Prevent Blindness Receives Legacy Donation of $9.7 Million, Largest in History

Prevent Blindness announced it has received a donation of $9.7 million from the Estate of Pamela Behrens, a Florida resident and previous donor. Founded in 1908, this is the largest donation the organization has ever received. 

Ms. Behrens made the donation in honor of her late husband, Richard Behrens, who served on both the Prevent Blindness national and Texas branch boards of directors in the 1980s, eventually holding the position of 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,” Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness, said in a recent press release. “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.”

The mission of Prevent Blindness is to promote eye health through public awareness, education, and advocacy. As they develop their 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, the organization states the Behrens gift will be used to support many initiatives, including:

• Expanding technical assistance efforts in children’s vision to promote early identification and treatment of vision problems in children across the country
• Promoting eye health awareness, educating people on the importance of early detection and routine eye care
• Advancing public policy efforts to improve access to vision care and protect vision health for all U.S. residents, particularly those in underserved communities
• Contributing to global eye health

In addition to these efforts, Prevent Blindness plans to launch a comprehensive awareness campaign to increase awareness of the resources available through the organization and ways to contribute to the mission. They aim to empower individuals and build a community that supports people who are visually impaired or at risk of vision loss and their care partners.

“For more than a century, Prevent Blindness has been advancing its sight-saving mission, evolving as the times dictate,” shared 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.”

For more information about Prevent Blindness, visit preventblindness.org.