Columbia, Md. – September 15, 2026 -- The Foundation Fighting Blindness has renamed its venture philanthropy arm, formerly the Retinal Degeneration Fund (RD Fund), to the Gund Vision Fund, honoring more than 50 years of support from Gordon Gund and the Gund family.
Fund has deployed $100 million into 20 companies since 2018
Since launching in 2018, the vehicle has managed more than $140 million in strategic capital and deployed over $100 million directly into a portfolio of 20 companies. It has syndicated with more than $1.5 billion in institutional capital from over 60 co-investors, positioning it as one of the most active venture philanthropy models in the retinal disease space.
$50 million matching gift anchors new $100 million capital campaign
The rebrand coincides with an active $100 million capital campaign targeting treatments for inherited retinal diseases and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation has committed a $50 million lead challenge gift, matching every new or increased contribution to the Gund Vision Fund dollar for dollar up to that amount, effectively doubling donor contributions made during the campaign.
Foundation has invested nearly $1 billion in retinal research since 1971
The Foundation Fighting Blindness, established in 1971, is the leading private funder of retinal disease research globally, with nearly $1 billion invested to date and a patient registry exceeding 43,000 individuals. Jason Menzo, CEO of the Foundation, said the new name reflects both the Fund's history and its forward-looking capital deployment strategy.
Rusty Kelley, PhD, managing director of the Gund Vision Fund, said the model's willingness to back companies during periods of uncertainty is now delivering treatments to patients who previously had no options.
Updated digital platform launches ahead of 2027 expansion
The Fund's updated website, GundVisionFund.org, has launched alongside refreshed social channels, with additional developments planned for early 2027.