The Parke Center honors David W. Parke II, MD, the Academy’s CEO from 2009 – 2022. The Parke Center will be a much-needed conference facility that will enhance the Academy's ability to build and strengthen relationships with ophthalmic leaders and key partners at Academy headquarters in San Francisco. Fully configurable, fully wired and seamlessly integrated, the Parke Center will be a dynamic conference center facility for the benefit of the Academy, its partners, its tenants, and all of ophthalmology. Thank you for supporting this important project honoring the legacy of Dr. Parke.

The Ophthalmic Education Fund supports the development of high-quality clinical education resources for ophthalmologists. Donor contributions help provide ophthalmologists worldwide with the educational materials needed to deliver the best possible care to millions facing blindness or visual impairment.

A main priority of the Ophthalmic Education Fund is the Academy’s Ophthalmic News & Education (ONE®) Network, the world’s largest online compendium of ophthalmic knowledge. Donor support will help fund the site's next major phase of development, which includes the expansion of state-of-the-art educational tools such as surgical videos, instructional podcasts, self-assessments and practice guidelines. Your gift will allow us to improve the content, usability and global accessibility of the ONE Network so ophthalmologists everywhere can more effectively protect sight and empower lives.

The Academy is building a new, permanent home at our San Francisco headquarters for the Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye™. It will be the only medical museum in our hometown and the only publicly accessible, comprehensive collection of ophthalmic artifacts on permanent display in the United States.

This free, public museum will introduce the world to the science of sight — and to the field of ophthalmology dedicated to protecting it.

The Museum of the Eye will:

• Deliver an interactive exploration of vision and the eye
• Preserve the rich history and heritage of ophthalmology
• Celebrate and inspire innovation in eye care
• Promote eye health on a broad scale

Your support will help us create and maintain a stunning showplace for ophthalmology in a major metropolitan location, establishing a cultural and scientific center with untold value for generations.

The largest public service program in American medicine, the Academy’s EyeCare America® program helps older adults and those who are at greater risk for eye disease receive sight-saving care.

Since 1985, EyeCare America’s more than 4,000 volunteer ophthalmologists have helped more than 2.2 million people nationwide. Each year, thousands of at-risk individuals are referred for medical eye exams often at no out-of-pocket cost. EyeCare America has been recommended by AARP, Reader’s Digest, Dear Abby, and more.

Your support will allow us to continue to provide medical eye exams, along with eye health resources and services to those who need it most, so they can continue to live full, independent lives.

For more than 25 years, the Academy’s Global Outreach programs have given ophthalmologists in developing nations access to the clinical information they need to diagnose and treat millions who would otherwise lose their sight.

With donor support, our Education Distribution Project fills a critical need by providing ONE Network access, Basic and Clinical Science Course™ (BCSC®) book sets and other educational materials to ophthalmologists in countries with extremely limited resources. It also allows us to bring international ophthalmologists to the Academy’s annual meeting through the Rotary Club Host Project, thus building global collaboration and expertise.

The Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program is a partnership between the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology.

The purpose of the program is to increase diversity in ophthalmology by helping qualified minority students who are underrepresented in medicine become competitive ophthalmology residency applicants. Students receive one-on-one mentorship, valuable guidance in medical career planning, networking opportunities and access to a variety of educational resources.

Public health evidence reveals that access to care improves when the physician community reflects the population at large. Although underrepresented minority groups comprise 30% of the U.S. population, they only make up 6% of practicing ophthalmologists. Your gift to this program ensures a more equitable, effective future for minority ophthalmologists and their patients.

Making a gift where most needed helps the Academy Foundation achieve its mission to prevent global blindness through education and service. Foundation funding allows Academy programs to improve continuing education, build on beneficial service programs and promote better ways to provide patient care. Your support gives ophthalmologists the educational resources to assist them in providing the gift of sight.