haller · Reported title PRESIDENT/CEO · Highest reported compensation $425K · Total expenses $53.3M
1%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $6.5M · Total expenses $53.3M
12%
Fundraising vendors
Fundraiser cost ratio
Paid to fundraisers $1.0M · Gross raised $33.2M
3%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 65%
Overhead ratio 9%
Fundraising cost ratio 26%
Revenue growth 30%
Investment management fee ratio 0%
Legal fee ratio 0%
Accounting fee ratio 0%
Fundraising fee ratio 2%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
See all 5 funders →
Grants paid · 313 grants · $69.7M · 2020–2024
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences CenterFY2024$409,500
William Marsh Rice UniversityTX · FY2024$409,500
National Eye Institute NihFY2024$408,701
The Ohio State UniversityOH · FY2024$300,000
Washington UniversityMO · FY2024$300,000
Northwestern UniversityIL · FY2024$300,000
University of Washington School of MedicineFY2024$300,000
See all 313 grants →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$63.4M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$48.7M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$43.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$50.8M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$51.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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