According to a study conducted by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania they found that costs for a person with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and an intellectual disability reaches $2.4 million in the United States; costs for those who have ASD without an intellectual disability are estimated to cost $1.4 million in both the U.S. Another study from the National Disability Institute found that a U.S. household containing an adult with a disability must spend an estimated 28% more income to obtain the same standard of living as a household with no disability. We also know that insurance doesn’t cover many of the costs associated with having a disability.

We have put a list together a list of private grants for individuals with disabilities that families can take advantage of depending on age and diagnosis that can help pay for things like therapy, medical expenses, transportation, adaptive equipment, and more that insurance won’t cover. Please let us know if there are grant opportunities we can add to the list. We will keep everything updated as we learn about more opportunities.

Autism Care Today

Autism Care Today grants are designed to provide access to individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. Grant payments will be made directly to pre-approved treatment providers, assessors or materials vendors. They will not fund: Transportation requests (cars, car repair, transportation passes, air travel), Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Personal Needs (rent, utilities, family vacations). They also have an SOS program for those with immediate treatment needs.

To learn more and apply go to https://www.act-today.org/apply-for-grant/

Cerner Charitable Foundation

Cerner Charitable Foundation provides individual medical grants that cover a wide variety of clinical, equipment, travel & lodging, and vehicle modification costs related to children's healthcare needs. The child must be 18 years or younger (a person 19–21 may be considered if they are in a child-like mental state). The child must be under the care of a physician and the request must be clinically relevant to a specific healthcare need of the child and there must be no existing insurance coverage for the requested expenses.

Expenses covered include lodging, gas, parking and transportation if related to a child’s care, clinical procedures, medicine, therapy, evaluations, service dogs, wheelchairs, assistive technology, prostheses, care devices, hearing aids, lifts, ramps, and transfer boards.

Learn more at Request Funding | Cerner Charitable Foundation

Children at Home Grant

Grant can be used for equipment (adaptive, therapeutic, functional, technology), therapy, inclusion activities, parent and caregiver education, personal care, respite and adaptive child care, medical related expenses, transportation out of the area, and nutrition.

To qualify for the Children at Home program: You and your family must reside in the state of Iowa, your family must include a child with a disability, which is defined as an individual who is less than 22 years of age and meets the definition of developmental disability., your family’s intent is to secure those services and supports that would enable your child to remain living in the family home, and your family’s Federal Net (not gross) taxable income for the most recent tax year is less than $60,000.

Learn more at Children at Home - Iowa Family Support Network (iafamilysupportnetwork.org)

Giving Angels Foundation

Giving Angels Foundation’s mission is to enhance the daily functioning of a child with a physical disability from a lower income family by awarding grants for life-changing equipment, medical supplies, essential family bills, specialized camps, and therapeutic toys.

Children must be under the age of 21 with any type of physical disability or illness.

Learn more at Apply For Help (givingangelsfoundation.org).

Kiddos’ Club Foundation

The Kiddos’ Club Foundation scholarship funds payment of therapeutic services or equipment, and the Foundation will directly pay the clinic, licensed therapist, business, or the equipment vending company delivering services to the scholarship recipient. Funds are not payable directly to families or scholarship recipients. A family applying for this scholarship must: demonstrate the need for funds due to lack of insurance, lack of insurance coverage, lack of other funding sources. The family must be applying for a child under the age of 21 and not have received a scholarship from the Foundation within the past 2 years. Application are accepted at the end of every quarter.

Learn more and apply at http://www.kiddosclubhousefoundation.org/eligibility-guide

The Parker Lee Project

The Parker Lee Project covers supplies for children with disability that insurance won’t often cover. Items include enteral Supplies (feeding bags, extenders), trach supplies (care kits, ties, cleaning supplies, HMEs), incontinence Supplies (different size diapers and briefs), oxygen tubing and cannulas, IV tubing and care supplies, formula, general supplies (Gloves, Alcohol Prep Pads, Medical Tape, 2x2 and 4x4 Gauze Pads), diabetic supplies, suction catheters, and mouth care (toothettes, oral swabs).

To fill out a request form visit http://www.theparkerleeproject.org/requestform.html

For more information on supplies visit http://www.theparkerleeproject.org/supplies.html

Spina Bifida Association of Iowa: GAP: Grant Assistance Program

The Grant Assistance Program of the Spina Bifida Association of Iowa is a financial assistance program for individuals and families affected by Spina Bifida. The grant can be used for unreimbursed medical expenses related to care of spina bifida and related conditions, travel to medical appointments out of your region, health and wellness programs related to improving your life with spina bifida, organization of an event in your community for people with spina bifida to connect and raise awareness, home adaptations, programs that you want to set up in your local are including speakers or webinars.

Applicants must be from Iowa (or bordering communities) and affiliated with the Spina Bifida Association of Iowa, documentation must be provided on the program, service or item to be secured, if the grant requested is for a medical expense, proof must be provided that the expense is not covered by private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare and/or an appeal has been denied and, GAP is not intended for camp or college scholarships. A separate application is available for those programs.

Learn more at https://sbaia.org/resource/gap-grant-assistance-program/

Tyler Schrenk Foundation

This foundation has the José Blakely Memorial Grant that can be used for anyone that is looking to increase their independence. This grant will not be limited to just one device that can increase independence but whatever is necessary to have a sustained impact on the recipient's life.

They also have the Demonstrating Independence Grant which provides several recipients with assistive technologies, enabling a more independent lifestyle. A device is provided that can help someone control their lights or TV by voice, enable phone calls, and much, much more.

Learn more at https://www.thetsf.org/grants