Friends and Partners

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is aligned with many other like-minded organizations, including Vision Health Organizations, Science and Research Organizations and organizations we work with to help us remain Accountable to our Donors. Being an active member of a network allows communication to flow freely and lets us know about the latest scientific breakthroughs as soon as possible. It is also a way to spread awareness of the need for retinal disease research. The Foundation's network of friends includes government agencies, medical societies, patient groups and service organizations.

Our friends and partners provide a wealth of knowledge, skills and resources, all of which enrich the Foundation's activities and ultimately advance our goal to find treatments and cures for the vision loss and blindness caused by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and related diseases of the retina.

Vision Health Organizations

	Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) www.eyesite.ca COS is Canada's professional association of ophthalmologists (eye doctors). Visit this site to learn about the vision care initiatives of Canada's eye doctors and to learn about their policy on eye care.
	Health Charities Coalition of Canada (HCCC) www.healthcharities.ca The HCCC is a federally funded umbrella group that gives a unified voice to Canada's health charities.
	The National Coalition for Vision Health www.visionhealth.ca Providing leadership for the improvement of vision health and eye care through research and public awareness, by supporting public and professional education and information, developing vision loss prevention initiatives and advocacy programs.
	Retina International (RI) www.retina-international.org RI is an international, umbrella organization driven by patients with retinal degenerative diseases. The purpose of this group is to promote awareness and to advocate the need for research directed to understanding the causes, finding the treatments and ultimately the cures for retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and related diseases of the retina. Visit this site to find links to societies and foundations worldwide dedicated to the same cause.
	Vision Health Research Council (VHRC) www.vhrc.net VHRC represents the interests of scientists and vision health professionals dedicated to promoting or engaging in vision research.

Science and Research Organizations

	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) www.arvo.org ARVO is an international beacon for vision research. Thousands of the world's leading vision scientists meet at ARVO' s annual meeting for an exchange of late breaking scientific news. ARVO is the platform from which much great vision science springs.
	Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) www.cihr.ca CIHR is one of Canada's leading, federal granting agencies. It provides funding, guidelines and peer review for Canada's health sciences research community. The FFB-C adheres to the guidelines set out by CIHR.
	Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8579.html INMHA is one of CIHR's 13 institutes. It oversees the funding of projects specifically directed to vision research.
	Institute of Genetics (IG) www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/13147.html IG oversees scientific projects directed to understanding the role of genetics in human life and disease.
	The Stem Cell Network www.stemcellnetwork.ca The Stem Cell Network is one of Canada's federally funded Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE). The SC Network is dedicated to making the therapeutic potential of stem cells a reality. The FFB-C is currently a partner in a research project directed to understanding the nature of adult retinal stem cells with the hope the knowledge gained will lead to future treatments for macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, as well as other degenerative diseases of the retina.