About us
Who we are
The Dry Eye Foundation is a small 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Poulsbo, Washington.
DEF has long roots as a dedicated “by-and-for-patients” organization for the dry eye community. This work began almost 20 years ago as DryEyeZone, the popular patient information platform and online forum started by DEF co-founder Rebecca Petris.
As unmet dry eye patient needs continued to grow, in 2018 we incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to improve quality of life for people with dry eye disease.
Annual Report
Our 2023 Annual Report contains a special report on DEF’s 2023 Eye Drop Safety campaign. You can also learn about our programs and fundraising.
Our 2022 Annual Report summarizes DEF’s activities and achievements during our first five years and explains how we relate to our community and our mission.
Board of Directors
Rebecca Petris (President)
Cynthia Edwards, RN, MSN (Vice President)
Monique Fox (Secretary)
Vincent J. DeRisio, DO, FACP (Treasurer)
Sandra Brown, MD (Member at large)
Gloria Chiu, OD, FAAO, FSLS (Member at large)
Aidan Moore, ex officio
Executive Director
Aidan Moore (co-founder)
Our work
In our first five years as a non-profit, we:
formalized our community services program, serving hundreds of patients annually through our helpline and groups
conducted an in-depth patient journey survey (DEDAM)
operated six patient education websites
represented patients and facilitated patient involvement in dry eye research
exhibited at national meetings (AOA, AAOpt, AAO, GSLS, ICSC)
responded to emerging safety trends with an Eye Drop Safety program
Today, we are continuing to innovate new safety and education initiatives and are forging strong partnerships in the nonprofit community as well as with other stakeholders.