Jan. 23, 2025 — Prevent Blindness has received a $9.7 million donation from the Estate of Pamela Behrens, a long-time Florida resident and previous donor. The largest in Prevent Blindness's 117-year history, the donation will help support its mission to prevent blindness and preserve sight across the U.S. and its commitment to be a partner to organizations working to address eye health around the world.

The donation comes as Prevent Blindness develops its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, which aims to address emerging challenges in eye health, such as increasing rates of myopia among children, an aging population, and advancements in technology like artificial intelligence.

The funding will support several initiatives, including:

• Expanding children’s vision programs to ensure early detection and treatment of vision problems
• Promoting public education on eye health and improving access to care, particularly in underserved communities
• Strengthening advocacy efforts to improve access to vision care nationwide
• Supporting individuals impacted by vision loss through resources and community-building initiatives
• Collaborating on global eye health efforts to advance shared goals of improving vision care

Additionally, Prevent Blindness will launch an awareness campaign to inform the public about its resources, helping to prevent vision problems before they occur.

Pamela Behrens made the donation in memory of her late husband, Richard Behrens, who served on the national and Texas boards of Prevent Blindness in the 1980s, including as national treasurer.

“We are deeply grateful for Richard’s service on behalf of our mission and for Pamela Behrens’ incredible generosity in memorializing his commitment,” says Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “This extraordinary gift comes at a pivotal time for Prevent Blindness, empowering us to expand our reach, elevate public awareness, and better support those most vulnerable to vision loss in an era of rapid change.”

“For more than a century, Prevent Blindness has been advancing its sight-saving mission, evolving as the times dictate,” says Jim McGrann, chair of the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors and CEO of Advancing Eyecare. “This has only been made possible through the generosity of our donors—whether it’s a gift of $5, $500, $1 million, or more, all donations are valued and support the millions of people across the country impacted by eye health.”